Pines Publishing, Inc.

“Mrs. L.A. Abbott was a story teller, and this book is a testament to that. Mrs. Abbott, through her stories, tells us of an era that needs to be remembered.”

Orville Goodenough, Morrison Historical Society

 

“Born within living memory of the Civil War, my grandmother, with a perceptive eye, became the Boswell of rural life. Her stories are a vivid education into the exotic, immediate past when hobos traveling the Lincoln Highway made annual visits to congenial homes, horses were harnessed for daily labor and cotton candy at the county fair was the supreme treat of summer for a farm boy.”

Chuck Abbott, Commodities Correspondent

Reuters, Washington D.C.

 

“House by the Side of the Road is a treasure, a slim and lovely volume of stories of the everyday tales, history and musings about ‘The Good Old Days’ we’ve all heard before but didn’t have the good sense or literary skill to write ‘em down. Mrs. Abbott did and through them we learn about the promise and peril of 20^th century farm life.  More importantly, we meet Illinois ’ early settlers, the yeoman farmers and the good and decent (and some less decent) people that moved up and down the highway of her life—and now, into ours.  House by the Side of the Road is a keeper, to be read and read again.  Its stories are ageless and its simple, clear message is priceless.  Thank you for writing ‘em down, Mrs. Abbott, thank you.”

Alan Guebert, Columnist

The Farm and Food File

 

 “These stories should resonate all along the great Lincoln Highway , and beyond.  At one level, Mrs. Abbott’s sharp eye, keen wit and great story-telling style provide an interesting, first-hand view of farm life during a dynamic half century.  Beyond that, as one who has lived at five spots along the Highway, from Cheyenne to Chicago Heights , I say ‘Amen’ to the Lincoln Highway spirit and the boundless hospitality reflected in House by the Side of the Road.”

Jim Evans, Professor of Agricultural Communications (retired)

University of Illinois , Urbana-Champaign