NORTH HARMONY — Back in the 1950s, The Post-Journal ran a series of articles detailing century farms of the time.

Century farms are properties that have been owned by the same family for 100 years. The series ran for a few years, detailing all of the farms at that time reaching this mark.

Some farms still exist in Chautauqua County today.

Harmony Historian Pam Brown said at least 11 century farms can be found in the towns of Harmony and North Harmony, with many more located throughout the county. She added that back in 1951 and 1952 when the articles ran, the New York State Agricultural Society recognized the work.

The Dickson-Hanson farm is pictured in the 1900s. The photo shows children of the family, including Ruth Dickson Hanson, her mother, Orilla Matson Dickson, and Ruth and Ernest Hanson’s children.

“Henry S. Manley, a member of the Century Farm Committee, presented Henry M. Cheney of Kiantone with the century farmer award,” Brown said.

Brown added that Manley said the society used the articles to select a half-dozen farms for consideration, which was then narrowed down to the Cheney Farm.

The state Agricultural Society still awards Century Farms to this day and has been since 1937.

The Harmony Historical Society has run a series of posts on its Facebook page regarding each of the farms, including some more specific ones of note. Tina Scott, Harmony Historical Society volunteer, said these highlights included many different aspects.

“When we first started to highlight the farms we included maps to show our viewers their locations and also included whether or not the houses were still standing,” Scott said. “What we really liked were the comments from people who descended from the families that lived on these farms. We often got photos of their relatives and that is a plus for us.”

One of the highlighted Century Farms that stands out for Scott because of a family connection is the Dickson-Hanson Farm. Located on Open Meadows Road in Ashville, an article from August 1951 states that the farm was owned at the time by Ernest Hanson, who came to the area from Sweden in 1902. The farm itself was in the family of Mrs Hanson since the time of her father, Henry Dickson, who purchased it in 1836.

“Mrs. Carrie Chamberlin, Cheney’s Point, says Mr Dickson and his wife, Rachel Truesdell Dickson came from the shores of Lake George in eastern New York in an oxcart when their oldest son, Alfred, her father, was four years old and built a log cabin on their Open Meadows land,” the article said. “Later a frame house was built which still remains as the central five rooms of the present 10-room home of the Hanson’s.”

The article details the rest of the history of the family and the house, leading up to a Franklin Hanson who served as town highway superintendent and later raising Angus beef cattle. Franklin Hanson was also a stone mason, according to the article.

“The house has been well kept,” the article states. “One of the additions was built from lumber from the building which once housed a store and the Mentor Post Office at Fisher’s Corriers, standing in front of the small 100-year-old building there. Franklin serves as substitute mail carrier at Ashville but is more interested in building up a dairy on the farm. The barn is being improved and remodeled and at present about 20 head of Holstein and Guernseys are kept, half of them producing milk which goes to the Mayville plant. Franklin intends to remain on the farm.”

In more recent years, the farm was sold and is no longer owned by the family.

“In my opinion, these stories really tell a tale of our community and the history of those families who settled here and grew our community and economy,” Scott said. “So much has changed but it is wonderful to look back on the history of these people and places. You can always learn something new when you read through the articles.”

Scott encouraged everyone to take a look at the Harmony Historical Society Facebook page to learn more about Century Farms and to learn something more about their ancestors that they may not yet know.