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By MildredBack in 1872, John Nicolas Specht wrapped the family’s savings in a blue handkerchief and brought his family by train to Cherokee County,csmvRYFARMUpon his arrival, he bought 122 acres of land from the Iowa Falls and Sioux City Railroad Co. for $944.This is the beginning story of the century-plus farm in Township in section 3, operated by Specht’s grandson, Adrian Rupp.cavned by the same family for over lOOyears •It must have taken a full measure of faith for this man to stake his fortune on undeveloped land in an undeveloped country in 1872. But John Specht had staked his claim on opportunity in America even earlier.IN 1878, he, his wife, Katherine Kellerer, and two sons, John Jr, 20, and Charles, 14, left their homeland in Bavaria, Germany, and came to America, settling in Milwaukee,. Wis., wherefather and sons obtained work.It is reported that after purchasing the land in June of 1872, Specht gave his remaining $20 to a neighbor to plant winter wheat. This neighbor was hired to farm 20 acres of the land and plant a grove. At this time, taxes were about 10 cents an acre.• After purchasing the farm, the Specht family returned to Milwaukee to continue with their jobs but returned to Rock Township two years later to farm the land and make theii' home. *. At this time, Specht built the first home on the farm land, a 14-by-20 frame building. This structure still stands on the farm today, remodeled into a
Newspaper Details
Cherokee Daily Times
Cherokee, Iowa, US
Thu, Jun 26, 1975
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Mid-Continent L.
MO, USA 20 Feb 2017
Other Publications Near Cherokee, Iowa
Cherokee Courier
Cherokee Iowa Free Press
Cherokee Iowa Independent
Cherokee Cyclone
Cherokee Daily Times
