Grandma’s Cats

Cats were important on a farm to keep away rodents. Does anyone remember the names of Grandma Addie Hine Bucklin’s cats? Photos with pets aren’t very common long ago but this cat seems to really hang around her. Mom doesn’t ever remember her with cats. Possibly when she got older they got to be a danger to her to have around since cats love rubbing your legs. Did she still have them up at the Bruchhaus house?

The writing under the photo of the house says it was built in 1888. The Hathaway Blog says the Bucklins arrived in April 1884. But we know when they arrived they lived closer to Jennings. They finalized the homestead papers on October 11, 1890 but they apparently started the process in 1884.  What I have always heard is the house was there before they moved out there, but I am not sure that is true now.  Does anyone know more about who built the house? Was there another family there before the Bucklins who gave up on their homestead attempt?  We found in James Bucklin and Mary McGrath’s succession papers mentions McFarlains original plat.  I don’t know yet where that land is that it is talking about.