I'm wondering how many Lucas Countyans will recognize this big old house. Here's a hint: Back in the day, anyone who entered Chariton from the east on old U.S. Highway 34 (now Albia Road) drove right by it.
I came across the image the other day while leafing through one of two big old photo albums given to the Lucas County Historical Society in its early days by Inda Van Arsdale Post. Mrs. Post has written near the photo, "May and I were married in this house."
Peter (1840-1921) and D'Maris (1846-1921) Van Arsdale moved to Lucas County from Illinois in 1871 with their two eldest children, Almeda and Christa May. Their other three children --- George B., Helen and Inda (the youngest) --- were born here.
The first Van Arsdale home still is standing --- on the south side of U.S. 34 atop an embankment overlooking the intersection of "new" Highway 34 and "old" Highway 34, aka Albia Road, just east of town.
During 1906, the senior Van Arsdales announced that they were retiring and moving into Chariton so the farm that house stood on as well as their livestock and equipment were sold.
But instead of moving into Chariton permanently, they bought an undeveloped piece of land formerly owned by Virginia Branner less than a mile up the road to the northwest and by the end of 1906 had built and moved into this fine house.
The double wedding that united Christa May Van Arsdale and Philip Rockey, of Russell, and Inda Van Arsdale and Charles Post, of Des Moines, was held here in 1909.
The Van Arsdales continued to live here until 1918 when they finally did move into Chariton proper, living out their final years on South Grand Street.
I really don't know what happened to this big old house after that. It was standing when I went away to college, then vanished at some point thereafter. There's no sign of it now. Perhaps someone knows.
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