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Photo Gallery
Gallery > The Farm
We now live in Kentucky and own the original Foster Farm started in 1852. We have built a lake and bought more acres around. We hope Churches and youth groups will swim and play at "Heritage Ranch".John & I both drive dozers! The cabin was built in 1852. We have restored it. The lake was built to be clean and safe. We mow all around it and we have sand beaches. It will be 30 acres when full.
Working on the Levy
This levy is 858 ft. long, 247 ft. wide at the base, 32 ft. high at the road across. That is a lot of dirt to move! First we dug a core 8 ft. deep, filled it with clay, then started up with the layers. First we roughed up the soil, then wet it down then added a layer of new dirt. Next we rolled it with a big heavy, sheepsfoot roller, packing it down tight. Then we repeated and then we repeated. You get the picture. There are 2 dozers, a trac hoe, a water wagon, tractor pulling roller and the big tractor pulling the dirt pan. We did this for 3 long summers! Then we sold most of the equipment because we don't want to do this again.
This levy is 858 ft. long, 247 ft. wide at the base, 32 ft. high at the road across. That is a lot of dirt to move! First we dug a core 8 ft. deep, filled it with clay, then started up with the layers. First we roughed up the soil, then wet it down then added a layer of new dirt. Next we rolled it with a big heavy, sheepsfoot roller, packing it down tight. Then we repeated and then we repeated. You get the picture. There are 2 dozers, a trac hoe, a water wagon, tractor pulling roller and the big tractor pulling the dirt pan. We did this for 3 long summers! Then we sold most of the equipment because we don't want to do this again.
Lindsey, Our Main Dirt Mover
Lindsey is Olivia's older sister, but not by much. She was just 17 when she told John she wanted to help him build the lake. She rode with him in the big tractor pulling a 14 yard dirt pan until she was comfortable driving by herself. She is responsible for re-arranging our hills! She is small and looked like she was 10 years old in that tractor. She was so good she had people driving in to watch her work! It was something to see her with that big load of dirt coming down that hill, it was AWESOME! Great Kids, hard workers.
Lindsey is Olivia's older sister, but not by much. She was just 17 when she told John she wanted to help him build the lake. She rode with him in the big tractor pulling a 14 yard dirt pan until she was comfortable driving by herself. She is responsible for re-arranging our hills! She is small and looked like she was 10 years old in that tractor. She was so good she had people driving in to watch her work! It was something to see her with that big load of dirt coming down that hill, it was AWESOME! Great Kids, hard workers.
The Original Foster Family Farm House in Tennessee
This two story log house was built in 1852. We restored it a few years ago. There were 7 members of one family that lived here and they had no electricity, no inside water, or bathroom. The final member lived there until 1940. The house sits on a hill overlooking fields, woods and springs. It is truly a beautiful piece of this great country.
This two story log house was built in 1852. We restored it a few years ago. There were 7 members of one family that lived here and they had no electricity, no inside water, or bathroom. The final member lived there until 1940. The house sits on a hill overlooking fields, woods and springs. It is truly a beautiful piece of this great country.
His and Hers Bulldozers
Our first dozer was a D-8. That's a big dozer! And it is not easy to do finish work with one. It was rough behind it. I made the observation, that if we had a small one I could go along behind him and smooth out the rough spots. So, he bought a D-5 for me! ( I raked the roots and smoothed the ridges.) There are not too many women in Kentucky that can drive a bull dozer, so I was an instant celebrity!
Our first dozer was a D-8. That's a big dozer! And it is not easy to do finish work with one. It was rough behind it. I made the observation, that if we had a small one I could go along behind him and smooth out the rough spots. So, he bought a D-5 for me! ( I raked the roots and smoothed the ridges.) There are not too many women in Kentucky that can drive a bull dozer, so I was an instant celebrity!
Olivia, One of Our Heavy Equipment Drivers
Olivia and her sister helped us build the dam and lake! Not quite 16 at the time she drove the water truck and the tractor that pulled the roller. This was a 6 day a week job in the hot summer time. We have a spring behind the log cabin that we pulled 10,000 gallons of water a day, sometimes more. We watered, put down more dirt, rolled it in and did it all over again! We did this, with advice from an engineer, for 858 feet long and 32 feet high. A lot to accomplish for John and I and two teenage girls. We had other help along the way but, they were our main help, and they were good!
Olivia and her sister helped us build the dam and lake! Not quite 16 at the time she drove the water truck and the tractor that pulled the roller. This was a 6 day a week job in the hot summer time. We have a spring behind the log cabin that we pulled 10,000 gallons of water a day, sometimes more. We watered, put down more dirt, rolled it in and did it all over again! We did this, with advice from an engineer, for 858 feet long and 32 feet high. A lot to accomplish for John and I and two teenage girls. We had other help along the way but, they were our main help, and they were good!
Lynn Lake (before it became a lake)
We designed this lake to be able to drain in case of an accidental drowning. God forbid. The top of the pipe is at 22 feet. Then it will self-drain like a bath tub. At that level we should have 27 acres of water. The lake was designed to be a great swimming lake but, we also stocked it with fish. It has a clay and sand bottom and gets clear in the summertime. All the kids love it! When we cleared the trees we put the stumps in the gully that runs through the middle. Good fish habitat and it keeps the edges clear for good swimming.
We designed this lake to be able to drain in case of an accidental drowning. God forbid. The top of the pipe is at 22 feet. Then it will self-drain like a bath tub. At that level we should have 27 acres of water. The lake was designed to be a great swimming lake but, we also stocked it with fish. It has a clay and sand bottom and gets clear in the summertime. All the kids love it! When we cleared the trees we put the stumps in the gully that runs through the middle. Good fish habitat and it keeps the edges clear for good swimming.
A Lake in the making
When John and I were working in Milwaukee years ago, we used to stand in the show room and say, "someday we'll move back to Kentucky and buy a dozer and re-arrange the hills!" It is just land holding the world together but, it's home. At the time, we didn't know it would be such hard work! We worked on this lake for three long summers. In the winter we would go to Marco Island. Those three summers were some of the hottest, driest years in recent times. The earth got so dry we had to stop the dozers. We were pushing around dust! I guess you could say this is a "before" picture.
When John and I were working in Milwaukee years ago, we used to stand in the show room and say, "someday we'll move back to Kentucky and buy a dozer and re-arrange the hills!" It is just land holding the world together but, it's home. At the time, we didn't know it would be such hard work! We worked on this lake for three long summers. In the winter we would go to Marco Island. Those three summers were some of the hottest, driest years in recent times. The earth got so dry we had to stop the dozers. We were pushing around dust! I guess you could say this is a "before" picture.
Lynn Lake, on Heritage Ranch
This is one of the "after" pictures of our lake. This is the lake that we built on our Tennessee property. It is really pretty in the summertime, when its all green around. There is a natural sandy beach on the south side. A portion of this land was the family farm since 1852.
This is one of the "after" pictures of our lake. This is the lake that we built on our Tennessee property. It is really pretty in the summertime, when its all green around. There is a natural sandy beach on the south side. A portion of this land was the family farm since 1852.
Foster Family Home Place
This log home is located in western Tennessee. We restored it a few years ago. This is the home built when John's family migrated here from Virginia in 1852. We have pictures of the house with all the people in front, that lived there. A lot of people lived in that little two story house! It will never be lived in, but it was so old, we couldn't let it go down.
This log home is located in western Tennessee. We restored it a few years ago. This is the home built when John's family migrated here from Virginia in 1852. We have pictures of the house with all the people in front, that lived there. A lot of people lived in that little two story house! It will never be lived in, but it was so old, we couldn't let it go down.
