Homestead Q&A - Joe Adamski

December , 1900
Joe Adamski's answers to the questions on the December, 1900 Deposition and the standard Q&A Homestead Proof- Testimony of Claimant form offer insight into the life of an 1890s settler.

Deposition
1) Most of the time my family resided in Calumet, and part of the time with me at the homestead.

2) Where and how were you employed when absent from the land?
Worked for Calumet & Hecla Mining Company, to get money to support my family and improve my homestead. It cost me a good deal to hire a team to take provisions and stuff to work with to the homestead, the roads were so poor, and when I was at work at Calumet I lived with my family; and once we lost a good horse drawing stuff to the homestead.

3) Whether or not the dwelling is habitable during all seasons, and what goods are kept there?
My house was habitable during all the seasons of the years, and it had a good roof to shed rain, it never leaked, and between the logs it was well chinked up with timber and moss.
A good cooking-stove, good bed, table, pail, chairs, benches, dishes, cooking utensils, everything necessary to keep house. A buck-saw, axe and two guns. Had a good log house well fixed up, and six acres of clearing and chopping, and I helped to make the roads to get into the homestead.

4) What portion, if any, of the timber have you sold?
I have not contracted to see one stick of timber, nor have I ever sold any timber at all, and do not want to sell any only where I want to clear the land.

5) The kind, and approx. quantity of crops raised?
After the first two years about 25.00 to 30.00 a year, of crops and the reason I did not raise more, because there was no market for it out there and it cost more to get it hauled to market than it was worth, and the roads so rough and poor, at that time.

Homestead Proof- Testimony of Claimant
1) What is your name, age and address?
Joe Adamski, age 29 years , P.O.address Calumet

4) My house was built on the land in April , 1894 and I established my residence on the land June 5, 1894. House 14ft x 14ft, 1 room, 1 door, 1 window, roof house, fence, well 6ft deep, 1 acre cleared, road, etc, etc, worth about 700.00.

5) Whom does you family consist? Wife and four children. I have resided on the land since June 5, 1894 but my wife refused to live there because it was so far from school and town. (* 40 miles)

6) For what period of time have you been absent from the land?
I have been absent from the land only three times each year for 2 or 3 months at a time, mostly in winter time, to work and earn money to support my family. My family did not live on the land.