Port Oneida Farms and Buildings

Learn about the farms and buildings in the Port Oneida area below and its history.

Wonder what some of the buildings were used for? Browse the Farm Buildings Description page. You can also explore other farms and cultural resources in the Lakeshore.

 

Farms & Buildings of Port Oneida

Fred & Grace Baker Pig Barn

The Fred & Grace Baker Pig Barn, formerly known as the Barratt Pig Barn, or the Baker Sheep Barn is located in a field east of Port Oneida Road about 1 mile north of M-22. It was built by Fred Baker and his son-in-law, Jack Barratt in the late 1940's and is constructed of black walnut timbers from the Kelderhouse residence that was located at the original Port Oneida townsite. The former townsite and residence were located directly west of the barn, and are marked by a large clump of lilacs.

Mr. Barratt stated that black chalk markings from Buffalo, NY were on the timbers and the structure contained remnants of newspapers from the 1860's. The small, gambrel-roofed barn sits several hundred feet from the eastern side of Port Oneida road at the edge of a large wetland.

Martin & Allay Basch Farm

The Martin & Allay Basch Farm is located on Baker Road about 0.5 miles north of Kelderhouse Road. The shed and corncrib have recently been restored.

Martin Basch, a former German soldier and political prisoner, arrived on North Manitou Island with his wife in 1868. They left several children in Germany and had two children while on the island, Anna (or Ella) and Martin. Basch's brother, Nicholas, had already immigrated to the United States in 1859.

Martin and Nicholas (Claus) Basch and Carsten Miller were immigrants from Hanover, Germany who first settled on North Manitou Island and later farmed at Port Oneida. Martin Basch purchased this land from another German farmer, Martin Haft, a 110 acre parcel of land for $500 on 18 August 1883. At its largest, the Basch farm was a combination of several smaller homesteads - including those formerly owned by John Maitland, Ferndinad Pfluger, and Martin Haft - and which had been abandoned and later sold. Basch was a skilled blacksmith and worked for farmers in the vicinity of Port Oneida. He also was a carpenter, who helped to build farms and churches in Port Oneida, Good Harbor, and Arcadia.

Fieldstones were the foundation of the porch and pillars. This was a common practice in Port Oneida. The Baschs raised corn, beans, potatoes, and approximately 50 head of beef cattle on their 110 acre farm. Potatoes, the cash crop, were sold at Cedar, and surplus corn and wheat were marketed at Crystal River. The Baschs raised dairy cattle for their own use. At one time, they had about 300-400 turkeys. They stopped farming around 1969.

 
 

Joseph & Margaret Brunson Barn

The Joseph & Margaret Brunson Barn is on Thoreson Road about one mile west of M-22 where Thoreson Road turns south.

This barn is the only remaining building of the farm owned by Joseph and Margaret Brunson. Mrs. Brunson was the daughter of Thomas Kelderhouse. The gambrel roofed barn is sited in a small field with a gentle wooded slope that rises to the north.

Carsten & Elizabeth Burfiend Farm

The Carsten & Elizabeth Burfiend Farm is on both sides of the Port Oneida Road about 1 mile north of M-22. The house, garage, and other out-buildings are on the west side of the road on the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. The foundation of the barn, silo, and milkhouse as well as the corn crib, machine shed, and old machinery is on the east side of the road. Notice that the houses face the Lake Michigan bluff and have their backs toward Port Oneida Road. That is because the original Port Oneida Road ran along the bluff on the other side of the houses.

This farm was settled by Carsten and Elizabeth Burfiend, Port Oneida's first settlers. They emigrated from Kootenhold, Germany and arrived in New York state, where Mrs. Burfiend remained while her husband continued on to North manitou Island. The family originally lived in a log cabin marked by a lilac clump remaining in a field next to Port Oneida Road.

Carsten and Elizabeth Burfiend's son, Peter (b. 1861), built their first house in 1893. The house contains hand-hewn timbers; some of which came from the original Burfiend cabin. Peter and Jennie (Goffar) Burfiend's son, Howard (b. 1895), and his wife, Orpha (Fralick), came to the farm in 1926. At one time, Orpha Fralick Burfiend had a land grant from President Franklin Pierce and a deed for the property signed by President Abraham Lincoln.

In 1930, Howard and Orpha Burfiend hired a Lake Leelanau contractor to build the second house, and moved the farm buildings across Port Oneida Road. The granary is the only remaining outbuilding predating the move. The barn and pump house burned in 1982.

John & May Burfiend Barn

The John & May Burfiend Barn is located at the corner of Port Oneida Road and Miller Road. The barn is owned by the Park Service, but the house is privately owned.

Several Port Oneida families have owned this farm over the years. The farmhouse was once located near the Port Oneida dock and moved to the farm by John Schmidt many years ago.

The barn is a good example of a four-bay, English style ground barn. Inside the big doors is the wood threshing floor. When the barn was built in the 1890s, stalks of wheat and oats were piled on the floor and beaten with sticks to separate the grain from the straw just as it had been done since biblical times. Inside, you see one of the first machines that automated this process. A hay wagon could be pulled in one side and out the other side. Overhead, you see the track with a hayfork for taking large bites of loose hay from the wagon and moving it to other parts of the barn. Because of the long winters, a big barn to store hay was essential.

Pete & Jennie Burfiend Farm

The Pete & Jennie Burfiend Farm is located on the west side of Basch Road just north of M-22.

The Burfiend family did not live on the farm for a very long period of time. They moved to the Carsten & Elizabeth Burfiend farm in 1891. Ole Olsen then purchased the farm, eventually selling it to his daughter and son-in-law, Ellen and Fred Miller. Their daughter, Leone Miller Adair, was born in the house. The farm has had several owners since that time. Milton Basch lived in the house from the early 1940's until his death.

The early history of this farm can be traced to Joseph Brunson, who settled on the site in the 1860's. Eighty acres of the farm were then purchased by Pete and Jenette (Jennie) Burfiend from August Kemener on 31 August 1882. Three years later, the Burfiends bought the remaining land from the Kelderhouse estate on 15 July 1885. They built a log cabin on the land where their daughter Laura (Jack Barratt's mother) was born. Martin Basch built the present farmhouse for the Burfiends in the 1890's, while the outbuildings date to 1900. The log cabin that was located to the west of the present house, was dismantled in the 1960's and the barn, which was located about 100 yards north of the house was torn down in 1978.

Frederick & Fredericke Dechow

Frederick and Fredericke Dechow purchased the farm and built a log cabin in 1857. Sons John and Charles built the barn around 1890. This farm has some of the best soil in Port Oneida which explains why it was one of the most productive farms. Grandson Fred built the new house about 1910 which was a showplace of modern style. A few years later, he was able to buy the neighboring farm from the Behrens just to the east of his original farm and add it to his land. The house and other buildings were removed, but the barn remains in the field to the east of the main Dechow buildings.

This farm is a good example of a working farm of the late 1940s with old structures adapted for new methods. The concrete silo and milking parlor indicate a commitment to dairy production. The large granary building and the small corn crib are typical for farms this far north. These farmers grew less corn because of the short growing season. A large chicken coop for raising fryers for market and another coop for a laying flock round out the barn yard buildings.

The Milkhouse was often built onto the barn. It was usually made from cement block or concrete to stay cooler. This is where the milk was filtered and stored in cans or a large refrigerated cooler. Having it attached to the barn made it more convenient for the farmer to carry the milk from the cows to the storage area especially in bad weather. The silo attached to the Dechow barn is a typical cement stave silo for storage of corn and hay silage which was used to feed the cattle during the winter.

Henry & Catherine Eckerdt Farm

The Henry & Catherine Eckerdt Farm is located at the corner of Kelderhouse Road and Basch Road.

Henry and Catherine Eckerdt immigrated from Bohemia to the U.S. between 1850 and 1855, arriving in Michigan in 1857. In 1862, the Eckerdts purchased and settled on their farm in Port Oneida. Their original log cabin is now owned by the A.I.R. Foundation and has been moved from its original location near the farm. Mr. Eckerdt was listed as a farmer as early as 1860 on the manuscript schedules for the federal population census. Henry's brother, George was married to Catherine's sister Mary, and they farmed on Baker Road just northwest of this farm. There are no buildings remaining at George's farm. Catherine served Port Oneida and the surrounding area as a midwife.

Their farm has been described as an "excellent example of an historical farm" and was the site of many dances enjoyed by community residents. The Baurs bought the farm around 1940 - 1950.

According to Elsa Eckerdt Barriner, her father, Henry Eckerdt Jr., grew corn, potatoes, and a variety of grains. The family also raised cows, pigs, chickens, and ducks

William & Charlotte Kelderhouse Farm

The William & Charlotte  Kelderhouse Farm is located next to the Kelderhouse/Port Oneida Cemetery on the east side of Port Oneida Road across the road from the Port Oneida School.

The parcel of land was owned by descendants of Thomas Kelderhouse from 1863 until its acquisition by the National Park Service in 1970. A log cabin, was built by his son, William, around the late 1880's. Prior to construction, this site may have been the location of the Kelderhouse sawmill. It is near the setting of the former Evangelical Lutheran church and the Port Oneida School and Community Club. The house is surrounded by sugar maple trees that were planted by students from the school. The Kelderhouses tapped the trees to make maple syrup. Remains of the once extensive orchards, planted by Rolland Kelderhouse in the late 1920's can be seen to the east and south of the farm.

The 65-acre farm was a central gathering place for Port Oneida residents. The present house, which William built around 1910, was once used as a grocery store, telephone exchange, and post office, all run by his wife, Charlotte. The barn was torn down approximately 1950.

George & Louise Lawr Farm

This parcel of land that became the George and Louise Lawr Farm was originally bought by Thomas Kelderhouse in 1861. After his death in 1884, his son, James, inherited the property and in 1889, deeded 40 acres to George and Louise Burfiend Lawr. Louise was the daughter of Port Oneida pioneer Carsten Burfiend. They purchased the adjacent 80 acres and built this farm in the 1890s. George Lawr was the son of a Scotsman and his mother was from New York. George came to the U.S. from Canada in 1871. He and his wife farmed there until 1945. Since that time, the farm has had several owners including the Curriers and Chapmans

Charles & Hattie Olsen Farm

Charles & Hattie Olsen Farm is located on M-22 Leelanau Scenic Heritage Route and the Bayview Trail 2 miles north of Glen Arbor. The Port Oneida Heritage Center, where visitors can learn about the historic district is based here.

This is the newest farm in Port Oneida. The parcel of land was purchased from Fred Dechow in 1915. He had owned the land since 1857. The house and barn were built in 1918 by Paul Popa. The house was the most modern and the first to eventually have indoor plumbing. Water was pumped by hand into a tank in the attic to provide the pressure for the system.

The barn is a good example of the hillside barn. The lower level was for livestock and the upper level for hay storage. The steel and wooden silo indicates an early dairy operation. The house is being adaptively restored by Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear.

This is one of the largest and best barns in Port Oneida. There was a cistern on the hill behind the house to supply water to the farm. By 1929 they had a gas engine-driven pump. Although the Olsens were dairy farmers, like others in Port Oneida, Charles had side occupations to supplement his farm income. He was an expert horseman and used his team to maintain a section of M-22 when it was just a 2-track road. He also used them to plow gardens and haul logs.

The Bay View Trail  and Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail winds behind the barn and the silo that has recently been restored. The silo is made of wood staves and is supported by steel rods which band the silo at every few feet up the height of the silo. Typically, these rods are spaced closer at the bottom than at the top due to the higher pressure from the silage near the bottom. This is a unique construction.

Ole & Magdalena Olsen Farm

The Ole & Magdalena Olsen Farm is located at the end of Kelderhouse Road down a long driveway. Take a drive down to the Ole Olsen Farmstead and walk around the buildings and think about what life would be like living and working here.

The original owner of 80 acres of this parcel was Andrew Tuffner, who sold it to Thomas Kelderhouse on 19 September 1865. Kelderhouse sold it to Ole Olsen on 24 January 1877. Mr. Olsen then sold the property to Carsten Burfiend in 1879, and bought it back two years later.

The land was settled by Olsen, who emigrated from Kristiansand, Norway, and landed on North Manitou Island, where he met his wife, Magdalena Burfiend. Although the boundaries of this 120 acre farm have remained constant, ownership changed many times: for most of the time, however, it has been owned by the Olsen family. After Ole Olsen built the farm, his son Charles bought it in 1891 and farmed there until 1915 when he married and built a farm on M-22. He later sold this farm to Albert and Ida (Dago) Prause. In 1954, Prause sold the farm to Howard Olsen, a grandson of Ole and a nephew of Charles. Howard Olsen's widow, Bertha, lived in the house until her death.

The main crops were wheat and potatoes.

A short hike of about 1/3 mile east from the buildings will take you behind Narada Lake, where herons, geese, and loons are often seen.

Georg & Flora Schmidt Farm

The Georg & Flora Schmidt Farm sometimes called the Hayms Farm, was settled in 1861 by George Hessell, who emigrated from Hanover, Germany. In 1867, George Hessell's nephew, Georg Schmidt, arrived in the United States from Prussia. Sometime before 1880, Georg Schmidt and his wife, Mary, purchased the farm from George Hessell.

Most of the land they purchased was undeveloped. The Homestead Act of 1862 held that heads of families could secure land under 160 acres through continuous residence and improvement of the land over a span of five years. By the 1880 agricultural census, the Schmidt farm was listed as 73 acres, with 32 noted as "improved".

George and Mary would have been moving to a community of people like themselves. At the time, there were only around 300 residents in Glen Arbor. Most were immigrants from Prussia, Hanover, and Bavaria. Like many in the community, the Schmidts mostly grew subsistence crops like corn, rye, and wheat. However, they also grew potatoes as a cash crop. They earned about 200 dollars a year through the sale of their farm's products.

In addition to vegetables and grains, the Schmidts cultivated an apple orchard and were one of only two farms in the area that grew hops. They also had two cows for milk, two other cattle, and four hogs.

Life was not always easy for the Schmidts. In 1881, Mary died during childbirth. George remarried in 1882 to Flora Blacklock, a widow. In the 1890s, the house caught fire and burned to the ground. While the house was being rebuilt, Georg lived in the barn along with Flora and his five sons. When Georg died in 1933, his son, John, took over farming operations, though the house remained vacant. John sold the farm in 1958 to the Hayms family, who used it as a summer home.

Today, the farm still stands. Though the main barn and silo have been removed, the house, shed, outhouse, and smaller barn remain. The curving dirt driveway to the house is lined with Lombardy Poplars, which were fast-growing and popular trees at the time. The house itself sits on a foundation of cut stone. The outer walls of the house are finished with octagonal asphalt shingles, which were cheap but visually striking. The back section of the house was an addition. A small path behind the house leads up the hill towards the outhouse. The barn features a stone chimney and large tables that may have been used as workbenches.

John & Ingeborg Thoreson Farm

The John & Ingeborg Thoreson Farm is located on the west side of Thoreson Road about 2 miles from M-22.

This parcel of land had two early owners, William Foster and John Hartel. Both men sold their land to Thomas Kelderhouse, who owned it until 1881. The 1891 plat map reveals three owners: Fred and John Anderson, and Lisbet Johnson. All three parcels were bought by John Thoreson in the late 1890's.

John Thoreson and Ingeborg Sakariasdatte emigrated from Norway in 1877. Although they crossed the Atlantic on the same boat, family lore has it that they never really met on the boat. Ingeborg resided with the higher-priced ticket-holders, while John remained below deck with the lower-fare travelers. They first settled in Suttons Bay, and arrived in Port Oneida in 1880. The family initially rented the William Kelderhouse farm until 1883, when they moved to Minnesota for one year. After returning to Port Oneida, they rented the old Burfiend house. Around 1900, along with their sons Ole and Fred, they built their farm on 160 acres of land purchased from the Andersons.

Ole and Fred Thoreson and Ole's son Leonard ran the farm at different times. Leonard farmed from 1947-1952 after he returned to Port Oneida from service in the U.S. Army. Electricity was brought to the farm in February 1945. The Thoresons bought their first tractor on 1 April 1947, and obtained a milking machine in 1949. Ole Thoreson sold the farm to Art Huey in the 1960's and Huey then sold it to the National Park Service.

The Thoresons operated a general farm with livestock, small grains, and hay. With 75 trees, they were the first Port Oneida farm to raise cherries for market. They also owned sheep, pigs, chickens, and a few dairy cattle.

In partnership with the National Park Service, volunteers from the Glen Arbor Art Association have been restoring the farm buildings and using the site as an arts education center. The equipment shed has been rehabilitated for class-room and studio space. They have repaired the red granary building and the barn. They are now working on the interior of the house.

The Thoreson farm is situated in a beautiful area near the Lake Michigan bluffs. From the Bay View trail, you can get a panoramic view of the farm, Lake Michigan, North and South Manitou Islands, and Sleeping Bear Point

Harrison & Almedia Weaver Farm

The Harrison & Almedia Weaver Farm is located on Basch Road on top of the bluff overlooking the lowlands to the north and Lake Michigan. The house is weathered and is falling down. For your safety do not enter the building. You can see the house from the road.

This parcel was first owned by Jacob Mantz, who purchased it in the early 1860's. He later sold it to Harrison and Almeda Weaver in the 1880's. The house dates to the early 1890's. According to Milton Basch, Albert Prause built the house, and at one time Frank Prause farmed the land.

Harrison Weaver was an accomplished blacksmith. He shod most of the horses in the Port Oneida area, including the American Saddlehorses owned by Fred Baker.

Unfortunately, The Weavers faced some difficulties as farmers. The farm was poorly located. Water draining from the roof of the barn caused a huge washout that can be seen today along the ridge east of the house. The farm was inundated by water on at least two occasions in the 1910's and 1940's. The barn, initially located east of the house, was moved in the 1930's to another site north of the house. Like many other barns in Port Oneida, the foundation consists of boulders at the corners of the structure.

Mr. and Mrs. Weaver had three daughters, Bertha, Eva, and Florabelle. Mr. Weaver remarried after his wife passed away. He and his second wife adopted a son, Archie. After Mr. Weaver's death, Mrs. Weaver and Archie operated the farm. Around 1940, however, they lost the farm due to delinquent taxes. Although they were able to keep the farm buildings and forty acres, they were forced to sell part of their acreage to repay the debt.

Despite the hardships faced by the Weaver family, they were noted by their neighbors for the pear and apple orchards that surrounded the house. They were able to produce enough to sell at D. H. Day's Glen Haven dock. According to Laura Basch, they also had grapevines and grew "good rye and beans."

Frederick and Magaretha Werner Barn

The Frederick & Margaretha Werner Barn is located at the end of Miller Road, which intersects with Port Oneida Road just north of M-22. There is only one barn at this site, but if you walk around the area, you will see some of the trees that used to be part of the landscaping in the yard. You might even find a piece of old machinery.

This large barn was built on 202 acres of land purchased by Frederick Werner in 1855. Note the use of boulders as the foundation upon which the large wooden beams are set. The 1891 plat map lists John Miller, husband of Fredrick Werner's daughter Margaretha and an 1881 emigrant from Germany, as the owner and shows one structure. The land was later farmed by his son, Charles, who provided dairy products to many local resorts and residents. Like many Port Oneida farmers, Charles Miller supplemented his farm income by working as a surveyor. The farmhouse burned in 1940 and was then rebuilt. The National Park Service removed the second house along with other outbuildings.

Beyond the barn is a black locust grove that was used to supply wood for fence posts and wagon tongues. A remnant orchard with large apple trees, an extensive pasture, and cow path lie to the west of the black locust grove. Ornamental and fruit species such as roses and apple trees mark the location of the original farmhouse.

This site is on the Bay View Hiking Trail. Walking along the trail at the edge of the field gives you a sense of what the farm looked like when it was in operation. Take the trail west from the site and you will come to the top of the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan through the trees.

Richard & Katie Werner Farm

The Richard and Katie Werner Farm is located on M-22 near the intersection with Thoreson Road. This farm is also close to the trailhead of the Bay View trail.

This 204-acre parcel of land was claimed by Frederick and Margretha Werner, who arrived from Germany on 18 September 1855. The Werners, who were related to Elizabeth Burfiend, were the second family to move to the Pyramid Point area. Their farm dates to the late 1850's or early 1860's. In 1885, the Werner's son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Katie (Portner) Werner, were farming at this site. After Richard Werner's death in 1890, Katie married Benjamin Holland, who took over the farm. Ben was known for being very particular. "He had the straightest corn rows in the area!" By 1891, Frederick and Margretha Werner had divided their parcel, ceding the northern 122 acres to their daughter and son-in-law, Mattie and John Miller. 

Frederick and Margretha Werner's great-grandson, Franklin Basch, was raised on the farm and purchased it in 1943. According to Franklin Basch, their farming activities ceased around 1930 because they were unable to produce adequate crops.