A Century Farm

My great aunt Minerva Maxwell Brown had her fathers farm in the 2005 Missouri Century Farm program, a joint effort by University of Missouri Extension and the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources. this is the article from the book...

Lawrence Dale & Minerva Brown: The Maxwell Family Farm is located in the southeast part of Harrison County, Mo, Sugar Creek Township, Section 2, Range 62/ It is quickly located by a steep hill, a special creek, and a church and cemetery all by the name of Cat Creek. The creek runs the extent of the farm and is supplied by springs. The hill, very steep and of sandstone, has always given travelers a challange. You must travel up the hill with speed, but travel down it with caution.
The church and cemetery joins the original farm. The acreage for the cemetery (1868) was given by John Yancy and Cynthia Whitt Creswell, grandparents and great-grandparents of the Maxwells.
The original acerage is mostly timber and pasture land. A variety of oak and walnut trees line the creek and hillsisde, with very strong limbs indicating they too have had a long life span. Birds and wild animals have enjoyed their protection while raising their families.
At the back of the farm, along the creek, is a large sandstone rock embedded in the hillside where people have carved their names and dates. Many of them still remain though moss covered. Many picnics and weiner roasts have been hosted at this site.
James C. Maxwell became the landownwer in 1893 but didn't reside on it because he had a homestead amile away. At the death of James, his son Thomas W. Maxwell became the landowner in 1928. In the early 1930's Thomas cleared a small area of brush and built temporary housing for his family. A sawmill was established and Thomas and his sons cut logs and sawed them to erect a small two-story house, where the family continued to live until 1949 when Thomas W. and his wife Gilly, sold the farm to their daughter Minerva and her husband Lawrence Dale Brown.
In 1975 Minerva & Dale built a new house in the same location. After the death of Thomas W. and Gilly Maxwell,Minerva started hosting a family reunion each year until 2000; thus promoting family relationships. Minerva still lives at the farm and continues its operation, mostly cattle and hay.
The Maxwell families are aware and proud of their roots, their American Heritage, and their long time land ownership.