Written by Donna Swagerty Shreve, with assistance from Lucy Aldrich
This is the house the Aldrich’s originally built and lived in when they first moved to Houghson. This is a family and neighbor photo. From left to right is Abe Aldrich, Ida Aldrich, Iona being held by Wilbur Swagerty, Paul Harris a neighbor, Lulu , Lucy, Ethel, Mrs. Harris, Pearl with Elsie in front, Elmer holding Clem, Mr. Harris and Burrel Harris his daughter. The Harris were renting the home that was on the farm that Abe bought. Abe wanted to build a new home so he went on the other side of the property. In the meantime Abe didn’t want to kick out the Harris family so for a while the Aldrich family lived in a tent. It was a huge tent in the summer time where the family could sleep and eat. The house burned down when Lucy was 18 years old. Ethel was in college and Lucy was in nursing school at the San Jose hospital. Abe, Ida, and Lucy went to San Jose with Ethel when she started college. They came and rented a house there, in San Jose. Clarence and Ruth were living in this house now. Ruth was upstairs with their first baby. Clarence made a big fire in the cook stove and then went out to the barn to do some chores. The fire grew too big for the stove and started up the stairs which was the only way down to the ground floor. There were five bedrooms and one bathroom upstairs. The fire went fast and Clarence came back just in time to get his wife and daughter safely out of the house before the whole house went up in flames.
Swagerty-Aldrich Family Web Site 