Our Family

The North Sixty (60) Rods of the North half of the Northeast Quarter (N1/2NE1/4) of Section No. Sixteen (16), Township No. Eighty-Eight (88) North, Range Twenty-Eight (28), West of the 5th P.M.. Webster County, Iowa.

Granted through an Act of Congress and approved on September 4, 1841, the United States of America granted to The State of Iowa 500,000 acres of land to aid in the support of the common schools, throughout the State of Iowa Act..

Act of congress approved March 3, 1845 entitled "An act supplemental to the Act for the admission of the States of Iowa and Florida into the Union" and provides that the Section numbered 26 in every Township of the public lands, and where such Section has been sold or otherwise disposed of, other lands equivalent thereto and as contiguous as may be, shall be granted to the State for the use of schools. Accepted by the State of Iowa by Act of the General Assembly approved January 15, 1849.

And so began the wording on the property that ended up after many years of previous owners, and labeled a working Coal Company and eventually an Iowa Farm that we call home. The State of Iowa, by John Tolman, School Fund Commissioner, began selling some of those 500,000 acres.

It was in the early part of 1951 our parents, Clarence and Betty Albright purchased the farm place from Jake W. and Dorothy Wingerson (re: Stout Benson). The Deed was dated February 17, 1951 and they moved onto the farm in March with mud and snow in the lane and pulling their belongings behind. The ½ mile long lane was full of mud and they had a 1950 Ford and pulled a wagon trailer. They got stuck and a few of the local Coalville boys came to help push them out. Norman Hutchinson and a couple of the Leonard boys showed up, they were around 9 years old at the time and much appreciated. Mom said, "Those tires on that old Ford spun and it flew mud all over our mattresses.

Once they got moved in, then came a snow storm and they were snowed in for 3 weeks. Since they didn't have enough groceries and Cindy was a baby, Dad had to walk up to the local grocery store with a gunny sack and fill it with groceries and then pull it down the lane.

That is something we all remember as kids, walking down our lane. We also learned to ride bikes down the lane, we galloped our ponies, learned how to drive the cars and had fun picking the wild Iowa roses that grew in the ditches. When it had rained or the snow melted we would wade through mud and get the car stuck. Dad would have to fasten a chain from the tractor to the car and then he'd say now when I pop the clutch you steer that car! He may have been pulling you out backwards at the time, but according to our Dad he wanted you to know what your part of the job was, and you best do it right, or he'd let you know.

It was with out a doubt the BEST PLACE for a kid to grow up and we loved it. We have a saying in our house, "FAMILIES ARE FOREVER", and forever we are Cindy Albright Youngquist, Nancy Albright Beck, and Michael Albright.