And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Monday, August 8, 2022
What's that piano doing in the middle of the prairie?
This is the David Hilton family in Nebraska. In 2001, David Hilton’s great grandson Scott Kaelin wrote,
"Why did they have such an ornate musical instrument when they still lived in a primitive dirt house? You see, David was born in Manchester, England and was educated in music before coming to America at the age of 25. He was a musician and music was very important to him. ... The Hiltons had a quartet: Emma played the organ and sang soprano; Lydia sang alto; Leonard sang tenor; and George had a deep bass voice. They sang at church, for funerals and for many other community activities."
"We did not want to show the old sod house to friends back east, but the young lady and mother wanted to prove they owned an organ." See NEBRASKA HISTORY. magazine. Vol. X No. 4, Oct.-Dec. 1927, Pg. 323. In 1975, Phillip Gardner of the Custer County Historical Society identified the Hiltons as living one and one-half miles south of Weissert, and being one of the oldest families in that area. Mrs. F. E. Howland identified those pictured as, from left to right: George Leonard Hilston, the eldest son of David. Born 17 March 1881 at Weissert, Nebraska; David Hilton, born 26 September 1846 at Manchester England; Emma Rhoda Hilton Campbell (daughter of David), born 13 March 1876 in Seneca, Wisconsin; Lydia Hilton Pickett, born 7 June 1879 at York, Nebraska; Leonard George Hilton, born 16 July 1883 at Weissert, Nebraska; Isabell (Chapman Hilton, born 1 December 1853 at Steubenville, Ohio. Another daughter, Frances Hilton Pennington, was born in 1889, after this picture was taken. David Hilton was the youngest of four boys, and the only one of his family to come to America. En route to Nebraska, he visited his uncle at Seneca, Wisconsin, and never returned to England. He was about 25 years onld when he came to American in 1871."
Dang! You young uns just don't know nuttin about prairie building. First you situate the organ, then you build the church around it. That there was a prized possession, considering the effort to get it delivered. Nothing changes, first possession new wife placed in our "new to us" house was the damned piano.
It's tornado country. It's more likely there was already a church around it until moments before the picture, but it's now been relocated several counties to the northeast.
Had one in grade school. Mrs. Keeler would play it, and sometimes the autoharp at music time. A neighbor recently put his beautiful pump organ at the curb with a free sign. Wife threatened me with divorce if I brought home One. More. Thing. I told her I'd miss her.
People who took on settling the west often took quite a few steps downward on the social ladder to do it. If they had anything to show for their former social graces, they would bring it with them, even though it was probably seen as highly impractical by others. Keyboard instruments were a sign of high culture. Accepting that kind of hardship (going west) for the risks involved was a true act of bravery and also an expression of hope for something better. Don't see much of that faith in vision now.
I've played on one of those old pump organs, and it ain't easy work.
there were quite a few piano and pump organs around the west, our civics/montana history teacher's grand father and father made a living tuning instruments before the turn of the century east of the rockies to the missouri river and did well for themselves according to the teacher who was telling us history of the old west from the first person perspective. she had a lot of photos and some watercolors by CM Russel to show for it. when they would arrive in a town whether by stage or train, the saloon keepers would bid to see who got first tune. turned out the local churches always got first call, but she says the saloons paid enough that the church tuneup was free. according to their family records, the wild west really was a lot calmer than hollywood depicts it was, unless serious money was involved.
They're doing what people have always done. They're showing the folks back home (who they'd probably never see again) they're OK and just how well they are doing.
It's not just the organ, look at the gathering of livestock, implements and the family in their go-to-church finery. They might still be living in a sod house, but that (God willing) is a family on the up-and-up.
It's a pump organ, having been freshly delivered by teamster's mule team.
ReplyDeleteThey're probably going to build a whorehouse around it.
ReplyDeleteBack when, if you wanted music, you had to make it yourself.
ReplyDeleteThis is the David Hilton family in Nebraska. In 2001, David Hilton’s great grandson Scott Kaelin wrote,
ReplyDelete"Why did they have such an ornate musical instrument when they still lived in a primitive dirt house? You see, David was born in Manchester, England and was educated in music before coming to America at the age of 25. He was a musician and music was very important to him. ... The Hiltons had a quartet: Emma played the organ and sang soprano; Lydia sang alto; Leonard sang tenor; and George had a deep bass voice. They sang at church, for funerals and for many other community activities."
http://nebraskastudies.org/en/1850-1874/who-were-the-settlers-who-was-daniel-freeman/pioneer-children-school-games-toys-recreation/
"We did not want to show the old sod house to friends back east, but the young lady and mother wanted to prove they owned an organ." See NEBRASKA HISTORY. magazine. Vol. X No. 4, Oct.-Dec. 1927, Pg. 323. In 1975, Phillip Gardner of the Custer County Historical Society identified the Hiltons as living one and one-half miles south of Weissert, and being one of the oldest families in that area. Mrs. F. E. Howland identified those pictured as, from left to right: George Leonard Hilston, the eldest son of David. Born 17 March 1881 at Weissert, Nebraska; David Hilton, born 26 September 1846 at Manchester England; Emma Rhoda Hilton Campbell (daughter of David), born 13 March 1876 in Seneca, Wisconsin; Lydia Hilton Pickett, born 7 June 1879 at York, Nebraska; Leonard George Hilton, born 16 July 1883 at Weissert, Nebraska; Isabell (Chapman Hilton, born 1 December 1853 at Steubenville, Ohio. Another daughter, Frances Hilton Pennington, was born in 1889, after this picture was taken. David Hilton was the youngest of four boys, and the only one of his family to come to America. En route to Nebraska, he visited his uncle at Seneca, Wisconsin, and never returned to England. He was about 25 years onld when he came to American in 1871."
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I was wrong about the whorehouse.
DeleteThat picture, along with the history behind it is GREAT!
DeleteDang! You young uns just don't know nuttin about prairie building. First you situate the organ, then you build the church around it. That there was a prized possession, considering the effort to get it delivered. Nothing changes, first possession new wife placed in our "new to us" house was the damned piano.
ReplyDeleteIt's tornado country.
DeleteIt's more likely there was already a church around it until moments before the picture, but it's now been relocated several counties to the northeast.
Aesop, that was funny. Thanks, I need a good laugh this morning.
DeleteHad one in grade school. Mrs. Keeler would play it, and sometimes the autoharp at music time.
ReplyDeleteA neighbor recently put his beautiful pump organ at the curb with a free sign. Wife threatened me with divorce if I brought home One. More. Thing.
I told her I'd miss her.
Holsteins produce more and better milk when softly wooed by the calming and timely music from a pump organ's reeds. You should try it.
ReplyDeleteJa. But all the milk tastes like Count von Dracula's Blood! Bwahahahaaaa!
DeletePeople who took on settling the west often took quite a few steps downward on the social ladder to do it. If they had anything to show for their former social graces, they would bring it with them, even though it was probably seen as highly impractical by others. Keyboard instruments were a sign of high culture. Accepting that kind of hardship (going west) for the risks involved was a true act of bravery and also an expression of hope for something better. Don't see much of that faith in vision now.
ReplyDeleteI've played on one of those old pump organs, and it ain't easy work.
Gotta keep your priorities in order.
ReplyDeletethere were quite a few piano and pump organs around the west, our civics/montana history teacher's grand father and father made a living tuning instruments before the turn of the century east of the rockies to the missouri river and did well for themselves according to the teacher who was telling us history of the old west from the first person perspective. she had a lot of photos and some watercolors by CM Russel to show for it. when they would arrive in a town whether by stage or train, the saloon keepers would bid to see who got first tune. turned out the local churches always got first call, but she says the saloons paid enough that the church tuneup was free. according to their family records, the wild west really was a lot calmer than hollywood depicts it was, unless serious money was involved.
ReplyDeleteEvery saloon needs a piano
ReplyDeletePiano stores are a thing of the past.
ReplyDeleteMust have been an early model drone that took the picture. Pre GoPro I mean...
ReplyDeleteProbably taken by rigging the camera to the Hilton's windmill.
DeleteThey're doing what people have always done. They're showing the folks back home (who they'd probably never see again) they're OK and just how well they are doing.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just the organ, look at the gathering of livestock, implements and the family in their go-to-church finery. They might still be living in a sod house, but that (God willing) is a family on the up-and-up.