From all those I have talked to in the last 9 years on the subject of 2
front door houses, the area seems to be a large oval including eastern
Oklhoma, southern Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, southern
Ohio, all of Kenturck & Tennesse, then down the southern Appalachians into
Georgia, then Alabama, Mississippi, North half of Louisiana, East Texas,
all of Arkansas.  They are rare to non-existant along the south Atlantic or
Gulf of Mexico coasts.  This architechural style may be a real item of
"Southern Culture".  One of our Forest Service timber markers who retired
about 10 years ago was born and raised in such a house built by his
Grandfather and father (only a boy at the time) in the 1890s.  The
Grandfather came from eastern Tennessee or Kentucky (I don't recall which,
anymore).  The only reason he could think for the 2 front doors was "I
guess that is just they way they built them back in them days".


Smoke (Michael A.) Pfeiffer, RPA
Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
605 West Main Street
Russellville, Arkansas 72801
(479) 968-2354  Ext. 233
e-mail:  [log in to unmask]

It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.




                    Cathy Spude
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                    Sent by:             Subject:     Southern material culture in Illinois
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                    ARCHAEOLOGY
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                    03/20/02
                    10:01 AM
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Tom Lanhorne commented on the two-door houses in late-19th century western
Illinois. All this talk about southern foodways reminded me of my grand
parents who were midwestern farmers. However, they had roots in western
Illinois, and before that, the family had come from Alabama. We're talking
clear back to 1830 here. Yet I can still remember the traditional fried
chicken, creamed corn, and corn bread Sunday dinner that had survived three
generations on the midwestern plains to make it into my memory.

But that's sort of beside the point. Once Illinois was opened to "American"
settlement after the French left, it was mostly southerners looking for
free or cheap land that settled the area.