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Title: Reflections Spiker Farms / Middle Fork
Hughes River / Ritchie Co., West Virginia
Author: Michael Spiker
Date: 2006
My father, Bradford Zinn Spiker, and mother,
Alice Williams Spiker moved us from Auburn WVa to the “Sophie Zinn” house
in 1951. They had purchased this land as well as the “Buckner Zinn” farm
from the estate and decided they were going to raise their children and
farm there as well as teach. Rose “farms” were located next to Jacob and
Gay Zinn Spiker’s farm and farm house which is now owned by me and my
brother & sisters. Thus, some of these stories occurred when we lived at
the Sophie house but visited & worked at my grandparents house.
Horses
My grandfather had 2 workhorses which were
used to pull the buggy, hay wagon, mower, rake, tedder, manure spreader,
plows, disc, sled and other farm implements. My father jointly farmed
with Jacob for several years and he did not buy a tractor until the early
60’s. Thus, everything was done by “horse power”. I started farming at 5
years of age by riding the horse to pull in hay shocks to either a barn or
usually to the location of the hay stack where the shocks were used to
construct a hay stack. Also, I had to ride the horse to pull the hay fork
at the barn at the Spiker farm as hay was loaded into the barn from hay
wagons. I would sit for hours on the horse while I guided it to the barn,
stack, etc. Thus, riding horses does not have the appeal to me it does to
others.
Re “bee incident”. One afternoon at the
Buckner Zinn meadow, I was asked by my grandfather, Jake, to pick up any
rails, sticks, rocks from the meadow after the hay had been cut. This
meant they would not have to be in the hay at barn etc. One rail I turned
over revealed a swarm of yellow jackets which seemed to like my body.
They covered me and I was stung numerous times. Jake & Brad heard my cry
for help and literally “picked off” one by one all the bees until they
were gone. The only good things that resulted from this incident (1) I
did not have to work in the hay field for a few days and (2) apparently I
am not extremely allergic to bee stings.
Lambs
I remember one winter morning my dad came in
and said we had to go to grandma’s and help her with her sheep. She had
some sheep in the meadow beside the farm house & beside the big barn. My
dad harnessed the horses & hooked them up to the sled. He then told me a
number of lambs had frozen the night before and died. We then proceeded
to load the dead lambs on the sled and hauled them to a hollow where I
unloaded them. Apparently a number of the sheep got caught outside by a
sudden winter storm & froze to death. I still remember the horrible event
and how Mother Nature can strike harm at any time.
Fishing/Seining/Gigging
Once a year Lynn, Bob, Brad, Ed & Burns would
come to the Spiker farm for their annual “fishing”event timed for the red
sucker spawning & frog season. They would start at the Buchner Hollow
water hole and walk up stream to the Grant meadow barn & catch any frog
they could, gig (a long pole with a fork “gig” on end) any sucker gar or
other non-game fish as well as any frog they could not catch. I was in
charge of carrying the feed sack for the “catch” until it got too heavy &
then they gave me another one. I was allowed every now & then to “catch”
my own frog fish. Uncle Bob always had the gars stuck in the sand bars
face down so they would not get away. Someone always fell down & got wet
& everyone laughed at their expense.
The next day they would seine the river
downstream & remove any gar & other trash fish as well as inventory the
good fish in the river.
Farm House
The Spiker farm house had weeds, briars etc
around it when Brad acquired it from the rest of the family. We had to
clear the outside as well as clean up the inside of the house to make it
presentable. It has undergone various changes.
In 2004 a summer flood left mud & debris in
the house since 4 plus feet of water entered it. This was the second
known flood (after the 19950 flood) to have entered the house.
This flood “forced” us to remodel the entire
downstairs & rebuild the back bathroom. In 2006 we remodeled the upstairs
& refinishing the floors, walls, etc.
The house has
been the site of many family gatherings, visits and especially the annual
Memorial Day reunion which I look forward to. I hope the house serves as
a reminder of our past (the land upon which the house sits has been in the
family since 1840) as well as a location for future family/ friend
gatherings, visits and especially the reunion. |
