Bio: Boylan, James A. (Century Farm - 2011)

Contact:stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org  

Surnames: Boylan

----Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, WI) 10/11/2011

Boylan, James A. (Century Farm - 2011)

Century Farm -- James A. Boylan -- The Rolling Green Stock Farm -- James A. Boylan III is the third generation to own the family farm in the town of Longwood. The farm turned 100 years old last year in June, which now makes it more than 101 years old. The farm was bought from the Joseph Gibson family by James Boylan on June 8, 1910. The house was built in 1918 when the Gibson mansion burned down. Costing $5,000, which was a lot of money at the time, the house was one of the first to have an indoor bathroom in the upstairs. James was a very progressive farmer and an electric lighting system soon was added. It was powered by a gasoline engine and batteries, also known as a Delco system, which also powered the barn and early milking units.

The original 400 acres of the farm was a meeting place for local loggers. There are now 240 acres on the farm in which 90 consists of woodland for family deer hunting. When James II farmed the land, there were approximately 30 milking shorthorns that he bred to beef bulls and every so often would take a train car load of beef to South St. Paul to the stock yards. There were livestock present on the farm until around 1977 when James II passed away.

There are three buildings and a silo along with the house on the farm. The silo originally stood 30 feet tall when it was built in the 1920s. In the '30s, 20 feet was added to it, and it was the root of a lot of gossip. The townspeople would joke that low-flying airplanes would hit it because it was so tall. The original house still stands and is restored as it would be in the '50s, complete with a wood stove.

James is a lung cancer survivor of seven years. He takes everyday as a blessing. He enjoys deer hunting on the farm and also has a resale shop in Appleton called "Attique Resale" where he sells glassware, household items, etc.

Although there are not any livestock on the farm today, James and his dog Cinnamon love the farm and being out in the country and all of the childhood memories that come with being there.