Hot Days in Hoosier Land

I just received this picture of the Hendrick Banta 3rd cabin near Conewago, York County, Pennsylvania from my cousin Paul Gibbs. He lives near the site and found the cabin in relatively good condition this summer and gave permission to share on my blog. It sure seems large enough to house the 13 children Hendrick Banta 3rd had by Antie Demarest and 8 grandchildren they raised following the deaths of their parents and some of the children from Hendricks first marriage to Rachel Brower. I suspect the addition in the back of the house is not original to the home. I am looking forward to the Gathering of Dutch Cousins in the Conewago area in 2011 so I can visit the old homestead personally.

There is a new face in our family, a new baby born to a descendant of Francis and Polly Banta Montfort through their son, John. William Russell Montfort was born in Louisville, KY in late July this year and am so pleased to see both the family name and the next generation carried on.

I am currently updating my website at rootsweb with new information, data, sources and stories as I know them. Soon I am going to add to my MONTFORT FAMILY website at tripod as well. Its time to get it going again. One thing at a time though....add to this blog today, then try to complete the rootsweb site and then start adding chapters to the big site at tripod. It can happen.

Also preparing for the gathering of Dutch Cousins next year at Harrodsburg, KY with collecting things for two silent auction baskets....one is a Dutch theme, the other will have a Shaker theme to it. With my cousin, Diana, we need to start planning something for the day at Shakertown. Many of our Dutch cousins have visited there but till recently knew little of the Low Dutch connection to the Shakers. Since we have direct connections to both, we want to share, teach and show off the most tranquil spot in the state of Kentucky.

Summer is half gone and about now with all this heat and humidity in the lower Ohio River Valley...we start thinking cold.......then about February we are hoping to see the middle of summer again.....cannot please us in this part of southern Indiana at all.

My main goal for todays entry is to share the new photo of the Banta cabin in Pennsylvania. I will probably add it to my tripod site later on too.

My youngest granddaughter will be seven in Sept and loves ghost stories. She has hinted strongly that she wants to spend the night at Shakertown in the room that was her 5th gt grandfathers when he was a resident and member of the Shakers. I think she hopes Grandpa Francis will knock on the door as happened last year when my cousin and I stayed there. I only know we were the only people staying in the three story East House and knew the sounds made by the creaking floor when folks walked through...knew the sounds the front doors made as they opened and closed and there was NO one near our door when we opened after hearing three distinct taps on it. We had a creaky floor right in front of our room.....not a sound was heard but the three taps. Gwynn is sure Grandpa Francis will come see her when she stays there.

Thats all today from hazy, hot, humid southern Indiana.....

Barbara Whiteside