May 4, 2018 We visited the Isaac Hale & Joseph Smith's Homes

On this day, we drove down from New York, where we were camped just across the border from Oakland, PA where the Isaac Hale farmstead was located. Isaac Hale is my Patriot for my induction into the Daughter's of the American Revolution (DAR), so this was a personal visit for me.

Much to our surprise, we found a huge Visitor's Center had been built on the hill above the Hale Farm, so we visited that first. The Visitor's Center was built by the Morman Church, as Joseph Smith was one of the founders of the church. Joseph Smith was married to Isaac Hale's daughter, Emma.

The church has cleaned up the property, repaired the stones in the grave yard and rebuilt the homes of  Isaac and Elizabeth Hale and Joseph and Emma Smith. The houses are only accessible by private tour, as they are kept locked. The grounds and the Visitor's Center are free of charge, our tour was conducted by a very nice couple that volunteer their time.

When you walk into the Visitor's Center, the first thing you see is a diorama of the property, showing the Center, the houses, out buildings and cemetery. They were excited that we were there, that we had a connection to Isaac.

Isaac Hale's House

Isaac made his living 

selling wood to lumber mills, killing game  and selling the meat and hides

making maple sugar and selling it.

Joseph & Emma Smith's House