“The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening. It is a little star-dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden
Two gentlemen drove around our circle drive a couple of weeks ago and stopped to say hi. They were brothers who had spent much time in our house (their grandparent’s house) while growing up. They were in town because their mother had passed away earlier this year and they were reminiscing about the area. I told them that I had met their mother several times over the years. She would stop by periodically with her cousin to visit the house for a few minutes and quiz us on what new things we were doing around the farm.
The year after we bought the farm, we were put on Preservation Racine’s annual tour of historic places and after our most recent visit, I thought that I would give you all a taste of our home’s story.
The original owners of the home were the William Gifford family who came to Racine County in 1843 and purchased 160 acres, it was homesteaded in 1844 and another 160 acres in 1888. William Gifford was said to be a gentlemen farmer and not very ambitious. His sons took over the farm in 1888. His son William H. Gifford was a progressive and innovative farmer. In 1890 he built the Queen Anne style house. The house was the first in the community with both indoor plumbing and central heating (the house doesn’t have a fireplace)! He also was the first to build a silo and have his cattle tested for TB.
In 1912 William H. Gifford’s two sons began a one-wagon milk delivery service delivering milk from their herd. The business continued to grow and in 1920 was incorporated as the Progressive Dairy. W. Allen Gifford managed the Progressive Dairy until he retired in 1963. He had built a large dairy complex that supplied dairy products to the entire area and surrounding communities. The Gifford family was close-knit and two additional farmhouses originally owned by family members are within a quarter of a mile of the original homestead.
Over the last thirty years, B and I have lived in three states and owned 5 homes. Most of those moves were early in our life together when we were trying to decide where to put down our roots. The farm came to us in 2007 when we were least expecting it and it has been a joy. Not only is it our little piece of heaven; a six-acre wooded lot, a farmhouse with a wrap-around porch, a large garden, two barns, and a silo, but because it has a rich history that we are proud to be the current caretakers of.
Until Next Time,
