Three Exciting Events

The move from 511 to 501 is making progress. Big and rapid progress! This is going to be a long  post.
These were the three big parts to today:
1. The house got moved off the foundation and is now ready to sprout its wheels.
2. The excavators came with the hi-hoe to dig the basement hole at the 501 lot.
3. A stranger named Gloria came walking up the driveway. (more on that later)

1. On Monday evening, Bert brought the beams that would be used to move the house from where it is (hovering over its foundation) to a spot beside the foundation where it will eventually get its wheels for the move down the streets. On Tuesday morning, the house was jacked up a bit more and these two long I-beams were slid in under and perpendicular to the long beams that are holding the house up. Photos will explain it better, but the beams holding the house were then set down onto a little set of wheels (I'll call them trolley wheels) placed between the beams holding the house (white in the photos) and the new beams. These beams would basically be the "track" for  the little trolley wheels that would move the house from over the foundation to over the yard and adjacent parking lot. After knocking down some interior basement walls a bit so the beams could clear, it was moving time. Bert hooked a chain to a beam under the house and pulled. Pulled a bit, then stopped to check that the trolley wheels were tracking down the I-beam, then pulled again, etc. Finally, it was off the foundation and resting comfortably beside its old basement. It is all pretty amazing to see.

  

These beams will be the "track" for rolling the house off the foundation.

 The house was jacked up a bit more, then these beams went in (N-S) under the E-W beams holding the house up.

 Then the house was lowered back down, with little trolley wheels between the beams.

 Four of these little trolleys will take the house down the rail. Hope they track correctly!

Time to move!

Here's some video of the house moving off the foundation.

When the skidsteer had a little trouble because of loose gravel, Joel helped out by just pushing the house down the beam. (And he had some help from Bert's big pickup truck attached to the chain pulling the house from the other side.)

While the house was starting its move at 511 N. Main, the excavator guys were getting started on digging the basement at 501 N. Third. We had the outline of the house marked out on the grass, plus 2-foot "over-dig" mark. They are using a large bucket with no teeth so the walls and the floor of the hole are as smooth as possible. I'm not a professional hole digger or judge, but I think their work is very good. They should finish tomorrow. Then Bert will lay out and pour footings. 

 The markings.

 The equipment.

 The progress.

 They have a process, and it looks like it's working pretty well!

End of day 1's digging.

And the third part of our day was perhaps most exciting. We knew about the house moving and the hole. But then this lady who we did not recognize came walking up the driveway. She introduced herself and said that "This was my great-grandparents house, and my grandparents' house." She was quite interested in what was taking place and very happy that the house was being saved. She told us stories of her great-grandfather being the mayor of the village, her grandmother growing violets in the south windows, and of the many fond memories she and her family had about this home. Her son and his wife were with her and they all enjoyed a little tour of the house. Sadly, they were  in town for the funeral of her mother, who was raised in this home. We exchanged info so they could keep up with the progress via the blog and we can reach out to her and another family member for more information on the house. So, we know that this was once the home of Mayor Charles Parker and his wife Daisey. A very cool and unexpected turn to the day.

And once the day was over and we ate our evening meal, we salvaged bricks until it was dark........