(Doyal Gudgel wrote to the Gudgel mail list):
I made a startling discovery.  When Bob my son (don't let the name Ralph
Johnson fool you)  asked for a picture of the remains of the old Andrew
Gudgel cabin at Ownesville IA I did better than that.  I found I have a
picture of the cabin before it fell down.  Many years ago I was
corresponding with Walter Harris of Springfield Il, a descendant and he
gave me a picture of his Grandmother Lucy Thurman Gudgel I suppose. I
haven't really checked the line back to her but I am sure.   Lucy was
the wife of William Gudgel the son of Andrew who was born in Indiana
after he moved there from Ky.  Or maybe he was born in KY before Andrew
moved to Indiana..  I don't know.  But nevertheless he was one of the
three children born to Andrews third wife.  The picture of the cabin
remains is taken from a different angle that the picture of Lucy in
front of the cabin so for all these years I haven't latched on to the
fact that both pictures of the cabin are the same cabin.  When Bob asked
for the picture of the cabin I ran across the picture of Lucy.  The
thought occurred that she and her husband William  might have continued
to live in the cabin their father built.  Sure enough when I started
checking the construction taking into account the different angle and
the ravages of time  it is obvious that Lucy is sitting front of the
cabin built by Andrew Gudgel in 1811.  The albumen print is almost
totally devoid of details. Albumen prints are made from a coating of egg
whites and are susceptible to fading.  Albumen prints were the  primary
method of printing from about 1850 to 1890.  Fortunately I was able to
copy it and make the best possible print as it was back in about 1970.
Which isn't saying much. as it was pretty bad then.  I suppose the
picture was taken in the late 1880's.  From memory I think she died in
the ninety's.  So considering the fact she was quite old in the picture
I assume the picture was taken in the 1880's or early 1890"s.    Bob
will put the picture up on his web page when he gets his scanner working
which I just gave him.  Or by other means if he doesn't get it operable.

We have talked so  much about the old cabin Andrew built now you can see
it.  BTW  it is made of huge logs.  In the pictures not a real tree is
is left in sight.

Doyal Gudgel