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My grandfather, John Jacob Abuhl owned the 120 acres and farmed it together with my dad Loren and 4 sons for nearly 40 years beginning in 1941. Dad's first tractor was a brand new 1938 John Deere Model B that still runs today. We raised cattle, hogs, sheep and chickens and tended a 1 1/2 acre garden all those years. Mom was a very hard working, faithful and loving farmer's wife and raised 8 children. "G'pa John" passed away in 1984 and the land was sold shortly after. The 6 acre farmstead was then divided, with our cousin Wayne buying the big house and half the farmstead. Sometime in the '60's the farm was designated a "Century Farm" meaning it had been owned by the same family for 100 + years. I thank God for a rich midwestern Iowa heritage and many memories from my childhood there on the farm.

I grew up on this 120 acre dairy farm from 1949 to 1970. My Mom and Dad had holstein dairy cows, pigs and chickens. It was a good life.

This farm was originally owned by Fritz Pfister, then handed down to his son Fritz. In 1965, Fritz Jr. retired and put the farm up for auction. My father, Duane P. Frey, purchased the 200 acre farm in April 1965. I was born in October and the farm had a small rock quarry on it. The quarry operated until the late 1920's. My father fenced in the whole farm and ran hogs on the entire place after the crops were off. I purchased the farm from my parents in 1994. There is no livestock anymore but we raise corn and soybeans. A lot of changes in the last 46 years...

When you live on a 400 acre farm, you entertain yourself as a child - such as playing cowboys and Indians in the timber, shooting your BB gun at frogs at the ponds, playing basketball in an empty hay mow of a huge red barn, and fishing for bass and bluegill. We worked hard at putting up prarie hay and alfalfa during the summer, so we could feed the cattle during the winter. As we looked skyward during the cold dark nights feeding the cattle, the stars were so very bright and vivid. The coyotes howled as they stared at us from the edge of the "crick". The school bus would pick us up and drop us off at the end of the driveway, which was 1/3 of a mile long. We literally walked in all types of weather, rain, snow and ice to get to the school bus. It was then an hour ride to school on the washboard rural KS roads. In the summer we would pick wild blackberries for pie and wild sandplums to make the best jelly. Time marches on, but the memories that this homestead provides to me, continue to inspire me today.

The Spencers lived here for just a couple years (between farm ownership) in the early 1950s.

This photo was taken during the summer when we were harvesting tobacco. The crops shown are soybeans. The bulk tobacco barns were used to cure the tobacco prior to its sale. The three buildings located adjacent to the bulk barns are the flue cured tobacco barns that were the forerunners to bulk barn usage.

Parkdale Farm in Big Island, Virginia was bought in 1886 by Martin C Parks. He had three children. His son, Samuel Robert Parks stayed on the farm and had three children himself. Samuel R. Parks Jr. [Bobby,} Douglas O. Parks, and Mary P. Markham. Bobby and Douglas built a 40 stall dairy barn in 1947 which is seen in this picture with the silo. They sold Grade A Milk from this barn until 1970 when they built a free stall barn with a double parlor on the road North of here. It was in operation until 1997 exactly 50 years to the month after starting. The original timber frame barn and cabin are shown standing in the center rear and near left.

This was our home for the first half of my childhood. My earliest memories are of this farm. This where I came from and for that reason, RR 1 Newman, Illinois will always be home.

This farm was purchased in 1950 by Galen and Alice Swogger. We have the complete history of the farm including the original abstract which includes the original land grant. Galen Swogger was a "full-time" farmer and raised corn, oats, wheat and hay for feed on this livestock farm. The primary operation was as a dairy farm selling "Grade A" milk. Registered holsteins were the dairy cattle of choice and for many years this herd was on of the top producing in northern Indiana. While the property is located in Noble County, this registered holstein dairy herd belonged to the Dekalb County Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) and was for many years the top herd in that association both on a herd basis as well as many individual record producing cows. Additionally, this farm raised hogs, fat cattle and early on eggs and chickens. Three sons assisted in the operation of this farm in addition to Galen and Alice. Sons Todd, Scott and Lee spent many hours assisting in chores as well as farming the 210 acres of this farm.

Today the farm continues in operation after being purchased by Scott and Jane Swogger in 1981. Scott and Jane farmed and raised hogs and fat cattle for a few years as well as later establishing a beef cow/calf herd. Scott and Jane raised two sons who assisted on the farm and participated in 4-H for 10 years each showing dairy steers, beef steers and hogs. The Pre-Civil War home and barns have all now been fully restored giving the property a new look while maintaining and preserving all the history, architecture and craftsmanship associated with the property. Few farms remain today that preserve the old hand hewn construction of the buildings. The original "Dairy Barn" (next to the silo) is in the final stages of restoration as we write this and would make Grandpa Swogger proud to see its restoration take shape and add a few of those finishing touches like dormers and a cupola atop his "favorite" barn!

Today Matt and Andy now each own a piece of the farm just a short distance down the road to the left of this picture where Galen and Alice built a new home in 1981 after Scott and Jane's purchase of the original property. Their purchases occured this year (2011) after the passing of this family's patriarch, Galen Swogger at the age of 85. Their families will soon be established there and the next generation of Swogger's will continue the tradition of growing up and liviing on the FAMILY FARM! They are off to a good start with a next generation for Matt consisting of wife Lisa and son Mason and for Andy consisting of wife Holly, son Landon and daughters Madisyn and Lydia. This new generation is already learning every square inch of the farm through their own exploration.

I moved onto this farm in March 1958 and lived here until I was married on February 10, 1963. This farmstead was on 240 acres on the north side of Highway 175 East of Eldora, Iowa. My father rented the farm which was owned by D. W. Dickinson (an attorney from Eldora). We raised corn, soybeans, cattle (beef and dairy), pigs and chickens. Mom always had a big vegetable and flower garden and always hung the clothes on the line. We sold eggs and pasteurized our milk. We were mostly self sustaining as we raised our own vegetables and meat (chicken, beef and pork). I remember the hard work that included walking beans to remove weeds, picking up rocks from fields, shelling corn and baling hay. The daily chores and feeding and taking care of the animals. I also have fond memories of my 2 year old son feeding the chickens. Family picnics from both sides of the family. Remember the party telephone line and it's challenges.