Peace Pipes and Fourplexes: The Calumet

The Calumet is a rare Sears kit house that was offered for a brief time in the late 1910s and early 1920s. Sears did offer a few apartment buildings (yes, as kits), and the Calumet was one of them. My favorite feature of the Sears Calumet is the wall-bed, and the...

Christmas at the Fargo Mansion

It’s been about a year since I last stayed at the Fargo Mansion Inn in Lake Mills, Wisconsin but the many fond memories of that visit still remain. Many folks in that small, picturesque village showed me so many kindnesses. And two of the kindest, most sincere...

Coming Out Of The Closet: Murphy Beds

In the early years of the 20th Century, living a simple, modest, clutter-free life was an integral part of The Bungalow Craze. Murphy Beds were an integral part of that “space-saving” mind-set. And they were very practical, too. After one’s morning...