| Notes |
- Mr. Proctor (Jim) married Emma Jane Caruthers of Oxford in 1897 and moved to Summerfield. Their first home located on Highway 42 was up on a hill (Buck Mountain) To the northwest of where the home pictured is located.
Construction of this home was started in late 1800's, probably during the year of 1898. It was completed and occupied in or around 1902.
Grandpa cut the large pine trees from his property and hauled them to his father's sawmill in Pedro. They were cut in to lumber and he built this home. This home is located the corner of highway 42 and 470 Avenue in Summerfield.
Information from Ralph Dillon Hackett, their Grandson
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TRIBUTE TO MOTHER AND DAD, by Louise Proctor Livingston
My Mother and Dad were exceptional people, I think. When they were first married my Dad worked away from home long hours, for $1 a day. After the first year he built a house, doing most of the work himself, even splitting the shingles for the roof and cutting the logs and carrying [them] to his Dads mill for sawing. Dad worked at a mill near the house some. One day, when he was there, the mill blew up and injured many. He felt very fortunate to have missed the disaster. He and Mother -Lived together in this house for the next, 67 years. My Mother was ninety-two in Aug 1971 and still lives in this house. They had one child before building (born at another place) then 7 in this house and numerous grandchildren. There has been only 1 death in this house; the third child, Carl, age four.
Back in early times farmers let their hogs and cows graze on open range identifying by marks and brands. Land was cleared partly by slave labor before the Civil War.
I remember Dad going out at daybreak and working until sundown, just taking time to eat at noon and a short rest. He grew corn and always took some to the mill for our own use. That was the BEST meal and grits. He made syrup grinding his own cane and again using the mule at the mill. We had sweet potatoes and all vegetables. He grew tomatoes and melons, also cantalopes [sic] for trucks. He never owned a tractor. He did most of his cattle tending on horseback but did own a jeep the last few years. He was active up until 77 years old.
Mother was always busy about the house and garden. She cooked big meals daily and of course canned fruits and vegetables. We had our own hogs and worked our own meats, sausage, etc. She taught me to cook, can, and sew and we made all of our clothes. Aside from raising her own children, she has helped with grandchildren and we had company continually. It seemed she never tired. I've heard her tell of the times when she had many small children, about rocking the cradle with one foot, while ironing, sewing or cooking.
My deepest love and appreciation to them for their faithfulness and devotion.
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From the "History of the First Baptist Church, Summerfield, FL,":
When J.D., called Mr. Jim by his friends, and Emma married they first lived near Pedro. Early in 1900 they built a house on Cemetery Road near the corner of what is now 47th Ave. and Hwy 42. The house continues to be in the family. Like so many of his kin and friends, J.D. was primarily a farmer and cattleman.
According to records the church letters of J.D. and Emma and daughters Alma and Edith were received by our church from Pedro on Christmas Day, 1924. They had been in their home on Cemetery Road nearly a quarter of a century. The Pedro and Summerfield churches are about the same distance from this house. No reason is known as to why they changed churches. But thank the Lord for it because of the contributions in service made not only by J.D. and Emma but their descendants as well.
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James Proctor bid on the job of taking children from Summerfield to the schoolhouse, and was hired in 1920. He purchased an open air Ford bus with canvas awnings. His daughter Edith drove the first year, and his daughter Ruth drove for the next three years.
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House of Hackett
1877 - 1966 (89 years)
