In the late thirties I had the opportunity to stay with my aunts Inisha Wilson and uncle Wilson Yarberry and their family, for some length of time. They lived at the Lenn Jefferson farm just up the hill from the Russell Creek Dam near of Columbia Ky

The first to see a water wheel power a generator, that supply power to the flouring mill in Columbia, KY.

The first to go fishing three or four times a week.

The first to ride in a boat up stream.

The first to see a house with "Natural Gas Lighting".

The first to see and talk on a "Telephone".

The first to ride on a "Farm Tractor".

The list goes on and on.

Life was exciting in those days!
There was always something to do and somewhere to go.

The creek was always the place for most activity.

As a young boy when my cousin took me inside the power house, I was so frightened to hear all the noise and the big wide belts running and squealing from the started generators and the big water wheel that turn the belts by the force of the water spilling through the water gate in the dam.

I always like to see the creek after a rain.
The water spilling over the 15 x 3 x 40 ft. dam (as I remember it) was so exciting. When we had a big rain, many of the neighbour boys would come by and we would go to the creek, and watch the water and all the broken trees float down stream and over the dam.

Another first.
Was the big combine that gathered the wheat, I had seen the the wheat thrasher where the wheat sheaves were brought to it for thrashing. but this one moved along the ground gathering the wheat and cleaning the grain from the straw and wheat husk, operated by only two or three men.

Was that something for a small boy to see in the late 30s?

_ Carlis