The door was made of spliced clapboards and hung with wooden hinges. It was opened by pulling a leather latch-string which raised a wooden latch inside the door. For security at night this latch-string was pulled in, but for friends and neighbors, and even strangers, it always hung out as a sign of welcome. These simple cabins were inhabited by a kind and true-hearted people. Next came the work of preparing the soil for agricultural purposes.
Spring comes and the ground is prepared for the seed.
The father takes his post at the plow, and the daughter takes possession of the reins. This is a grand scene - one full of grace and beauty. The character of the pioneers of St. Joseph county falls properly within the range of the historian. They lived in a region of exuberant fertility, where nature had scattered her blessings with a liberal hand. The beautiful St. Joseph river winding its serpentine way to the lake, the inexhaustible forest supply, the fertile prairie, and the many improvements constantly going forward, and the bright prospect for a glorious future in everything that renders life pleasant, combined to deeply impress their character, to give them a spirit of enterprise, an independence of feeling, and a joyousness of hope.