“House by the Side of the Road” is a short film documentary based on the events and stories of a six-generation, Illinois Sesquicentennial farm. It won the Silver Eddy for Professional Documentary at the May 2013 Cedar Rapids, IA, Independent Film Festival. Stories told in a book of the same name are brought to life, illustrating changes and challenges in farming, as experienced by the Abbott family of Morrison, IL.
It was produced by filmbyframe LLC of Portland, OR, and Pines Publishing, Inc. Pines Publishing founders are Susan Abbott Gidel and Jan Abbott Landow, granddaughters of the book’s author, Mrs. L. A. Abbott, the mother of Edward. It is full of first-hand stories about life on the Abbott farm, alongside the Lincoln Highway, from the 1930’s to the 1980’s.
“We hope the movie and the book will inspire others to tell their stories and document them for future generations,” Gidel says. “House by the Side of the Road” is available at the Morrison Historical Society, 202 E. Lincolnway, Morrison.
The farm is owned by Ed and Dorothy Abbott, 9896 Lincoln Road. Whiteside County has five other Sesquicentennial farms; the oldest began in 1844.
Last year, the full 30-minute documentary aired in the 2012 Open Lens Series on Oregon Public Broadcasting, one of the leading PBS stations in the Country. It won Best in Show in the Fine Arts Division at the 2012 Ohio State Fair.
A native Iowan and Abbott son-in-law, Jerry Gidel, was featured in the film as family historian. He told of the farm’s connection to the Underground Railroad shortly after the Abbotts arrived in 1848.
“The story of how the Abbott family helped move more than two dozen slaves to freedom before the Civil War has been passed down orally through the generations,” Gidel says. “It’s great to get the story documented on film.”
The film’s director and owner of filmbyframe is Dan Schaefer. He saw the historical significance in telling the farm’s story as part of the Underground Railroad and as sitting alongside the historic Lincoln Highway. He also wanted to explore the changes in farming methods and practices over the years, as seen through the lens of this family farm.
“This film festival was a natural for ‘House by the Side of the Road,’ because of its Iowa connection and the State’s agricultural focus,” Schaefer says.