The Cooper Family Comes to Clearspring

The Cooper family first settled in the Clearspring area in 1949. Logan and Lela Cooper traded their house in Seymour for a small, run-down farm in Owen Township and moved in October of that year. The farm included 121 acres of uncleared, unfenced rolling hills and a ramshackle house with no electricity or running water.

Moving from the "city" was quite a change and required a tremendous amount of work. Drinking water came from a well with a hand pump on the back porch, and water for washing was drawn from a cistern. Oil lamps provided light, and a small wood-burning stove heated the house. The stove was fueled by wood collected from the property and scraps from the Formica tables Logan helped manufacture at his job at Noblit-Sparks/Arvin Industries in Columbus.

There was a small barn on the property that was barely more than a shed. They built some fencing around it and acquired five milk cows to earn extra money. Logan fed and milked the cows before his 50-minute commute to work, and Lela handled the evening milking. Milk was stored in two five-gallon cans and collected every other day by the milkman.

Initially, there were no ponds on the farm for livestock to drink from. A small creek ran through the property but often dried up in the summer. When that happened, water had to be carried from the cistern. If the cistern ran dry, water was collected from a larger stream two miles away. This involved loading four metal 55-gallon drums into their 1949 Chevy pickup and filling them by hand with buckets—a daily chore during dry spells.

While Logan was at work, Lela managed the household. Laundry was done using a gas-powered Maytag wringer washer, with water carried from the cistern or pumped from the back porch. She also tended a large garden, cared for chickens, and cooked on a two-burner kerosene stove. During the winter, she kept the wood stove fed, all while looking after their toddler son, Jim. Fortunately, Jim was potty trained early, sparing Lela the additional task of washing cloth diapers.

The Coopers made gradual improvements to their home. Electricity was added a few months after their move, allowing them to purchase an electric Kenmore stove. With the help of industrial jacks and newfound friends, they rebuilt the house foundation and enclosed the back porch. While the house was modest, they had some modern furnishings thanks to Logan’s job at Arvins.

In their spare time (if it could be called that), the Coopers worked to clear the land. Using a 1920s McCormick-Deering tractor, they managed to clear ten acres for farming. This patch of flat land was inconveniently located two hills and hollers away from the house and barn. Despite the challenge, they persisted, planting corn and pumpkins to feed the cows.

By the mid-1950s, life had become slightly easier. The tractor was upgraded, ponds were dug, and more fencing was built. The milk cows were sold, and the Coopers began raising hogs. At one point, their hillside farm was dotted with farrowing houses and feeders for 350 hogs.

Taking care of so many hogs was grueling. The family also maintained a milk cow for personal use, a large vegetable garden, a few head of beef cattle, 30 acres of corn, and hay fields. Logan worked the night-shift at Arvins, and also started selling chainsaws on the side.

The chainsaw business grew quickly, prompting construction of a shop.  In the fall of 1956, Logan took a leap of faith and, with Lela’s blessing, left his job at Arvins. The hogs were sold, and they stopped planting corn, though they kept a milk cow and a few head of beef cattle. The small engine business thrived, and the family continued to raise cattle.

Over the years, cattle have remained a constant presence. Logan and Lela’s son, Jim, raised feeder calves for many years, with his three daughters helping to feed and care for the animals from a young age. Today, Logan and Lela’s great-grandson, Jimmy Baute, represents the fourth generation continuing the family’s cattle-raising tradition with Clearspring Cattle Company.