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Document Type

Research Paper

Abstract

At Home on Horse Creek is a reflective memoir that captures the essence of rural life in southern Illinois during the mid-twentieth century. Through a series of thematic chapters, Suellen Purdue documents the landscape, people, and traditions of the "Creek Country," centering on her family’s farm situated near the spring where Horse Creek originates. The narrative is characterized by an "old-fashioned and home-spun" tone, emphasizing the sensory details of farm life—the sounds of tractors, the smell of woodsmoke and silage, and the vibrant colors of the natural world. 

The author provides intimate portraits of her family members, including her father, characterized as both a "clown and a saint," and her mother, described as the "brightest" influence in the household. Significant attention is given to her two brothers: Dick, an ambitious and restless "money-minded" adventurer, and Johnny, whose life was shaped by a childhood diagnosis of epilepsy and a subsequent tragic freight train accident. These personal histories are interwoven with broader community experiences, such as the daily operations of one-room schoolhouses like Panhandle, the local traditions of the village of Kell, and the cooperative labor of the community threshing crews. 

Purdue explores themes of continuity and change, viewing her memories as "Yesterday, the beginning of Tomorrow". The work serves as both a personal record and a cultural history, preserving the "interesting dust" of local ancestors and the vanishing customs of a rural Midwestern society. Ultimately, the memoir is a celebration of a specific place and a way of life defined by a "gentle pattern" and an enduring sense of home.

Research Highlights

  • Primary Figures: The narrative focuses on the Purdue family, including the author Suellen, her father Earl (a farmer and high school principal), her mother Jessie ("Bunch"), and her brothers Dick and Johnny. 

  • Key Events: The text documents daily agricultural labor such as hay baling, corn planting, and threshing; the medical challenges of Johnny’s epilepsy and a severe 1952 automobile-train collision; the author's education at one-room schools like Panhandle and Little Prairie; and annual family gatherings such as Thanksgiving reunions and the visiting "Toby Show" tent theater. 

  • Date/Location: The events are set primarily on the Purdue farm near Horse Creek in Kell, southern Illinois, spanning from the author's birth in 1938 through the document's completion on May 1, 1959. 

  • Archival Significance: This primary source provides detailed descriptions of vanishing rural traditions including communal threshing crews, the operation of one-room schoolhouses, and local folklore; it also contains specific genealogical records of the Purdue and Vurdon families and personal observations on the regional impact of the Great Depression and World War II.

Publication Date

5-1959

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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