Nearly all Township farms were operated by Pennsylvania German people. Their style of farming incorporated crop rotation and concern for soil erosion long before state agricultural schools taught the techniques. Hill tops were left wooded to prevent erosion. Logging was done selectively as needed.

Barto

Barns were designed to protect livestock in winter, to store fodder and bedding in close proximity to need. The thresh floor provided a space for threshing and storage of grain out of the weather. The resulting bank barn was a modification of the Swiss and South German designs. Many of these barns still exist today, including one which was originally part of Abram Barto's farm, shown at left.

Plenty of oak and chestnut provided the long, strong beams which made the sizes of the barns feasible. Built without nails in the framework the farmer avoided the decay that would result from condensation and rust on the iron nails.

By locating the granary in the forebay or overshoot, the seed was protected from the humidity rising from the livestock in the stable below the threshing floor. Silos were a later development but were made to blend in as well as to be practical.

The milkhouse was convenient to the stables. But, to prevent contamination, was not within the barn itself. Cleaning the stables was a thankless task but the care and frequency with which it was done was a measure of a farmer's diligence.

Cows

Though some farmers may not have admitted it, they tended to have a great appreciation of nature and certainly developed a healthy respect for God's world and the weather.

The barn swallow fastened its mud nest to the beams under the forebay. Its aerial acrobatics provided a fascination for child and adult alike.

Farmyard scenes fast disappearing include the line up of cats waiting for the fresh frothy milk, the farmer collecting the matches from the visiting tramp before allowing him to stay in the haymow for the night, butchering day providing an excuse to stay home from school, and the diligent search for eggs left in out-of-the-way places by the freely roaming hens.

It has not been all that long since "teams" were hitched to your wagon to take produce to town, not the description of high paid sports figures.

"Fields" were the source of your family's livelihood, not just the area for a ball game.

"Craftsmanship" was a way of life, not simply an application to a hobby.

"Neighbors" were your closest friends and ready helpers, not just the strangers living along your road.

Homestead Farms

For two centuries the heart and soul of the township's economy has been its agricultural industry. Many farms have been owned by the same families for several generations.

One of these is the Ehst Homestead Farm located on the north side of the township. The history of this farm goes back to the earliest settlements when Hans Bower settled in the Butter Valley.

In 1784 Michael and Francis Bower sold the 130 acre farm to Christian and Ann Moyer. In 1850, the Moyer's granddaughter and her husband, Abraham S. Ehst bought the farm.

Over the next 140 years, six generations of Ehst families have owned the farm. The present owners of the property are Abram and Margaret Ehst in partnership with Kenneth and Anne Ehst.

Ehst

The Ehst Homestead farm (illustrated at left) has 80 acres of tillable land and 40 acres of woodland. It consists of good limestone soil which drains well. On the property is a farm pond which covers an area of 1.5 acres.

The woodland property is located on the ridge to the west side of Route 100. This particular plot contains a variety of trees which occasionally are logged for lumber. Located in the woodland is a cave, a result of iron mining. At one point, the cave was used as a storage facility for apples.

Through the years the farm has been used for various types of agriculture. Most were involved in dairy farming, but other farm products were also grown. At one time fruit trees dotted some of the land but later were removed. Potatoes were grown in the early l900's. Today, hay and corn are the main crops produced on the land.

An important part of the operation in the early 1900's was a milling business. A grist mill was built and operated by John M. Ehst. The mill was powered by a water wheel, turned by water from the farm pond.

To make the water wheel function, the creek had to be lowered several feet. A number of men were hired to dig the creek by hand. In addition to turning the mill, the water wheel was used to produce small amounts of electricity.

On April 13, 1963, tragedy struck the homestead farm as fired destroyed the barn which had existed for nearly 175 years . The structure was replaced by a 200 foot cement block building which housed a modern dairy operation. This was used until February 1983 when Abram Ehst retired from the dairy industry.

Other structures on the property include a large two unit house consisting of two four-bedroom homes and a summer kitchen next to the house. Two other buildings, a smokehouse and blacksmith shop, existed on the property in earlier years.

Additional activities that occurred on this farm were butchering, black smith work, and the production of butter and cheese. Most of the milk was sold to local dairies, but some of it was sold raw to local people. In recent years truck farming on a small scale has been started. Fruit trees have been planted once again.

The Ehst family intends to keep the farm for agriculture. It is hoped that with the help of other farm owners, some of the prime land in the Township can be kept for the agriculture industry. Residents of Washington Township must find ways to support preservation of this land both for its beauty and for its value as a source of food for the present and future generations.

Excerpted from "CONTINUING THE VISION -- PRESERVING THE VALUES", the history of Washington Township prepared to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the Township's establishment. Copyright 1990, Washington Township Historical Committee.

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