Smith Family Honored With Hoosier Homestead AwardINDIANAPOLIS - An area family recently was honored by Lt. Governor Becky Skillman and the Department of Agriculture.
Skillman and Indiana Agriculture Director Joe Kelsay recently presented the Thomas A. Smith family with a Hoosier Homestead Award at the statehouse in recognition of their more than 100-year commitment to Indiana agriculture.
In 1878, the farm was established northwest of Warsaw near Clunette."These families have sustained their farms through wars, the Great Depression, numerous recessions and countless seasons of challenging weather," said Skillman. "We are so proud of them and all they have accomplished. These are the people who care for the land and provide us all with the high-quality foods that we enjoy every day."
The event wasn't without emotion, however, as Thomas Smith, the family patriarch, passed away Feb. 7.
Thomas Smith was a past president of the Kosciusko County Farm Bureau. In 1997, he was awarded the Conservation Farmer of the Year by the Kosciusko County Soil & Water District, and in 2001, was voted River Friendly Farmer of the Year in Indiana.
The Hoosier Homestead ceremony was held less than two weeks later.
One of Thomas' sons, Timothy, and his wife and children were on hand to accept the award.
Timothy, wife Denise and daughters Abigail and Rachel live on a 22-acre plot of land that has been in the family since the 1870s.
Timothy's brother, Todd, and his family also live nearby.
Timothy said it was an honor to receive the award.
"I know what the Hoosier Homestead ceremony meant to my family," said Kelsay. "It was a privilege to be a part of this special day with all of these families."
The Smith family laid down its roots in Kosciusko County in 1833 when Thomas' great-grandfather, Jacob Smith, came to the area.
Timothy spent hours researching family history and found out that the land in Prairie Township had just been surveyed for sale, and the Smiths purchased 320 acres from government land agent and Indian interpreter Edward McCartney.
Timothy said he was thankful for Bodkin Abstract's help in doing his research.
In Prairie Township at that time, the Smiths became just the third family to settle there. The Powell family was the first to settle in Prairie Township while the Bishop family was second.
The Smith family joins more than 4,500 Hoosier Homestead farms. To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for more than 100 consecutive years and consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 of agricultural products per year.
Timothy's research found that the northwest areas of the county, where Prairie Township is located, had fewer trees. This made farming easier since not as many trees needed to be cleared in order to till the soil and plant crops. All three families settled in the Galveston, now called Clunette, and Leesburg area. The original homesteads were closer to Galveston.
Timothy also found the Smiths birthed the first white child in the township since most of the population in the state were Indians at that time. The Smiths named their son Edward McCartney Smith, after the Indian interpreter who had sold them the land.
As generations have passed, the land has stayed in the family. Timothy said he hopes that continues.
"The goal is to keep (the land) in the family," said Timothy.
