The address of this farmstead is 2749 170th St, Marshalltown, IA 50158. This farmstead was owned by my father and mother and was where I lived when attending grade school and high school. My Nephew and family presently live in the house on the left in the picture and my Niece presently lives in the house on the right in the picture. All of the buildings in the picture are now gone except for the two houses.

The farmhouse on the left in the picture was originally built in approx 1880 by my Great Grandfather Charles Eckles, who was an Officer (Captain) and veteran of the Union Army during the Civil War. Originally the house was located approx one half mile NE of the present location at the Charles Eckles farmstead. The house was replaced in 1895 on the Eckles farmstead by a much larger more elaborate house consisting of approximately fifteen rooms to accommodate a large, and growing larger family. When my Grandmother Della Eckles was married to my Grandfather Orrin Soules, Della's Father Charles Eckles agreed to move the original house SW across the farm fields to its present location. This was approx 1900. At the time of the move the house was about one third the size as pictured. It has subsequently been expanded and remodeled several times and is still in use to this very day. My parents Richard and Bertha Burt moved from Downers Grove, Illinois, to this house in March 1946 with my two Brothers Donald, David and myself. My parents along with my younger Sister Jean and myself lived in this house until March of 1957 at which time we moved next door to the newly constructed single story house on the right in the picture. At that time my older Brother Donald and wife Kathryn (Zink) moved into the house on the left. The farm is an Iowa Century Farm and is actually well over 100 years in our family.