Catalpa (Greenfield, Iowa)

Last updated
Catalpa
Catalpa Adair County IA.jpg
USA Iowa location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationSoutheast of Greenfield, Iowa
Coordinates 41°13′55″N94°21′37″W / 41.23194°N 94.36028°W / 41.23194; -94.36028
Area200 acres (81 ha)
NRHP reference No. 74000776 [1]
Added to NRHPNovember 13, 1974

Catalpa, generally known as Wallace Farm, is a historic farm located near the small city of Orient, Iowa, United States. It is associated with Henry Cantwell Wallace, who owned and operated the influential agricultural publication Wallaces' Farmer , and served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (1921-1924). It is also associated with his son, Henry Agard Wallace, who followed his father at the newspaper and served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (1933-1940), Vice President of the United States (1941-1945) and U.S. Secretary of Commerce (1945-1946). He was the Progressive Party candidate for president in 1948. [2] This was one of several farms owned by the Rev. Henry Wallace, Henry Cantwell's father. It was acquired by the family in 1877, and it was operated by a tenant farmer until Henry "Harry" Cantwell took it over. His son, Henry Agard, was born here in 1888. After five years, Harry returned to his studies at Iowa State University in Ames and the family left the farm at that time.

Contents

Catalpa was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 (as "southeast of Greenfield). [1] The designation includes the farmhouse and outbuildings, which are modest frame structures with gable roofs, and a 200-acre (81 ha) plot of farmland. The house and barn were built before the Wallaces moved here in 1887. [2]

Description

The house consists of a two-story rectangular structure with a smaller, one-and-a-half-story rectangular wing. Notable features include the paired windows on the second floor of the main section and a shed-roof porch supported by posts extending from the smaller wing. The original clapboard exterior has been replaced with asbestos shingles, while the roof retains what appear to be original wooden shingles. The extent of interior modifications remains uncertain, but they are believed to be minimal and characteristic of typical updates made to modest farmhouses. The house received a new foundation in 1961.

Located further from the farmhouse, within the original 200-acre Wallace Farm, are the original barn and various outbuildings. The barn’s wooden vertical siding is significantly deteriorated. [2]

Significance

This farm holds significant historical value because it is tied to the achievements of two influential Iowa figures in agriculture and politics. Henry Cantwell Wallace owned and edited Wallaces Farmer , a prominent agricultural publication, and served as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 1921 to 1924. After his passing in 1924, his son, Henry Agard Wallace, took over the newspaper and went on to have a distinguished career, serving as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 1933 to 1940, Vice President of the United States from 1941 to 1945, Secretary of Commerce from 1945 to 1946, and running for president under the Progressive Party in 1948.

This farm was one of several properties that Henry Cantwell Wallace’s father acquired in Adair County between 1869 and 1887, initially leased to tenants. In 1877, Reverend Henry A. Wallace moved to Winterset, Iowa, leaving the ministry to oversee these properties. It wasn’t until 1887 that the Wallace family began directly managing this particular farm. At that time, Henry C. Wallace, who had become disinterested in his studies at Iowa State Agricultural College, persuaded his father to let him run the farm. After managing the property for five years and welcoming the birth of his son Henry Agard, Henry C. returned to school to complete his degree and joined the faculty until 1895. The family's focus later shifted to their newspaper venture in Des Moines, though Henry C. continued to own a 280-acre farm near the city in 1924, with Henry A. owning an adjacent 40-acre plot.

By 1916, Wallaces Farmer had established itself as a leading agricultural publication, known for its advocacy against monopolistic practices and its focus on economic issues in agriculture. The farm is a key part of the Wallace family's story, representing their early experiences and the foundation for their later contributions to agriculture and national policy. [2]

See also

The following properties are associated with the Wallace family and are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Cantwell Wallace</span> American politician (1866–1924)

Henry Cantwell Wallace was an American farmer, journalist, and political activist who served as the secretary of agriculture from 1921 to 1924 under Republican presidents Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge. He was the father of Henry A. Wallace, who would follow in his father's footsteps as secretary of agriculture and later became vice president under Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was an editor of Wallaces' Farmer from 1916 to 1921.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McNary–Haugen Farm Relief Bill</span> Unsuccessful American bill

The McNary–Haugen Farm Relief Act, which never became law, was a controversial plan in the 1920s to subsidize American agriculture by raising the domestic prices of five crops. The plan was for the government to buy each crop and then store it or export it at a loss. It was co-authored by Charles L. McNary (R-Oregon) and Gilbert N. Haugen (R-Iowa). Despite attempts in 1924, 1926, 1927, and 1928 to pass the bill, it was vetoed by President Calvin Coolidge, and not approved. It was supported by Secretary of Agriculture Henry Cantwell Wallace and Vice President Charles Dawes.

Westphalia is a small unincorporated community in Falls County, Texas, United States, located 35 mi (56 km) south of Waco on State Highway 320. Westphalia has a strong German and Catholic background. The Church of the Visitation was, until recently, the largest wooden church west of the Mississippi River. Westphalia is mainly noted for its historic church and convents, but also for its meat market and for its annual church picnic, which is one of the largest in the area. Westphalia is also known for the Westphalia Waltz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilo Wallace</span> Second Lady of the United States from 1941 to 1945

Ilo Wallace was the wife of Henry A. Wallace, the 33rd vice president of the United States. She was the second lady of the United States from 1941 until 1945. She was the sponsor of the battleship USS Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McClelland Homestead</span> Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States

The McClelland Homestead is a historic farm in western Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located along McClelland Road northeast of Bessemer, the farm complex includes buildings constructed in the middle of the 19th century. It has been designated a historic site because of its well-preserved architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John and Edna Truesdell Fischer Farmstead</span> Historic house in Michigan, United States

The John and Edna Truesdell Fischer Farmstead is a private farm, including house and outbuildings, located at 4896-5228 Sheldon Road in Canton Township, Michigan. The 1897 Queen Anne farmhouse located on the site is also known as the Michael and Catherine Hasselbach Fischer House. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rentschler Farm Museum</span> United States historic place

Rentschler Farm Museum is a historic site located at 1265 East Michigan Avenue near downtown Saline, Michigan. The site consists of an old-fashioned farmhouse and eleven outbuildings, including a hog house, an equipment shed, a hen house, and a windmill, among others. The site is now a museum that serves as a tourist attraction, showing how farming has changed over the years. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Wallace House</span> Historic house in Iowa, United States

The Henry Wallace House is an historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was the home of Henry Wallace who was an advocate for agricultural improvement and reform. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property in the Sherman Hill Historic District in 1979 and it has been individually listed since 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luther College Farm</span> United States historic place

The Luther College Farm was built between the late 1860s and about 1900 on a hill overlooking Luther College near Decorah, Iowa, United States. The farm comprises a complete ensemble of agricultural buildings, dominated by the farm's barns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert William Andrew Feller Farmstead</span> Historic district in Iowa, United States

The Robert William Andrew Feller Farmstead is a federally designated historic site a couple miles northeast of Van Meter in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. It is the boyhood home of Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller. The historic district is 1.2 acres (0.49 ha). The Feller family farm was once 350 acres (140 ha) but most of it has been sold to other farmers and the current farm is 40 acres (16 ha). Feller sold the farmstead in 1955 and it is currently owned by Dr. Jose Angel since about 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hutzler's Barn</span> United States historic place

Hutzler's Barn is an agricultural building located north of the cemetery on South Manitou Island. It is the oldest remaining portion of George Johann Hutzler's homestead, and is significant for its role in the development of prize-winning Rosen rye and Michelite seeds. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hersey Farms Historic District</span> Historic district in New Hampshire, United States

The Hersey Farms Historic District of Andover, New Hampshire, includes two farmsteads belonging to members of the Hersey family, located on the Franklin Highway in eastern Andover. The older of the two farms, the Guy Hersey Farm, was established c. 1850 by Hiram Fellows, and has been in the Hersey family since 1904. The adjacent James Hersey Farm was established in 1833 by Alfred Weare, and was acquired by Guy Hersey's son James in 1945. The two farms encompass 325 acres (132 ha), and were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Farm</span> Historic house in New Hampshire, United States

The Lawrence Farm is a historic farm at 9 Lawrence Road in Troy, New Hampshire. Established in the early 19th century, the property has been in continuous ownership by the same family since then. Its farmstead, including a c. 1806 farmhouse, exemplifies the changing trends in domestic agricultural practices of the 19th and 20th centuries. The farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry C. Wallace House</span> Historic house in Iowa, United States

The Henry C. Wallace House is a historic residence located in Winterset, Iowa, United States. Wallace was the father of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Henry C. Wallace, Jr. and the grandfather of U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace. He was a Presbyterian minister who moved to Winterset in 1877. He bought this Italianate house in 1882 from H.C. Price, who had it built. He and his wife Nanie owned the house for nine years when they sold it in March 1891. While he lived in town he became involved with the local newspaper business and bought the Winterset Chronicle and the Madisonian. He would go on to be the editor of the Iowa Homestead, a leading farm publication in Des Moines, and found Wallace's Farmer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Field Farm (Ferrisburgh, Vermont)</span> United States historic place

Field Farm is a historic farm property on Fuller Mountain Road in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. Developed around the turn of the 19th century, the property includes an early farmhouse and barn, as well as outbuildings representative of Vermont's trends in agriculture over two centuries. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colonel Ephraim and Sarah Doolittle Farm</span> United States historic place

The Colonel Ephraim and Sarah Doolittle Farm is a historic farm property on Doolittle Road in Shoreham, Vermont. It is one of the oldest colonial farm properties in western Vermont, established in 1766 by Colonel Ephraim Doolittle, a veteran of the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West View Farm</span> United States historic place

The West View Farm is a historic farm property on Hastings Road in Waterford, Vermont. The farm is unique for its distinctive round barn, built in 1903 to a design by St. Johnsbury architect Lambert Packard, and surviving 19th-century corn crib and smokehouse. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. It includes a round barn.

The Luce Farm is a historic farm property at 170 Luce Drive in Stockbridge, Vermont. The farm was established in the late 18th century, and is a well-preserved example of a rural agriculturally diversified farm property. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pioneer Bluffs</span> United States historic place

Pioneer Bluffs is a historic ranch in Chase County, Kansas, located 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the city of Matfield Green. The ranch was settled in 1859 by Charles W. Rogler, who originally used the land for his farm. Rogler began ranching on the land in the late 1800s, and his son Henry rented pastures to owners bringing their herds through Chase County to market in the early twentieth century. The ranch is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is currently a public museum.

Groves Farm is a farmstead located at 6015 Sutton Road in Northfield Township, Michigan, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Joseph R. Hamilton. "Catalpa". National Park Service . Retrieved 2016-08-07. with photos