Wensmann Farm in Millwoood township
August Wensmann owned it in the late 1880's. A five bedroom log home was built in 1891, which has since had several renovations and additions to meet the needs of the family.
August and Josephine retired to Melrose in 1921, deeding the property to their son, Joseph and his wife, Elizabeth (Kolb) in 1924. About a mile of drainage tiling, hand dug by Joseph, was placed in the field.
Not much is known about the earliest buildings on the property. In 1929 a new barn was added. Changes have been made to modernize milking facilities and storage and to accommodate a larger number of cattle.
The home was converted from wood and oil to electricity in 1938. The chicken barn, the first in the area, burned in 1937 and was replaced the following year. An existing machine shed was damaged by a tornado, so a new shed was built in 1952. A hay shed was added to the still existing smokehouse, pig barn and granary. The first tractor, purchased in 1941, is still used on the farm.
Joseph and Elizabethâ™s youngest son, Adolph took over the farm in 1959. Adolph purchased the farm after the death of his mother in 1966. A 36 acre plot of the Wensmann farm land was sold to Arnold Herzog in 1970. In 1983, 80 acres were acquired from Peter Getl which bordered the Wensmann property to the west. Adolph moved off the farm in 2000 when his son, Kevin farmed from 2000 to 2003. Then Keith to over in 2003. Keith still owns all the original farm land. Keith sold the cows in June of 2013 and no longer does the dairy end of it. The original buildings would be the barn, the house and a smoke house. (2015)