thechildhoodresidencefirst

The images presented below are uncropped and unretouched photos copied directly from the originals. Although they are by now in a somewhat deteriorated state, they are still fine documentations of Barks' childhood home. According to Barks himself the photos were taken about 1906, and it must have been a proud and quite unique moment for all involved to have their picture taken for posterity by a professional photographer. It was extremely rare to be photographed in those days, so the Barks family invited neighbouring friends to join in the session which required them to stand perfectly still ('freeze') in order not to blur the photographs, that were taken with a time exposure of several seconds.

The photo was taken from the front porch of the house. The explanatory texts shown in cursive font are Barks' own words:

1: William Barks (Carl's father), the proud owner as evidenced by his cocked derby. - 2: His wife Arminta (Carl's mother) by his side. - 3: Clyde (Carl's 1½ year older brother). - 4: Carl. - 5: The woman and man in the center were the Richts, neighbors who had known Arminta Barks earlier in Missouri. - 6: The next man to the right is Miles Roberts, a nephew of William Barks. - 7: Clyde Bradley, a neighbor who came to Oregon with William Barks in the 1880's. - 8: The man standing at the end of the porch was Charles Lewis, the hired man. - 9: And last with gun and coyote skin was Pinkney Barks, a cousin of William Barks, who homesteaded a patch of rocks near the home ranch.

A: A telephone line can be seen coming from the left (it is hard to identify on the photo. It connected to the telephone at the bay window). There was no electricity until the 1920's. Water was pumped from a deep well about 30 feet from the house and carried into the kitchen in buckets. Heat was from the kitchen wood range and from a tall heating stove in the 'parlor'. No heat in the four upstairs bedrooms. - B: The Barkses' prize possession, a Victor phonograph called a Victrola. That item established them as people of means and fashionable tastes, and very up to date. So, of course, it was brought out of the parlour in order to be shown off. - C: The young poplar trees seen around have since grown to massive size almost obscuring the house from view at this angle.

Interior of the sitting room, 'parlor' as Barks later called it, of the Barkses' home. The orientation can be compared to the exterior photo; to the far left is the front porch door (lots of sunshine flooding in), in the middle a covered window, and to the far right the bay area.

1: Brother Clyde. - 2: Father William. - 3: Mother Arminta. - 4: Carl. - 5: Pinkney Barks, a cousin of William. - 6: Miles Roberts, a nephew of William. - 7: Paul Richt, an Indian wars veteran who homesteaded a rock pile nearby. - 8: His wife, Jenny, who had known Arminta in Missouri when both were young spinsters.

A: The ornate stove connected with the kitchen stove. - B: A necessary spittoon as the 4 men in the picture all chewed tobacco. - C: A fancy Sears & Roebuck hanging kerosene lamp. - D: Crank telephone. - E: Phonograph.