Oliver H. Kelley Homestead
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Oliver H. Kelley Homestead
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The Kelley Homestead in Elk River.
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| Location | 2.5 mi. SE of downtown Elk River, Minnesota on U.S. Highway 10 |
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| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Area | 189 acres (76 ha) |
| Built | 1850 |
| NRHP Reference # | 66000406 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966[1] |
| Designated NHLD | July 19, 1964[2] |
The Oliver H. Kelley Farm is a historic farmstead southeast of Elk River, Minnesota, It was once owned by Oliver Hudson Kelley, one of the founders of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. The farmstead is a U.S. National Historic Landmark, which also places it on the National Register of Historic Places. The farm is currently operated as a living history museum by the Minnesota Historical Society. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964.[2][3]
Contents
History
Oliver Kelley moved to Minnesota in 1849, the year that Minnesota Territory was formed. Although he knew little about farming, he taught himself using agricultural journals and correspondence with other "scientific-oriented" farmers. He became an expert on farming in Minnesota, and he learned how adverse events such as bad weather, debt, insect pests, and crop failures could devastate a farmer's fortunes.[4] In 1864, he became a clerk in the United States Department of Agriculture. After the end of the American Civil War, he toured the agricultural resources of the Southern states. When he returned to Washington, he was convinced that farmers' fortunes could be improved through cooperative associations with other farmers. Along with several other associates, he founded the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry in 1867. He later returned to Minnesota with the hope of organizing local Granges.[3][5]
The farm remained in the ownership of the Kelley family until 1901. The National Grange bought the farm in 1935 and donated it to the Minnesota Historical Society in 1961. Today, the farm offers tours by guides in period costume, who invite visitors to help out with farm chores such as picking vegetables, churning butter, and making soap.[4] In 2003, state budget shortfalls threatened closure for the historical site. In response, the group Friends of the Kelley Farm was organized to help raise money to close the funding gap. The Friends group also supports the educational goals of the site and works for the site's preservation.[6]
See also
- Open-air museum
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Minnesota
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Sherburne County, Minnesota
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. and Accompanying 3 images from 1969 and 1975. PDF (1.24 MB)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
External links
| Topics | |
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| Lists by state |
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| Lists by insular areas | |
| Lists by associated state | |
| Other areas | |
| Related | |
- Articles with dead external links from October 2010
- Farm museums in Minnesota
- Grange organizations and buildings in Minnesota
- Grange buildings on the National Register of Historic Places
- Historic house museums in Minnesota
- Houses completed in 1850
- Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
- Living museums in Minnesota
- Minnesota Historical Society
- Minnesota state historic sites
- Museums in Sherburne County, Minnesota
- National Historic Landmarks in Minnesota
- Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
