Welcome To

                The Probstfield Farm Living History Foundation

                                                   4626 Oakport Drive North ~~ Moorhead Minnesota

                                                                             (2miles north of Clay County Courthouse)

                                                                          

                                                                                    
 

Board of Trustees

Stephen Grollman, President

Markus Krueger, V. President

Howard Anderson, Treasurer

Wendy Fevig, Secretary

Abby Gold

Ron Hagemann

Anne Larson

Jay Leitch

Cathy Scheibe

Adam Walz
Sign Guestbook
View Guestbook
Click to Contribute to the Probstfield House Renovation Fund
CLICK HERE to view the recent grant received from Minnesota Historica Society that will allow PFLHF to update the structures report of the Farm so application may be made in the fall of 2012 for a grant large enough to cover renovation of the farm house.

The Probstfield Farm Living History Foundation, which serves as the trustee for the Farm,  is a non-profit organization devoted to conserving and interpreting the heritage of the R.M. Probstfield family farm to promote education for children and the general public.

A photo of the vegetable barn under a light dusting of snow that was taken this past fall following recent renovations that returns it to how it looked when built in the 1930's. In a letter written to his nephew Paul Sauerborn (who lived in Germany), RMP talks about the plight of the farmer and the wheat that was grown and stored on the farm before being sold on the market.  "The harvest this year was much worse than in 1891, in all the States of the USA and yet the price of wheat is only 3/4 of 1891.  Perhaps this is the result of an exceptionally good harvest in Europe.  And how does it happen that when wheat is cheap, flour is not; 4 1/2 bushel wheat makes 1 barrel flour (196#) - 4 1/2 bushel wheat costs $2.43 - one barrel flour $4.50.  In spite of it people have to go without bread because they are too poor to buy it."  RMP

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the chicken house sporting its' fancy new red roof that was put into place this past fall.  This building was used to house the champion bantam chickens and roosters that Raymond Gesell raised and showed.  RMP raised chickens which provided,  not only enough eggs for the family and neighbors, but ultimately would become hearty meals cooked for the family and workers on the farm by Catherine.   Further restoration is planned for the remainder of the building in the near future.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This beautiful apple was picked from one of the trees at the Farm this past fall by Cathy Scheibe. RMP wrote to daughter his Mary and her husband James Wilson on October 17, 1907, "I have sold 24 apple trees today to F. Strub, the former baker of Moorhead. He bought an acre of land S. of Concordia College and lives there, his second son runs the bakery now.   We have about 2 1/2 bu. of crab apples unsold yet and I suppose we have to throw them away.  We have 4 bu. big apples to sell yet.  They were spoken for last Mon. to be taken Tues. or yesterday but the man did not turn up so far." RMP 

Born in 1832 as the eldest son of a Catholic family, Randolph Michael Probstfield left his native Germany for the United States at the age of 22. By 1868 he and his wife, Catherine Sidonia Goodman Probstfield had established a family homestead in what was to eventually become Oakport Township, Minnesota.  This homestead preceded the development of Fargo-Moorhead and became an important stopping point for land as well as river travelers of the period.

 

Probstfield, his wife, and their eleven children (two children did not survive infancy) were deeply involved, not only in the daily activities of their own homestead, but also the development of educational and social activities for the other settlers that followed them into the area.  Probstfield not only built the first school house, but also served as teacher for the "community organized" school and was also instrumental in formally organizing both the school district and the township.

 

Probstfield's contributions to the agriculture of the area were equally significant.  Avid in agricultural experimentation, he tested and proved for the United States Bureau of Agriculture that the Red River Valley was a fertile and viable locale, not only for the traditional crops of the area, but also for the cultivation of tobacco, sugar beets and tomatoes.

 

A man who derived much happiness from his wife, children and love of the land, Randolph Michael Probstfield face many challenges, public as well as personal, financial as well as emotional, during his lifetime.  Yet, through it all he maintained ownership of an indominitable spirit which has fortunately been passed down to his many descendents.