The Shoe

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,
She had so many children she didn’t know what to do,
She gave them some broth without any bread,
Spanked them all soundly and sent them to bed. ~ Mother Goose


This is what sticks in my head when I ride by Helen and Lanny Mayfield’s house on my bike. You can easily see why. Years ago there was a school out in Buntingville called Lake School where the shoe resided, the school went up to 8th grade and had between 8 and 10 kids when Helen’s kids attended. When the school closed in 1971 the building was used as a daycare, during that time Helen bought the Shoe. Helen tells me with a smile that when she went home and told Lanny about her purchase, he said “How are you gonna get that home?!” she told him they could drag it behind the tractor. A friend stopped by and asked “How are you gonna get that home?!” What actually happened is Lanny and friend took a forklift and a flatbed and moved it to their property where it has been overlooking Honey Lake for many years now.

                                           

                                   
The Shoe was made at CCC as a Masonry project for Lake School. Lanny says there was a Whale also but he doesn’t know who ended up with that. When the Mayfield’s got it home there was some damage inside and out but you’d never know it now. It is lovingly cared for and the paint is restored regularly. In the winter the Shoe is wrapped up tight to keep it safe from freeze.


Helen said some people call her the old woman in the shoe, I would never. She is one of the trusted keepers of our Hometown Heritage.

                                  

Thank you to the Mayfields for keeping and protecting this piece of our history!