Preserve Brookings protects and promotes the historical, cultural, architectural, visual, and environmental heritage of the Brookings area through education, alliance building, and action.
Family Farm Stories Sought
Preserve Brookings is interested in hearing your family farm stories. It is our desire to find families in Brookings County that have lived on or worked family land for 100 years or more. If you are, or know of a family that meets these criteria, we want to hear from you. Last year marked the 125th anniversary of Brookings as a town. We want the rest of the story. We are interested in those pioneers that decided Brookings County was to be their home. We want to hear of the immigrants that came for land. We want to hear of the farmers that battled weather, depression, and struggled to keep the acres that had been in the family for generations.
One of our most specific goals is to recognize the families that have made Brookings County their home for many many years. In finding families with ties to Brookings for over 100 years, we want to discover how many farms meet these criteria. With the state Cenntenial Farm Program, the state recognizes families that have owned/lived on the same land for 100 years. After that certificate is issued, no one continues to track these farms. We are looking for some specific information, but we want the rest of the story too. Maybe, a story of how the land was chosen? Maybe a love story? Memories of one room schools and cattle drives, blizzards and drought. These stories will be compiled and saved for future generations. If there are family photos you would like to share, please make copies at a local digital photo shop. We do not request any original documents or photos. We would however, love to see these items. Any duplicate photos will be returned on request.
Please help us preserve this portion of Brookings County history. Please click here to download or print the form. Forms are created in Adobe Reader. Click here to download Adobe Reader. It is Free. If you have any questions, please email mrsmith@itctel.com or call 605-693-2976