Alexa Mine

Guest: Yes. (or No)

Egbert: My favorite spot is right here in the kitchen. It’s always warm here and smells so good. Most folks entertain in the parlor, but I like to visit right here. Look around, but be careful of the woodstove. When it’s hot, it’s real hot. You can pick up the flat iron, but don’t drop it on your toe. Set it back on the stove to keep warm. It’s probably best you not handle the other stuff, but you are welcome to take a close look at everything you see.

The next room over is the dining room. They rotate exhibits through there, so you never know what you’ll find. The parlor is designed for entertaining, though for a lot of years the house was too full to use it that way. I just got used to visiting right here in the kitchen. Take a look into the bedroom, and then scoot on up the stairs to see Charlie and Pearl’s rooms and the landing, where Jane does her needlework. She’s no expert, but she does it with love. Do you want more details, or a story?

Guest: More details, please.

Egbert: On the wall in the parlor, you can see a few important documents. One is the original land grant, signed by President Ulysses S. Grant. He was a friend of my father’s, stationed out here at Fort Vancouver before the Civil War. There’s also a platt for the town of Eagle Creek. That was Jane’s idea. She figured if the train stopped in Eagle Creek, we could sell lots and get rich. Frustrated her a mite when the train decided to stop at Estacada instead. Is that enough palavering? Would you like more details, or a story?

Guest: More details, please.

Egbert: Most of the furniture here is donated from other folks’ families, but a few Foster items are here. My bed and dresser are in the downstairs bedroom, and the cradle came around the horn with my older siblings. We kept that cradle pretty busy, with all nine of my mother’s children and then the grands and great-grands coming up. You ready to move on, or do you want a story?

Guest: Tell me a story, please.

I’m hoping to collect stories for each character, based on our knowledge about them. If each character had several stories to tell, I’d imagine our volunteers and some of our guests would listen to all of them, and soon be able to pass them on. Here are some ideas for stories to tell:

Egbert pulling teeth on the store porch.

How Egbert got his name.

Stealing watermelons from Egbert’s garden.

Lucy’s courtship

Lucy’s land ownership

Lucy’s house – different owners and move.

Philip’s entrepreneurial adventures

Philip’s trip around the horn

Philip’s first marriage and child.

Charity Lamb

Ike’s alcohol

Barlow road arrivals

Esther Belle Hanna and John Wesley Propst

Sam Barlow’s Road

The Peach Girls

Selling the store to Wilburn

What is the next Foster Farm event?

What do Blacksmiths make?

Why are they called blacksmiths?

Foster’s Hay Barn