Where I grew up

Credit: Simona Rosenfield

Story told by Joe Jacobs

It’s a joy to see my grandchildren where I grew up. I never thought I’d have grandchildren. All of a sudden, you’re raising your own family, then the grandchildren come along. 

Seeing all this, how it used to be before the seaway came. Even the language, at that time, was much stronger. This whole street, almost every house that’s all you heard, was the language. 

Here, we had no running water, but there was a pump right here, where we could get our drinking water from. We had a drum here beside the fence, where someone used to get the water from the river and they would sell the water.

I remember just sitting on the ground and playing with my little cars here. Even the grandchildren do the same thing now.

Onawa was under the cedar trees too, and my two boys. 

When we started to landscape, there was a pile of dirt there. My boys would lay on there, while I’d sit here and watch them, and it brings back memories of what I used to do. That’s why it brings back good feelings. I see my grandchildren running in and out of these cedar trees, my two boys, and Onawa too, running through here. It’s been all good, raising my family here.

Joe Jacobs’ house is easily recognized by two cedar trees that line the front of his yard, which were planted more than 100 years ago by his grandfather. Jacobs planted more cedar trees on the property, which are now 45 years old. (Credit: Simona Rosenfield)