Buying/selling/moving farms back when compared to now...

[Jeff in ND]

A 2nd cousin who also does genealogy and we've shared info was wondering if I had any other sources for plat maps. He was trying to locate where G-grandpa and his grandpa were farming in the 1930 census. The census just gives the township and the box is checked for owned. We can't find anything on line that covers that area for that period of time.

Anyway, got me looking at several decades of census records for G-grandpa. So, he was renting a farm in a particular township in Renville Co in MN in the 1900 census. By 1905, the family moved to Rusk Co in WI and in the 1910 census owned a farm there. Family moves back to Renville Co in MN by 1920 but now own a different farm in a different township from 1900. By 1930, they have moved again to yet a different farm in another different township in Renville Co. Also marked as owned. Then by about 1935 moved again to a different county (Redwood) where they owned apparently farm #4 (farm #5 to live on).

So, I was thinking that moving around this much would be pretty much unheard on nowadays. Sure, some folks buy/sell/move their house for work or other reasons but farms?

My own grandparents lived on far as I know at least 3 different rented farms in the 20s and 30s before buying and moving for the last time to the place I grew up on. The buying/selling of all these places just seemed strange these days.

 

[moresmoke]

The shift from subsistence farming to industrial ag. As a subsistence farmer all you had to do was load up like the Beverly Hillbillies and move to the next better place. Bigger house, a couple more acres it would be worth it. Harder to do when your spread is 5000 acres, or more like some western ranches.

That said in recent times there have been a fair number of Dutch that have left Denmark and established dairies in North America.

 

[matthies]

My mother that would have been 81 this year, moved 5-6 times during her childhood. She took us around 40+ years ago and showed us the places she lived, not more than 20 miles between any of them. Her parents found better places to farm or couldn't get along with the landlords back then. My Dad was on three places, maybe 10 miles between them. He would have been 87 this year. NE Nebraska. Funny, Mom never knew where Dad was born until we were doing his obit, brother and I knew as Dad took us by there a few times, she also didn't know where to bury him, but brother and I knew as Dad's brother and himself were the grave diggers for the cemetery, and he mentioned it us while they were digging a few times, like he knew he needed to tell somebody, he passed at age 53.

 

[MARK ROBKE]

A 2nd cousin who also does genealogy and we've shared info was wondering if I had any other sources for plat maps. He was trying to locate where G-grandpa and his grandpa were farming in the 1930 census. The census just gives the township and the box is checked for owned. We can't find anything on line that covers that area for that period of time.

Anyway, got me looking at several decades of census records for G-grandpa. So, he was renting a farm in a particular township in Renville Co in MN in the 1900 census. By 1905, the family moved to Rusk Co in WI and in the 1910 census owned a farm there. Family moves back to Renville Co in MN by 1920 but now own a different farm in a different township from 1900. By 1930, they have moved again to yet a different farm in another different township in Renville Co. Also marked as owned. Then by about 1935 moved again to a different county (Redwood) where they owned apparently farm #4 (farm #5 to live on).

So, I was thinking that moving around this much would be pretty much unheard on nowadays. Sure, some folks buy/sell/move their house for work or other reasons but farms?

My own grandparents lived on far as I know at least 3 different rented farms in the 20s and 30s before buying and moving for the last time to the place I grew up on. The buying/selling of all these places just seemed strange these days.

My wife's Dad's father moved all over the place when he was a kid- about once every year. Finally, his wife put her foot down and said no more moving. I never met the grandfather, but her grandmother and her Dad, especially, said they hated all the moving. I could never figure how you could start over on different farm each year, especially when you raise tobacco, when you are stripping almost up to time to plant. Mark.

 

[valleview]

If you google plat maps in the county where they lived, you might be able to pinpoint where the farm was located- knowing the township helps. The drawback is that you can find the plat maps for only a few years usually and they only list owners, not renters. Good luck with your research.
Sorry , i missed the part where you had already looked on-line. The county historical society may have a number of plat books. You may be able to find a person there who would help or you may need to make a visit if they have a research center.

 

[db4600]

The shift from subsistence farming to industrial ag. As a subsistence farmer all you had to do was load up like the Beverly Hillbillies and move to the next better place. Bigger house, a couple more acres it would be worth it. Harder to do when your spread is 5000 acres, or more like some western ranches.

That said in recent times there have been a fair number of Dutch that have left Denmark and established dairies in North America.

Does Hector play into any of this?

 

[DoubleO7]

@Jeff in ND

You might look at registrar of deeds for those counties.
You might be able to search by his name.
And the deed would show location.