Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs A post about a weathered shoe, believed to be a relic of the past, that was discovered by kids under an ancestral home in northeast Oregon has gone viral on Reddit.An image of the shoe was shared in a post on Reddit by Tami Nuxall under the username u/TayTay426. The post has amassed 56,000 upvotes since it was uploaded on January 21.”Found a pioneer woman’s shoe underneath my ancestors homestead we are saving,” the post’s caption reads, with the post also showing an image of the tattered footwear.Nuxall shared more details about the photo with Newsweek, noting that it was taken on her iPhone earlier this week at their family ranch, just a few feet from the homestead.”The ranch overlooks the beautiful Wallowa Mountains in northeast Oregon—a view that has been part of my family for generations. It’s 140 acres of mostly pasture, sitting at the top of a wide valley that leads to the most breathtaking, snow-capped peaks,” Nuxall, who did not share her age, said.The family has spent the past three summers working together across three generations to preserve the ranch.The viral Reddit post comes as money spent on home renovation was found to have risen in the past few years, with the median spend increasing by 60 percent between 2020 ($15,000) and 2023 ($24,000), according to a March 2024 survey of 32,615 people, including 17,713 renovating U.S. homeowners, conducted by Houzz, a home design website.
An image of a mysterious “pioneer woman’s shoe” discovered on an ancestral family ranch in northeast Oregon.
An image of a mysterious “pioneer woman’s shoe” discovered on an ancestral family ranch in northeast Oregon.
Tami Nuxall.
A Glimpse Into HistoryThe shoe was found during early restoration efforts on the ranch. Nuxall recalled how her son Axel, then 10 years old, and nephew Lukas, 12, made the discovery while exploring the homestead’s crawl space.”They came out with this shoe,” she said. “We were all surprised—and honestly kind of in awe—thinking it might’ve belonged to their great-great-grandmother.”Nuxall speculated on the shoe’s age, saying: “It’s hard to say exactly how old it is, but it looks like something from around the turn of the century. I call it a pioneer woman’s shoe because it reminds me of what I saw as a kid at the Oregon Trail Museum on a school trip. I like to think it belonged to my great-grandmother, but even if it didn’t, it’s still special. So far, it’s the coolest thing we’ve found on the ranch.”The homestead itself has a rich history. “We’re not sure how old the house is exactly, but my dad guesses it was built sometime around the turn of the century,” Nuxall said.Her great-grandparents purchased the property around the late 1920s or early 1930s, expanding the small 400 square-foot structure to make it more livable. The ranch has remained a cornerstone of the family’s story, with memories passed down through generations.
Images of the back and bottom of a shoe found at Tami Nuxall’s family ranch.
Images of the back and bottom of a shoe found at Tami Nuxall’s family ranch.
Tami Nuxall.
Generations of Restoration EffortsThe ranch was eventually sold outside the family after Nuxall’s great-aunt, who purchased it from Tami’s great-grandfather, sold it to a California attorney. However, Nuxall’s father bought it back about a decade ago, reigniting efforts to preserve its history.”At the time we were living in Alaska, so we only managed a few summer trips to try and save what we could,” Nuxall said. “The barn was our first big project and while it was a ton of work, we were able to save it.”
Images of Tami Nuxall’s ancestral family ranch in northeast Oregon.
Images of Tami Nuxall’s ancestral family ranch in northeast Oregon.
Tami Nuxall.
Restoration work on the property has revealed other treasures from the past.”Along the way, we’ve uncovered wagon wheels, old marbles, bone buttons, coins, bottles, toys, even an old record by Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers [the American rock band] behind one of the walls,” Nuxall said. Among the finds were her father’s childhood baseball and a BB gun, sparking cherished memories.The discovery of the shoe has fueled the family’s connection to their roots. “There’s an old family legend that when my grandfather was a boy, he lost a $10 gold coin somewhere in the yard around the house,” Nuxall said. “We haven’t found it yet, but I keep trying.”Reflecting on the significance of the shoe and the ranch’s history, Nuxall said: “It’s a reminder of all the stories tied to this land and the people who lived here before us.”
An image of Tami Nuxall’s family at their ranch in northeast Oregon.
An image of Tami Nuxall’s family at their ranch in northeast Oregon.
Tami Nuxall.
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