Anyone lived in one place for many generations?

[deerislesmile]

My ancestors settled "my" island in 1762, incorporated it in 1789 and we've been here ever since.

[TabulaRasa]

My late grandmother's house, currently in the conservatorship of my father, and shortly to be sold to my cousin and his family, has been a family dwelling since it was built in the late 1800s. My family has been in the township since the mid 1800s, having gradually migrated to the Midwest as unsettled land became available to homesteaders.

My family (we still have the same unbroken line in name, even) originally came as part of the Winthrop Fleet, Massachussets Bay Colony in 1628 - Puritans. They settled in the Boston/Salem area before moving westward about 200 years later, again embracing the farming they'd been employed in in England centuries before.

[Jeromeville]

In 200 years my family has only moved 50 miles. We are apparently slowly working our way west but not in too much of a hurry.

[amyjohi]

Originally Posted by BrokenTap

The farm I have has been in the family since 1757, that was when my Great Grandfather fought in the French and Indian War. He was pretty high up at the Luisburg Siege and thus the King of England granted him this farm for his heroics there.

When the American Revolution broke out, the family switched sides and another family member rose to an officer's position with Henry's Knox. Because of that, when Henry Knox was handed a large chunk of Maine as his reward, his friendship ensured we never lost the acreage the King originally gave us. We have been here ever since.

That is 9 generations, and 250 continuous years of farming which is pretty amazing for the same acreage. before 1757 we came from Cambridge MA and it was via the Mayflower.

Myself I have lived at two addresses. My Parents home, and then the home I built using the wood from the farm. Even now as I research my ancestors and read their diaries and logs, it's apparent that things never really change. We are still farming, still clearing land for cows and sheep, and still struggling to get by via farming and logging.

Thank you for sharing this...I find it very interesting! How fun to have a family with such great history!

[Wicked Felina]

Originally Posted by Jeromeville

In 200 years my family has only moved 50 miles. We are apparently slowly working our way west but not in too much of a hurry.

LOL, very funny ~

This thread is very interesting. Would those of you whose families have lived on the same land or nearby care to post pics of your land? I'd love to have an image to go with the stories (albeit very short ones!).

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by amyjohi

Thank you for sharing this...I find it very interesting! How fun to have a family with such great history!

All of "BrokenTaps" posts are very interesting and educational

[BrokenTap]

Thanks Mkfarnam...

Here is a picture of part of the farm in fall obviously. It actually goes against my better judgment to show views of this place. I know you want to get a sort of connection with what the farm looks like SeeBee, but a nice view and plenty of land has never been what farming is all about. It's about the next generation because without successors, their is no such a thing as success.

This farm is not mine as much as it is mine to manage for the next 30-40 years. My real job...my hardest job...is to keep this place profitable so that it can be handed to my daughter and her husband. If I do my job right as a father, I will instill in her the love of farming and when she gets that inevitable buy-the-farm offer, she will do the right thing.

[country pride]

Nope. The longest I lived somewhere was maybe 8 years.