CENTURY FARMS -- ROCK COUNTY -- Minnesota State Archives for 1977-1982
Year -- Original Owner Cert. Yr. Location, Acreage Purchase Ownership Buildings Present Crops Historical Notes
1872 -- Willard Walkup 1978 Beaver Creek Twp., P.O. Luverne, 128 acres 1872, homestead, 160 acres Willard Walkup, 1872-1900; son Charles & Evangelyn Walkup, 1900-1939; Evangeline & Helen Chesley (sisters), 1939-1968; Cecil & Caroline Chesley, 1968-1975; son Leroy & Mary Chesley, 1975-1978 & ff. Original hog house & granery still standing; present home built 1975. Beans, corn, alfalfa. Willard Walkup born NY state; prior residence Fall River, WI; a wagon maker, farming was new to him. Came from WI as part of a large wagon train. Initially built a sod house; then a frame home insulated with sand, which was moved to Crooks, SD in 1977.
1873 -- Charles Walkup 1978 Beaver Creek Twp., P.O. Luverne, 154 acres 1873, homestead, 160 acres Charles & Evangelyn Walkup, 1873-1931; daughter Ella (Walkup) Chesley, 1931-1961; son Cecil & Caroline Chesley, 1961-1978 & ff. Original home still in use, built 1875. Beans, corn, alfalfa. Charles Walkup born NY state; prior residence Fall River, WI; a wagon maker. Trees for the homestead brought from WI or dug as saplings along the Rock River.
1874 -- Martin Williams 1978 Springwater Twp., 160 acres 1874, homestead Martin Williams, 1874-1931; Williams estate, 1931-1949; Martin's grandson Leonard Kennedy, Sherman, SD, 1949-1978 & ff. Original granery still standing; present home built 1955. Corn, beans. Martin Williams born Ireland; prior residence Chatfield, MN.
1874 -- Ole J. Bjerk 1978 Beaver Creek Twp., 80 acres 1874, homestead, 80 acres Ole J. Bjerk, 1874-1917; son-in-law Cornelius Samuelson, 1917-1970; grandchildren Edna J. (Samuelson) Emery & Orval Samuelson, 1970-1978 & ff. No original buildings standing; present home built 1920. Oats, corn, beans, alfalfa, livestock. Ole J. Bjerk born Norway; also a land speculator.
1879 -- Johan Paulsen 1980 Clinton Twp., P.O. Steen, 155.12 acres 1879, purch. From St. Paul & Sioux City RR Co., 155.12 acres @ $6.24/acre. Johan Paulsen, 1879-1911; son Otto A. Paulsen, 1911-1947; son John W. Paulsen, 1947-1971; son John W. (Jr.) & Patricia Paulsen, 1971-1980 & ff. Kitchen portion of original home still in use; present home built 1879, with additions in late 1800s & early 1900s. Corn, soybeans, oats, hogs, cattle.
1879 -- Gullick G. Sundem 1980 Martin Twp., 160 acres 1879, homestead, 160 acres Gullick G. Sundem, 1879-1926; son Gullick G. Sundem Jr., 1926-1970; son Olaf Sundem, Hills, MN, 1970-1980 & ff. Original home, built 1879-1880, and barn, finished in 1885, still in use. Corn, oats, soybeans. Gullick G. Sundem born in Norway, 1845; prior residence Decorah, IA; also a harnessmaker and shoemaker.
1881 -- George J. Bieber 1982 Rose Dell Twp., P. O. Jasper, 245 acres 1881, homestead, 160 acres; 85 add'l acres purchased 1909. George J. Bieber, 1881-1925; son George T. Bieber, 1925-1955; his children Thomas Bieber, Lillian Bieber Burns, Evelyn Bieber Raymond, & George Bieber, Kasota, MN, 1955-1982 & ff. All original buildings still standing and in use. Corn, soybeans. George J. Bieber born Germany; prior residence Allamakee Co., IA. In 1889 he donated land for a Norwegian Lutheran church and cemetery.
1881 -- Sherman E. Hawes 1982 Rose Dell Twp., P.O. Jasper, 160 acres Dec. 20, 1881, homestead, 160 acres Sherman E. Hawes, 1881-1929; son E. L. & Lena Hawes, 1929-1963; present owners E. L.'s son Floyd (60 acres), 1963-1982 & ff., sister Fern Laackmann (60 acres), 1965-1982 & ff., and Floyd's son Marvin, Sherman, SD (40 acres), 1965-1982 & ff. Original barn still standing; present home built 1892, since remodeled. Corn, soybeans. Sherman E. Hawes born Iowa; came to Rock Twp. at age 19, worked as a hired hand until age 21, old enough to homestead.
1882 -- John Lynch 1982 Clinton Twp., RR #2, Luverne, 240 acres July 29, 1882, 160 acres purchased from St. Paul & Sioux City RR, $7.50 per acre. John Lynch, 1882-1913; son W. F. Lynch, 1913-1968; son Cletus W. Lynch, 1968-1982 & ff. A portion of original home still in use. Corn, beans, alfalfa. John Lynch born Mt. Carroll, Ill.; prior residence Fillmore Co., MN.

~Rock County Century Farm history research submitted by volunteer, Lydia Lucas.

 

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