’s
SPRING 2021
Today’s Farm
Rural Bigelow farm is Nobles County’s first to be recognized for 150 years in the family By Julie Buntjer jbuntjer@dglobe.com BIGELOW — Nobles County is now home to its first officially recognized sesquicentennial farm, and it’s in Bigelow Township. Matt and Alisa Russell are the fifth-generation owners of the property originally settled by Matt’s great-greatgrandfather, Robert Bird, in 1871, at age 35. Back then, the railroad owned every other section of land, shared Matt’s dad, Jim Russell. The railroad was charging a dollar or $2 per acre for the southwest Minnesota virgin prairie, but Robert wasn’t about to pay for land when he could claim a piece for free. A former Scottish seaman living in Pennsylvania, Robert ran a mule team for the Army and, once in Worthington, he hired someone with a buggy to take him out and show him available land. “When he came, the railroad wasn’t even to Bigelow yet,” Jim noted. “The No. 1 reason why Robert Bird wanted to be in the middle of the United States was
because he didn’t want any of his children to be sailors. He wanted to be as far away from the sea as possible.” Robert found his slice of heaven on earth in a 160-acre parcel three miles straight east of Bigelow. He put up a flag and sent word to his wife, Dora — a peasant working for a German landlord — of their claim. By the time she arrived, the railroad was completed and she was the first person to ever step off the passenger train at the Bigelow Depot. Following her instructions to the homestead, Dora — who lived to be 78 — had often shared the story of her arrival. “She said it looked pretty flat, but there were hills and valleys,” Jim shared. Since the land was all virgin prairie, the grass was six feet tall, and she was worried about what was lurking within it. “She would run through the valley and get to the next knoll and see the flag, then run through the next valley again.” Dora, 16 years younger than Robert, was just 18 when they were mar-
electricity — even though the REA hadn’t expanded into their neighborhood yet. A second renovation was done by Matt and Alisa in 2013. “We gutted the whole house,” Matt said. “It was all horsehair and pig hair plaster. The chimney was like the Rock of Gibraltar.” As the chimney was removed brick by brick, Jim said he felt bad about giving just one stipulation when he and wife, Cindy, traded homes with Matt and Alisa — do not tear the house down. While the original home was completely renovatSpecial to The Globe ed, the original basement Three generations of the Russell family gathered on the farm for this photo on April 11, 2021. Shown are Adam (from left), Nathan, Jim, Cindy, Alisa and Matt. — hand-dug by Matt’s Harry, Behind them stands the home were all six generations of the Russell family grandfather, during one winter in the have lived through the years. It was built in 1905, and renovated twice since. 1940s — remains. As for ried. Because she was a friend to the Native on their homestead while the rest of the homestead, used to having so lit- Americans. raising four children — Matt said four buildings tle in life, owning land “She didn’t have much, daughters Margaret and were removed in the last made her feel as though but she’d feed them,” Marian and sons Rudy 14 years, including three she was rich. shared Jim, adding that and Fred. The sons built hog houses and a stor“They never had a crop during the uprising, a a two-story, three-bed- age shed. Three buildings the first five years — group of Native Ameri- room home on the farm have withstood the test they had grasshoppers or cans killed some foes near in 1905, two years after of time for more than a century — the house, the fires,” Jim said. “(Rob- Lake Ocheda, but they their dad’s death. ert) wanted to leave and had strict instructions not The home was remod- barn (built in the 1910s) she said, ‘I’m not leaving to harm the family that eled in 1940 by third-gen- and a granary built some— I have a farm here.’” was always kind to them. eration owners Harry and time between the two. In those early years on It’s believed Robert and Evelyn Russell to include the farm, Dora became Dora lived in a sod house indoor plumbing and 150 YEARS: Page 6