My first memory of this house, it was owned by Ambrose Whytle, a school teacher who had had polio and walked with a limp, he taught country school at Christian Ridge N/W of Lane. Ralph Whytle graduated from Lane high school abt. 1925. My father, Linley Cornelius, stated as far back the Whytles lived here as he could remember, 1920. This house was a stopping place for teamsters hauling rock from the Hanway quarry. They would halt here for lunch, water and rest their horses.

     In the early years John Brown would stay in the log cabin across the road near the spring. Mr. Brown, in his journeys into Missouri, freeing the slaves, he would bring the slaves to this rock house and hide them until he could get them into the underground railway system. One time a Negro slave gave birth to a baby while hiding here.

     In about 1935 my uncle William Owens purchased this farm to keep his cattle. This farm had a lot of trees and it was a good place to winter his cattle. To keep the place from being vandalized he let various people live in the house (Dave Triplett -- Charlie Smith).

     In about 1944-45 my parents, Linley Cornelius and Marie Boling Cornelius, and my sister Joy Marie who had worked the war years in California, returned for a visit. The old rock house had been vacant for some time. My aunt Ila and my mother thought it would be a nice Thanksgiving if they cleaned up the old farm place and have Thanksgiving day there. A lot of cobwebs and work, and they all enjoyed this special day at this location. I was in France at this time and when I received the letter about this, I was one home sick boy.

     While Bill Owens owned this property, my grandfather Otis Boling repaired some of the stone work and the roof, and I helped do the repairs.