[OklahomaOutlaw]

I went 4 wheeling with a buddy Saturday morning. It was a great morning for a ride, low 60's and cloudy. One of our mutual friends has nearly 900 acres on the North Canadian river just south of here. Bubba is the mutual friend and was raised on this property.

Deep in the woods we came across the old homestead (his grandparents). It's amazing to think the way it was back then. Humbling, if you knew how far in the sticks we were.

Anyway, Creek Indians build "spirit houses" which are placed over the graves of the departed. Exacting detail to board spacing. The premise is it keeps the good spirits in, and prevents bad spirits from entering.

These spirit houses are never touched again, and are allowed to rot away over the years.

It's pretty incredible.

They are continually decorated throughout the year. Flags are placed for veterans.

Here is the old homestead.......about 30 yards from the spirit houses...

The house was last lived in around 1950 or thereabouts.

And yes, they even had a tornado shelter...

I hope you guys and gals enjoy this as much as I did.

I've got ticks and chiggers, picked a few sand plums and ate them right off of the trees. The ******* life ain't no good life, but it's my life.

Planning on going just south of the dam at Lake Eufaula tomorrow for some sandbar fun....and pick some more sand plums.

 

[mrbb]

thanks for sharing the pic's and story
sounds like a fun place to ride about , and all the more so when you know the history of things there too!

funny how a house left all alone can be still standing so long?
guess its just more evidence they built things better way back when , with plans of it lasting forever if they could??

 

[SamUK]

It's great to see it pretty much as it was left. History at its finest along with a brilliant story. The tornado shelter is surprising, looks like a heavy piece of rock that makes the roof. In England it would have been vandalised and no doubt would be covered in non artistic graffiti.

 

[mrbb]

after thinking some, I wonder if what your thinking is a Tornado shelter, might just be cold storage for there food?
as that's what they did in remote places

 

[OklahomaOutlaw]

after thinking some, I wonder if what your thinking is a Tornado shelter, might just be cold storage for there food?
as that's what they did in remote places

We're in east central Oklahoma. It's most definitely a storm cellar.

There is a military cot on top. I imagine in made for relaxing summer afternoons under the oaks and catalpa trees.

 

[mrbb]

well could be both I guess too, NO
as it it was an off the grid like homestead, NO power, they had to keep food cold some how LOL
and below ground cold storage was what they did back then to make food last as long as they could

 

[ivrancher4x4]

I am glad places like that still exist in our country. My desert is getting filled up with solar panels.

 

[OklahomaOutlaw]

well could be both I guess too, NO
as it it was an off the grid like homestead, NO power, they had to keep food cold some how LOL
and below ground cold storage was what they did back then to make food last as long as they could

Oh, I'm certain of it. Root cellars were common back then. I'm fairly sure they also used true ice boxes for meats, etc. Root cellars stay a pretty constant 50 degrees around here.

 

[Zora001]

It is like a ghost house.

 

[fishfiles]

Nice ! I'd bet the ghost meter would buzz off the hook come sunset !