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Washington Evening Journal
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Washington, IA 52353
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Carnegie honors 184-year-old Graber family farm
The Carnegie Historical Museum has announced the Heritage Farm of the month for December 2023. The farm is owned by Carl Graber. This farm has been in the family for 184 years. The Graber farm is located west of Lockridge.
The Graber Family Farm is a Heritage Farm. The Graber family farm story begins in France 1832, when John Graber boarded the ship "Eugene" bound for the United States. Graber arrived in New York on June 5, 1832. Graber moved westward from the East Coast to Iowa. His son, Christian Graber, was the father of Daniel Benjamin Graber, the first Graber ancestor born in Jefferson County, Iowa. Daniel worked the family farm, and in the winters, Daniel worked in the coal mines in Mystic, Iowa.
Later Daniel worked in the mines at Coalport, just west of Lockridge near the Graber farmstead in the winter. The next generation was Bernard, who farmed with his father as a partner. Bernard and Nellie's son, Carl D. Graber, continued the family tradition of farming the land with his wife Florence. And today the Graber farm is still being farmed by the sixth and seventh generation; David Graber and his wife Marian and their family work the homestead today. The Graber Farm was featured in "THE PALIMPSEST MAGAZINE" in the 1987 Summer Issue. In the Carnegie Museum there are many photographs and family antiques that tell their story.
This is the first family farm being recognized as part of this program to include seven generations of lineage.
This is the twentieth-month that the Carnegie Historical Museum has been highlighting the farms in Jefferson County which have been recognized by the Iowa Farm Bureau as being in the same family for 100 or 150 years plus. It is our plan to carry this forward throughout 2024, and recognize those farms which have received this Heritage or Century Farm status at the state level.
The Fairfield First Friday on Dec. 1, 2023 beginning at 6 p.m. will allow interested patrons of the Museum to come and view the new display of the Graber farm. A video-taping with family members will begin at 6 p.m. A dedicated display case will be available for viewing on the third floor of the museum for the month of December. The public is welcome to attend and meet the family at that time.
Please take time to come and learn about the history of these farms and what they mean to Jefferson County, Iowa.
