George Poe Family Farm
Phillips County
In 1886 George and Ann Poe and their four children homesteaded on the Frenchman Creek 6 miles east of Holyoke, Phillips County. 1894 was very dry, and the crops wouldn’t grow so they turned the cattle loose, pulled up stakes, and drifted with the cattle into the sand hills 4 miles southeast of the original place. There they built a sod house and a barn and purchased a quarter section of land for $10. After the passing of George, the land went to sons Herman and Winnie.
Poe Family Farm members receive their Centennial Farm award.
Herman married Alta Smith in 1900 and by 1904 had built a frame house and out buildings from used lumber about 3/8 of a mile to the east. By 1906 they decided to move it to replace the original sod house on the original place. It took about two weeks to move the house this distance by horse power winch. During this time they continued to live in the house while it was being moved, enjoying a different view every night. Children were born in both the frame house and in the sod house.
Poe Family Farm members.
The homestead claim was filed in 1912 on the building site and another 120 acres to the east. In 1928 the farm was rented out to sons Glen and Guy, and Glen and wife Della took over operations in 1930. The Poe family survived on the farm during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. All the farming was done by teams of horses or mules until the Case tractor was purchased in 1941. In 1945 electricity was finally brought to the farm, with running water and indoor plumbing to follow a year later. Son Donald and wife Esther took over the farm in 1957 and in 1960 moved a horse barn to the property from the Amitie School.
Frame house in 1913 after it was moved to the site of the original sod house.
Irrigation was introduced in 1975 and today the Poe farm consists of the original homestead plus about 1,200 acres of pastureland. The farm produces irrigated corn and alfalfa and hosts a Hereford cow-calf operation. Donald and Esther still live in the frame house and children Michael and Patricia are the 5th generation to farm the land. Several historic structures are still in use and the stacked K bar diamond and k diamond on a bar brands are associated with the property.