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Hermit's Home Sweet Home - East of Alva, OK
"I’m attaching a link to one of two photos I’ve posted of a familiar landmark along highway 64 east of Alva, Oklahoma a few miles. I’ve been curious about this little house since I was a little kid. Was it originally a railroad boxcar? Who lived in it? Did a family live there… or a hermit? Here's the URL to link to the photo. Hermit's Home Sweet Home (East of Alva, OK).
[Editor's Note: This NW Okie remembers that place east of Alva, OK. We've been in the boxcar east of Alva. We believe it was in the late 1950's when we lived down on 703 7th Street, Alva, OK, next door to the Quention Hadwiger family. Our younger sister, Amber, and myself went out east of Alva one day with Meredith Hadwiger, her daughter Joy (who was my age) and her younger brother, Joe. We had been or were going to their farm east of Alva and stopped by one of their friends farm that set across highway 64 from this old boxcar. Amber, Joy and I went across the road to visited with the old man that lived there. I can't remember too much about him, but the impression of the way he lived had a big impact on my life way back then when I was just a young thing. I wish I could recall if it was a relative of the the people who lived across the highway from this old boxcar that was home sweet home for the hermit, but memories are vague. Can't even recall the old man's name. It's been along time since that glance of the inside of that old hermit's habitat. -- NW Okie]
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Additional information on Box Car Bill. The children were Alberta May born 1916, Nellie Maxine born 1917, Donald Elma born 1919, Reba Fern born 1921, and Neama born 1922. The divorce was in January of 1923. Mary got custody of the children and moved to Alva. But was unable to support them and placed them in the Helena Orphanage in late May of 1923. Ila Wessels ~Ila Wessels 2007-05-23 10:35:30Was the hermits name Schwab?? ~ 2006-10-12 10:49:02
"Boxcar Bill"
William D. Schwab was born on 4 December 1884 in Denhoff, Russia to William and Katherina Schwab. They were married 1882 and had four children born in Russia of whom one was William D. They came to America in 1887 to Rush County, Ks and had four more children.
On 16 Sept 1983 William made the Run and staked a claim 4 miles west and 1 1/2 north of Ingersoll, Ok. There they had four more children. Two children, a girl and a boy of 12 died young.
William returned to Kansas to get his family and they lived in a covered wagon, then a sod house and then a frame house. The children's names were;C. Elizabeth, Catharina, Henry, David, Lydia Vera, Lena, John, Matilda, Naomi, Otto, and one I do not know the name of.
William D. married Mary Grace (Myrtle) Straw of Ashley, Oklahoma. They had three children; Alberta, Nellie and Donald. They later divorced.
William D. moved into a boxcar on the family farm in the sw corner. But it flooded and Paul Leon Schiffner and Quentin Hadwiger moved it to safer ground where it now sets. Boxcar Bill as he was now called had lost the sight in his eye when plugging a watermelon and was hit in the eye. He loved flowers. He was a farm laborer working for his father, families and neighbors. He was a very good farmer and worker.
Across the road was the residence of Harvey and Ruth Weigand. Harvey's brother Philip Weigand was married to Bill's sister. They cared for him in his later years and he would watch their three sons when needed.
William D. was called Mr. Schwab, Bill, Boxcar Bill and Uncle Bill to 32 nieces and nephews.
William D. died 10 July 1978 and is buried at the Short Springs Cemetery on the plot with his parents. ~Ila Wessels 2006-10-11 16:47:18
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