The "spare bedroom," the final addition, made this a ten room house, including the three bedrooms upstairs. The bed and matching dresser are known Funston family pieces. The blue and white coverlet was handwoven by Fred Funston's grandmother, Julia Stafford Funston, who raised, spun, dyed, and then wove the flax of which it is made. None of the clothing shown belonged to the Funston's.
During the years that Edward Funston served as a Congressman and office seekers and others came to see him, the family frequently had overnight guests as a result. The train schedule at the nearby town of Carlyle was such that callers could not leave the same day of their arrival. Trains stopped only when passengers arrived or departed. "Two whistles indicated a passenger coming or going, and to us it usually meant coming to the Funston home. If the visitor was unannounced he was obliged to walk the distance of a mile and a quarter up the road to our farm. This gave us time to dust the 'parlor,' tidy up the 'spare bedroom,' and make preparations for a meal..." (Ella Funston Eckdall)
During the years that Edward Funston served as a Congressman and office seekers and others came to see him, the family frequently had overnight guests as a result. The train schedule at the nearby town of Carlyle was such that callers could not leave the same day of their arrival. Trains stopped only when passengers arrived or departed. "Two whistles indicated a passenger coming or going, and to us it usually meant coming to the Funston home. If the visitor was unannounced he was obliged to walk the distance of a mile and a quarter up the road to our farm. This gave us time to dust the 'parlor,' tidy up the 'spare bedroom,' and make preparations for a meal..." (Ella Funston Eckdall)