John Sweet Donald Farmstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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John Sweet Donald Farmstead
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John Sweet Donald Farmstead
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| Location | 1972 State Highway 92, Mount Horeb, Wisconsin |
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| Nearest city | Springdale, Wisconsin |
| Area | 2.3 acres (0.93 ha) |
| Built | 1858 |
| Architectural style | Mid 19th Century Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 84003633 |
| Added to NRHP | June 7, 1984 |
The John Sweet Donald Farmstead is a historic farm in Springdale, Wisconsin. It has buildings that are very old, some built as early as 1858. This farm is special because it was the home of John Sweet Donald. He was a farmer, a politician, and a teacher during a time called the Progressive Era.
Contents
History of the Donald Farm
A Family's Beginning
People started settling in the Springdale area around 1845. By the 1850s, many families, including about 100 from Scotland, lived near the Sugar River.
In 1855, Reverend James Donald came from Scotland. He bought 80 acres of land between the churches in Mount Horeb and Mt. Vernon. He moved there with his wife, Margaret Strong, and their three sons.
For a few years, they lived in a temporary shelter. Around 1858, they dug a well. They lined it with limestone from their own farm. About 1859, they built the first part of the farmhouse.
Building the Farmhouse
The first part of the house is the white, two-story section with a hip roof in the photo. It sits on a strong foundation made of limestone. Some wooden beams in the basement still show marks from tools. The walls were made of wood, filled with brick nogging for insulation.
The house later got a wide front porch and other additions. But the library on the second floor was there from the start. Reverend Donald used it to prepare his sermons, reading his religious books.
Growing the Farm
Reverend Donald's son, John Strong Donald, mostly ran the farm. In 1860, they grew 245 bushels of wheat. They also had six meat cattle, five pigs, and six milk cows. The cows produced 200 pounds of butter, which they sold.
Reverend James Donald died in 1866. His son John died just two years later, at only 26 years old. A few months later, John's wife, Ellen Sweet Donald, gave birth to their son, John Sweet Donald.
Ellen managed the farm with help from her father. In 1882, she married John Jones, who ran a gristmill. They slowly bought more land, making the farm 407 acres by the 1890s.
Changes and New Buildings
During this time, the farm changed from growing wheat to raising dairy cows. They added many buildings. In 1875, they built a 51-foot "cow barn," but only its foundation remains today.
Around 1887, they built a buggy shed. In 1889, they drilled a second well and put a wooden windmill over it. In 1892, they added the horse barn. It was sixty feet long and had a gambrel roof.
Around 1890, they added a kitchen wing to the house. The front and side porches were also added then. They had fancy scroll-sawn railings and quatrefoil decorations. A washroom was added around 1892.
John Sweet Donald's Early Life
Young John Sweet Donald grew up on the farm. The 1870 census shows him living with his mother and a schoolteacher. In 1880, his grandfather and an aunt also lived there.
John went to local schools. He then studied business in Madison and later attended Valparaiso University. In 1897, he became a dentist. In 1898, he married Vona DeCrow. After his stepfather died, John began to manage the large farm. John and Vona had a daughter, Delma, in 1899. In 1906, they had a playhouse built for Delma.
A Leader for Farmers
John Sweet Donald became very active in politics. In 1899, he became the town chairman. In 1902, he was elected to the Wisconsin Assembly. He was a Progressive Republican, working with Robert LaFollette.
John was seen as a voice for Wisconsin farmers. From 1903 to 1907, he led the Dairy and Foods Committee. This committee created Wisconsin's Pure Foods Act. He also worked on laws to control railroad prices and inspect grain. He supported workmen's compensation, fair income tax, and primary elections.
In 1908, he became a state senator. He led the education committee, supporting farming courses in schools. He also worked for better roads in Wisconsin. He helped change the state constitution in 1908. This allowed the state to improve roads, helping farmers get their products to market. In 1911, he sponsored the "Donald Bill" for a statewide highway program. In 1912, he was elected Wisconsin Secretary of State. In this role, he helped get back $95,000 in lost money from a railway company.
New Ways to Farm
John stayed involved with his farm during his political career. He was interested in new ideas to make farming better. He raised purebred animals like shorthorn dairy cattle, Berkshire hogs, and Percheron draft horses.
By 1907, he was putting lime on his fields to improve the soil. He started growing alfalfa, which also made the soil healthier. He managed his hay fields to get three harvests a year, instead of the usual two. He likely used a steam tractor on the farm around this time.
In 1907, he built a new dairy barn that was better lit and ventilated. He also learned about silage, which was a new way to store feed. In 1908, he built at least one silo. This helped his cows produce milk even in winter.
A Lasting Impact
During World War I, John went to France for the YMCA. He then taught farming to soldiers. After returning in 1919, he worked for the USDA. In 1921, he became a professor at the UW. He taught farmers to treat their farms like businesses. He encouraged them to keep careful records to see what parts of the farm were making money.
John still owned his farm while he worked in Madison. He had other farmers, called tenant farmers, run it. He set up a special rent program where costs and profits were shared equally. This made the tenant farmers more likely to take good care of the farm.
John retired in 1930 and died four years later. His wife Vona and daughter Delma managed the farm until Vona died in 1973. Delma continued managing it until 1998.
The John Sweet Donald Farmstead was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It was recognized for two main reasons:
- It was connected to John Sweet Donald, who was important in Wisconsin's Progressive Era politics and education. Many parts of the farm show his ideas on how to manage a farm well.
- It is a good example of a farm from the turn of the 20th century in southern Wisconsin.
