Henry & Catherine Eckerdt Farm

Sunny yellow farmhouse.

NPS credit

Quick Facts

Amenities

1 listed

Audio Description

Henry and Catherine Eckerdt immigrated from Bohemia to the U.S. between 1850 and 1855, arriving in Michigan in 1857. In 1862, the Eckerdts purchased and settled on their farm in Port Oneida.

The Henry & Catherine Eckerdt Farm has been described as an "excellent example of an historical farm" and was the site of many dances enjoyed by community residents. Neighbor Laura Basch remembers the dances that Mrs. Eckerdt would have at the house. "And that was where I learned to dance. And I can remember us all-we'd sit on the stairway. They had this big house and this stairway there. But we'd roll up the rug and we'd have square dances and fox trots and waltzes. And then she'd always have something for us to eat. And they'd either play the Victrola-that was where we got most of our music-but sometimes the Anderson brothers would come over there and play the organ, Henry would, and Ernie would play the fiddle. And that was the way we danced there."

Catherine Eckerdt was one of the women in the community who served as midwives or community nurses. She nursed many people back from pneumonia using mustard plaster poultices. If someone was having a baby, they would come and get her. And then she would help with the birth. Mrs. Eckerdt would always have a room in the house for neighbors or passersby who needed care or feeding, but she never had any sort of formal medical training. According to a granddaughter, "some people are more adept to doing things . . . That was more her calling, you know? . . . She had different herbs and stuff . . . and she would doctor them." And if they got really bad, she'd have them stay in the house and care for them.