Tree of Life in Garden of Eden (Lucas, Kansas)

Item — Box: MS 014-2-01, Object: MS 014-2-01-0353

Identifier: MS 014- series MS 014-2- item MS 014-2-01-0353

Staff Only

Digital Collections - FHSU Scholars Repository – Digitized Copies of Materials

Dates

1857-1974

Extent

From the Collection: 10 Cubic Feet

Additional Description

General

Front: Cement Jug in cabin home S.P. Dinsmoor Lucas Kan.

Back: Compliments from the cabin home in the Garden of Eden, Lucas, Kansas. The first story, or basement, is built common sense stone wall. The floors, base-boards and window stools are cement. The second story is built with stone logs on the old log cabin style. All the logs reach full length except five. The gables are built up with cement logs, on the log gable style. The two upper stories are studded, lathed and plastered. The house is finished inside white coat and natural wood, California red wood, pine and oak, with pressed molding. Over 3,000 feet of pressed molding was used on the inside. There are eleven rooms besides the bathroom, 3 halls, 2 closets, with cave and light plant under back porch. My stone mausoleum stands on a cement foundation six feet in ground and fourteen feet square, three stories high. First story is fourteen feet square, the second nine feet square, and the third four feet. At each corner is a cement tree, or post, faced with native stone. From eighteen to twenty-one feet long. On the top of these is a short flag staff on which is the cement flag 4 ½ x 7 ½ feet, balanced with a cement bird, ball-bearing, over forty feet above ground. The porches, sidewalks, fence, strawberry beds, fish pool, grape arbor, three U.S. flags, Adam and Eve, the devil, coffin, jug; and other things are made with cement, no wood used. Over 61 tons, or 1,225 sacks of cement, has been used. The Garden of Eden is on the west; the front, or north, represents present day civilization. There are eight cement trees from 30 to 38 feet high; thirteen trees from 8 to 20 feet tall. On trees and mausoleum are 28 electric light. The most unique home, for living or dead, on earth. Call and see it. S. P. Dinsmoor, Lucas, Kansas.