Century Farm designation

FORDYCE, SILVER, HOFFER

Posted By: John C. Fordyce (email)
Date: 10/15/2003 at 10:12:27

Fairfield Daily Ledger, Saturday, December 27, 1975, page 6.

Area Farm Dates To 1838

STOCKPORT – The Jacob Silver farm southwest of Stockport is one of many Van Buren County farms receiving Century Farm designation and one of a few which date back to 1838.

The farm has one of the more colorful histories since it served as a tavern in the early days and later as a church.

The house was also known as a stop on the “underground railroad”, a secret system of hiding runaway slaves from the South in Civil War times.

Century Farm designation is given by the Department of Agriculture to denote farms which have been in continuous ownership by the same family for at least 100 years.

To date, 3719 farms in Iowa have qualified and will receive certificates and farm signs. The program is endorsed by the Iowa American Revolution Bicentennial Commission.

The Silver farm is now owned by Col. Richard P. Silver (Ret.) of New York City. He is the fifth owner and a direct descendant of Jarius Fordyce who purchased the land from the government in 1838. Mr. and Mrs. John Hoffer now live on the farm.

When Fordyce purchased the land he had no intention of operating a tavern, but since the house proved to be the halfway point on a stagecoach route between Ottumwa and Keokuk, it became a natural stopping point.

Fordyce once explained it was impossible to refuse hospitality to stage passengers and emigrants so the pioneer family house was gradually transformed into a widely known tavern.

In addition to a constant stream of emigrants, Mormons also traveled the road past the Fordyce farm. They drove teams of mules and oxen, and some pushed crude carts. At night the hills to the west of the house would be dotted with campfires built by the emigrating Mormons.

Seth Fordyce helped organize the Bethany Christian Church at the home in 1854. Regular services were not held but traveling ministers were secured when possible. The preaching usually lasted all day with the Fordyce family entertaining the ministers and congregation.

Winchester was the nearest town and served as the community center. Nothing remains today of the town which once had a population of over 300.

Ownership of the Fordyce farm passed to the Silver family through a daughter, Laura, wife of John M. Silver. Their son, Jacob (1875-1959) and his son, Col. Richard Silver make up the five generations owning the farm.

Col. Silver said the original log cabin built by Jarius Fordyce was located a few feet west of the present site of the house.

One of the foundation stones of the cabin was incorporated in the foundation of an ornamental pool constructed by Jacob Silver. The pool can still be seen a few feet west of the house.

The west half of the house was built in the 1840’s and the east half added shortly after the Civil War. With the addition of the east half, the house took on its present dimension and appearance. (The article in the Ledger includes a captioned photograph of the house as it appeared in 1975.)