Marshall Democrat-News: News : Century Farms

Century Farms

Our series featuring Saline County's Century Farms -- farms that have been owned by the same family for 100 years or more -- their families and their histories.

10 more Century Farms honored in Saline County (11/13/09)
Saline County continued its legacy of the county with the most Century Farms, 131, in Missouri, when ten more farms were honored on Thursday, Nov. 12, for being owned by the same family for over 100 years. Missouri State Director of Agriculture Jon Hagler was the keynote speaker for the 2009 Century Farm Recognition and Celebration held in the Saline County courthouse rotunda...

Saline County Century Farm: Unusual commuter marriage for Lemmons, but stepson still learned a few things about farming (02/24/09)
Steve Tackett-Nelson of Oregon went to school in California, but after classes would dismiss for the year, he and his mother and brother would load up and head to Saline County and the farm of their stepfather, George Lemmon. "They had a commuter marriage long before it was done," explained Steve, who was 8 years old when his mother, Roxie, married George...

Saline County Century Farm: Century Farm designation stirs fond memories for Carmean family descendants (02/17/09)
Although she lived her married life in Marshall, Bertha Mae Carmean Van Dyke "was a farm girl always." "She had just wonderful memories of growing up on the farm and all of her family members," said her daughter, Jane Van Dyke Huff. "All of her life she really, really loved everything associated with the farm. She loved to ride in the country and see the different stages of the crops. She was very, very interested in it -- and valued it immensely."...

Saline County Century Farm: Hutcherson family continues tradition of improving the land (02/10/09)
It was part of Willis Walker "Pete" Hutcherson's philosophy that when he owned a farm, he should leave it better than it was when he bought it. "His philosophy of farming was not to see how much you can get out of the land, but to see how much you can improve the land and still make a living," said his son, Robert Hutcherson...

Saline County Century Farm: Tuckwiller Peterman: 'The land will always be there; we are just passing through' (02/03/09)
The Tuckwiller family might not have had three Century Farms had it not been for two people: their great-grandfather Francis Marion "F.M." Hudson, who accumulated the farms, and their mother, Ruby Tuckwiller Shull, who kept the original land and purchased additional acreage before she died in 1984...

Saline County Century Farm: Tuckwiller farm history starts with bachelor uncle (01/27/09)
Charles Tuckwiller and his sister, Mary Tuckwiller Peterman, laugh when they talk about themselves and their four siblings "descending" on their "bachelor uncle" Lewis Hudson and their Aunt Elizabeth "Lizzie" Hudson, who also never married, when the family moved into the Hudson Farm home place...

Saline County Century Farm: Guthrey family of Miami has long history in Saline County, many colorful stories to tell (01/20/09)
The Guthrey family has had a long association with Saline County farming, the town of Miami and Missouri Valley College. A 110-acre farm near Miami has belonged to the family since 1867, when their great-grandfather John G. Guthrey Sr. (1810-1886) invested approximately $100,000 in farmland and property in the area...

Saline County Century Farm: Kile farm as old as county (01/13/09)
The Kile farm, which consists of 320 acres of river bottom and bluff ground near Miami, is one of the oldest farms still owned by the same family in Saline County. John Kile received a government patent for the land in 1820, the same year Saline County was formed...

Saline County Century Farm: Gauldins honored as owners of Century Farm (01/06/09)
Martin Austin Gauldin liked to travel, according to his great-great-grandson David Gauldin, who now is the fifth generation to own a farm Martin purchased in 1869. "I think he had itchy feet," said David, explaining that his great-great-grandfather even went to California during the Gold Rush days around 1850...

Saline County Century Farm: Family recalls living without modern conveniences on farm near Shackleford (12/30/08)
Kaye Wright of rural Marshall remembers growing up on her farm in the Shackleford area. She still owns the 160-acre farm, which was recently named a Century Farm for being in the same family for 100 years or more. The land first belonged to her great-uncle Frank Jones, who purchased it around 1889. He then moved to Howard County in 1917, and her grandfather, Charles Wellington Jones Sr., who owned several other acres in the area, purchased the farm...

Grandchildren own Kochs farm started in 1906 (12/16/08)
Rudolph Kochs was just 15 years old when he left his home in Ladonnia. His plan was to get a job in Colorado on the railroad, where his older brother was working. He stowed aboard a train, but after crossing the Missouri River he decided to cut his trip short...

Shannons save family farm home from bulldozer (12/10/08)
Editor's note: This is the second of two stories about the Shannon family's Century Farm. Elias Preston "Press" Shannon had worked hard to keep his family farm together, but shortly before his death, he expressed fear that the home he had spent most of his life in would be gone within 10 years...

Family keeps farm and memories alive despite prediction (12/09/08)
It was soon before his death in 1973 that Elias Preston "Press" Shannon had made a gloomy prediction, stating that 10 years after he was gone, his house would be torn down and no one would ever know he had lived. Nothing could be further from the truth...

Semi View: Century Farm stories provide look at history, hope for future (12/02/08)
On Nov. 14, the Saline County Extension Council and Saline County Commission honored the latest Century Farms in our county. This year, there were 16 new farms recognized that have been in the same family for 100 years or more. Once again, our county had the most new Century Farms in the state and leads in the total number of Century Farms...

House is gone, but Century Farm family still has evidence of history (12/02/08)
Although the original homes are gone, much of the history of the Tom and Beverly Fitzgerald farm southeast of Marshall has been saved in steamer trunks filled with family photographs, coins and papers from the family's past. "I don't think Tom's dad ever threw anything away," said Beverly...

Crawford reports to commission on Century Farm event, new 4-H specialist (11/28/08)
Saline County Commissioners met Wednesday, Nov. 26, to approve a regular payment schedule and to hear from Extension Program Director Cynthia Crawford. Crawford thanked commissioners for their support of the Century Farms celebration earlier in the month, and said she had received "only good feedback" from participants...

New Century Farms recognized Nov. 13 at annual celebration / County continues to lead state in Century Farm designations (11/14/08)
Once again, Saline County topped all other counties in the state by recognizing 16 new Century Farms during a celebration held at Saline County Courthouse on Thursday, Nov. 13. During the ceremony, several speakers noted that the county has the most recognized Century Farms, farms owned by the same family for 100 years or more, in the state...

Saline County Century Farm: Farm owner recalls when farmers depended on horses that 'knew what to do' (04/01/08)
Bill Conner remembers, as a young boy, working with teams of horses his grandfather, Will Conner, probably trained. "What I actually did when I drove the team was just harrow the ground," he said, adding they didn't disc back then, only plowing and harrowing before planting...

Saline County Century Farm: Phillips recalls days when Marshall square was main market for farm produce (03/25/08)
Charles Phillips remembers when they took the produce they raised on their farm to town, selling it at Latimer's grocery store, which was located on the north side of the square. "The square used to be a shopping mall," said Phillips. He married his wife, Wilma Ruth Harris, in 1942 and eventually took over farming from her parents, Giles Thomas and Ruth Harris. ...

Saline County Century Farm: Copelands trace history of Miami farm (03/11/08)
David Copeland has a thick pile of official papers, showing how the 320-acre farm near Miami, purchased by his great-grandparents, Edward and Mary Neubauer, in 1892, has been split among family members through the years. But in 1994 Copeland and his sister inherited 160 acres of the farm after his uncle, Robert Howard Copeland, passed away. Then in the last five years, he has been able to purchase the rest from the heirs of his great-uncle, Harry Neubauer...

Saline County Century Farm: 'Grandpa used to love the river' Dierker recalls (03/04/08)
Dale Dierker remembers fondly the years his grandfather, George "Shorty" Elsner, and grandmother, Marie, lived on the family farm located east of Sweet Springs. "Grandpa never owned a tractor," he said, adding that he was in his late 70s before he sold his team of horses...

Saline County Century Farm: Grandson recalls immigrant Blackburn farmer who loved the Fourth of July and the '20-foot-deep' topsoil on his land (02/26/08)
Editor's note: This story is the latest in a series looking at the history of Saline County's Century Farms, farms that have been in one family for 100 years or more. Tyrus Frerking of Leawood, Kan., has fond memories of summer visits to Blackburn, especially the time spent with his grandfather, Herman Miller...

Three Weiher generations have tended Slater farm since 1904 (02/19/08)
Fred and Martha Weiher came to Blackwater by train in the middle of the night in 1904, after purchasing a home and 120 acres of farmground near Slater. The Weihers were traveling from Osage County with their two young sons and all they owned. "It was a mixed train, it had the livestock in livestock cars and what little farm machinery they had was on a flatcar. ...

101 years later, granddaughter still owns farm of Laurence and Mary Winslow (01/29/08)
Editor's note: This story is part of a series featuring Century Farms and their families in Saline County. Laurence and Mary C. Winslow, bought their farm on Jan. 8, 1907, from a cousin, Richard C. Winslow. The farm now is owned by their granddaughter, Gertrude Steinkuehler, and was recently recognized as a Saline County Century Farm for being in the same family over 100 years...

Barr seeks Century Farm designation to honor father born on the land he farmed for decades (01/22/08)
Wayne Barr still farms the ground that was purchased by his great-grandfather sometime in the late 1860s. This farm, located in rural Marshall, was recently honored as a Saline County Century Farm, along with 10 others in the county. Barr said although the farm had been eligible for many years, he didn't do the paperwork until this year to get the Century designation...

Bergman, Dysarts cherish family's Century Farm (01/15/08)
Lenton Yager had often remarked when he passed a farm on the Malta Bend-Marshall Road -- now known as Highway 65 -- that he hoped to own it one day. It was Jan. 30, 1897, when his wish came true and he and his wife Virginia Ella (Sydenstricker) Yager, signed the deed for the 200-acre farm...

Pembertons represent rare convergence of Century Farm families (12/11/07)
Editor's note: This is the latest in a series of stories featuring Saline County's Century Farm families. Anyone who owns a designated Century Farm and is willing to do a feature on it can contact Marcia Gorrell at marshallag@socket.net to arrange an interview....

From homestead to Century Farm, 7 generations tend Leimkuehler place (11/27/07)
Editor's note: This is the first in a series of articles about Saline County farms recognized in 2007 as Century Farms -- farms that have been in the same families for more than 100 years. Anyone who has a Century Farm that was recognized in previous years and would like their farm profiled can contact Marcia Gorrell at (660) 886-2136 or marshallag@socket.net....

In 'a celebration of tradition,' 11 Century Farms recognized (11/09/07)
Calling it a "celebration of family, a celebration of tradition and a celebration of legacy," Extension Council Chairman David Perkins opened the annual Recognition and Celebration of Saline County's Century Farms on Thursday, Nov. 8, in the Saline County Courthouse...

Bottomland farm survives a century of floods (03/20/07)
Editor's note: This is the sixth in a series of articles on the seven Saline County Century Farms that were honored in a ceremony this fall for being in the same families for over 100 years. Anyone who has a Century Farm recognized in previous ceremonies and would like their farm profiled can contact Marcia Gorrell at (660) 886-2136 or kgorrellfarms@cdsinet.net...

'Century farm' families honored (11/10/06)
Saline County's strong agriculture history was never more apparent than Thursday evening, Nov. 9, when seven area families were honored as owning "Century Farms" during a ceremony held at the Saline County Courthouse. The descendants honored were of the Henry Blosser Farm, Vena Smith Brown Farm, Gary and Shirley Brown Farm, Mullins Family Farm, Orear Farm -- Maxine Orear; the Lindemann, Bomhake, Mette, Shikles and Irene Shikles Farm and Weaver Farms...