A Home in the Woods: Pioneer Life in Indiana

by Howard Johnson

"It's hard to picture this part of the country as I first remember it. Here and there was a cabin home with a little spot of clearin close by. The rest of the country was jist one great big woods and miles and miles in most every direction. From your cabin you could see no farther than the wall of trees surrounding the clearin; not another cabin in sight."

Thus begins Oliver Johnson's account of pioneer life in the Indianapolis area in the 1820s and 1830s. Elsewhere, he says, "We lived mighty happy and contented in the early days. With a good snug cabin, a big fireplace, and a supply of corn meal on hand, there wasn't much to worry about. Our big family spent many a pleasant winter evenin settin around a blazin fire while the wind and snow cut capers outside." Each chapter is a story in "The Endless Tress," "To Build a Cabin," "Clearing the Land," "The Fireplace," "The Spinning Wheel," "Ills and Aches," "The Three R's," "Early Grist Mills," "Hunting Tales," "Fights and Shooting Matches," "The First County Fairs," "Driving Hogs to the River," and "How I Met Your Grandmother."

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1978

Reviews

[Karen Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. When I read these books about pioneers I see just how lazy I am. What these people did to survive is amazing, and the thing is, they just did what they had to survive. What a sad complainer I am when I look at all the hard physical labor they had to do while I have to get up out of my comfy chair and cook supper from food I bought at the grocery store.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reminiscences of an early settler in Indianapolis during the 1820s and 30s, this was an unexpectedly charming book. Oliver Johnson's account of a pioneer life in the woods is a familiar and detailed telling of living off the land, hunting and fishing, growing a few crops, and getting a rudimentarry education at the area's lone schoolhouse. The indigenous population had been mostly removed by the time Oliver came to the area as a young boy with his family. They named their dog Tecumseh, after the great Shawnee Chief, and called him "Cump" for short. Life was hard, but satistying and fairly comfortable. Oliver met his future wife when a family of Yankees moved in nearby and he was permitted to begin courtship with their pretty daughter after his father had met the parents and approved that they were not "stuck-up". They were married by the great anti-slavery activist and minister of the Second Presbyterian Church, Henry Ward Beecher.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated the footnotes indicating the modern location of referenced places and events, and the context for contemporary Indianapolis neighborhoods.

[Gary Dorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book very much. I was born and raised in Indianapolis and know the area where the Johnson’s lived very well. I have been to Conner’s Prairie many times and have appreciated learning how our ancestors lived. I have longed enjoyed studying history but have always wanted to learn about the people who actually settled and made this country not just the few explorers, military leaders and outlaws who dominate historical literature.

[Dan Hiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to all lovers of history!!! Especially if you have any ties to Indianapolis, IN! A must read for all ages!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family verbal recollections well recorded on paper. Detail of early Indianapolis settler life not found in history books.

[Dylan Rawles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and descriptions of early life on the Indiana frontier. There are fun stories that show how different life was, but so similar at the same time. Highly recommend!

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I was born and raised in Indiana, and I still consider it home. I found this account of what it was like to be a pioneer in an area that I'm familiar with fascinating. It has a unique, true voice. It's amazing what the pioneers had to do to settle the land and survive. It wasn't easy but you get the sense that they enjoyed their lives, as hard as they were, and they were happy. Not a masterpiece of writing, but real history from the lips of one who lived through it.

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book describing what life was like during the 1820s and 1830s in Indiana. I found it extremely fascinating and entertaining.