Smith family farm has proud history in Kalamazoo County

By Rhonda Westfall

Elijah Charles Smith probably doesn’t spend too much time thinking about the sesquicentennial farm that his family has owned and operated near Kalamazoo since 1834. When you’re nine years old, maintaining the family’s traditions of being good stewards of the land is not your main responsibility.

Still, as a seventh-generation Smith – who carries the name of the family patriarch, Elijah Lemuel Smith – young Eli certainly will understand the importance of preserving the family heritage in the years to come.

The Smith farm, located at 6743 S. 25^th Street in Pavilion Township directly southeast of Kalamazoo, holds the distinction of being the second-oldest centennial farm in Michigan, according to information available through the Michigan Centennial Farm Association. The 119-acre, cash-crop farm is owned by Dolores Smith. Her husband, Charles Irwin Smith, farmed the land for many years; he passed away in 1988. Today, Dolores operates the farm with the aid of her children, Christopher Smith, John Smith and Terese Roodbeen. Although the farmland is rented out, the family members are actively engaged in maintenance and restoration projects at the farm site.

"My grandmother made us promise to take care of the farm when we were older," Chris says of the family expectations that were expressed by his grandmother, Alice Bosma Smith. "She told us on a number of occasions that if we took care of the farm, it would always take care of us – and she’s right."

Like other families across Michigan who take pride in their ownership of Centennial Farm sites, Chris and his siblings have spent countless hours keeping the barn and farmhouse looking "top notch." The big red barn that dates to 1870 has received its share of ‘Tender Loving Care’ over the years, as has white frame farmhouse.

"It’s really important to maintain old barns like ours," Chris says, noting all 188 gallons of bright red paint used in restoration work was "hand-brushed and the boards were all re-boarded by myself and my brother, John."

The interior of the barn has also been secured and reinforced, while the family gave equal TLC to the farmhouse where their mother, Dolores, still resides and oversees the farm operations.

"Every board on the outside was re-nailed, caulked and we painted the trim back to its original green color, thanks to the untiring efforts of younger brother, John" Chris says. "We also restored the interior, plastering walls that had been horse hair plaster and swirling the plaster ceilings. Hours were spent tuck-pointing the basement walls that are fieldstone."

Knowledge of the family’s status in Kalamazoo County history makes maintaining the physical presence of the farm a priority for this generation of Smith’s – and, of course, there’s that promise to Grandma Alice.

The original farm included all 640 acres of section 7, a focal point of which was an oak forest that helped make the Kalamazoo area famous in its early days. The farm still includes a 40-acre woodlot where those beautiful oaks stand tall and true.

Elijah and Rebecca (Macoy) settled on their new farm in June 1835. Their descendants served the community as township supervisors and in various other capacities in subsequent years – a tradition that Chris also continued, having served as constable from 1976-84.

What could have been a tragic event several years ago helped earn the centennial farm a place in "modern history." All 40 passengers and three crew members of a North Central Covair 580 escaped serious injury – or death – when the plane made a forced landing in a field at the farm. The plane first touched down in a soybean field and cut a 40-foot wide swath on into a cornfield before coming to rest with one wing torn off and the nose separated from the main body of the plane. It had experienced engine trouble after taking off from the nearby Kalamazoo airport, and was attempting to return to the airport when the crash occurred.

"My parents received a certificate from North Central, thanking them for their assistance with passengers that day," Chris says. A newspaper article printed at the time of the accident noted that survivors from the plane spotted the Smith farmhouse from the crash site and walked there for assistance.

That commendation adds one more piece of history to the legacy of the sesquicentennial farm – another story that young Eli can be proud of and pass along to future generations of Smith farm owners.

For information on the Michigan Centennial Farm program, visit the State of Michigan web site, www.michigan.gov; or call the State Historic Preservation Office, 517-373-1272. Information on the Centennial Farm Association is available by calling Barbara Dickman, 616-772-4239.