The Shriver family of Rochester received two Hoosier Homestead Awards at a ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse on March 21 for their farm being in the family for more than 150 years. In the front row from left are Benton McCulley and Emery McCulley. In the middle row are Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb, Stephanie McCulley holding Beau McCulley, Drew McCulley, Janie Shriver, Shayleigh Shriver, Maggie Smith, Beth Smith, Steve Shriver, Jane Shriver, Paige Chocholek and Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith. In the back row are Wes Scobie, Caleb Smith, Adam Smith and Ben Shriver. Not pictured are Christian and Tina Holford; Bryce, Shelby and Parker Newman; Jonah, Abby and Josie Jerrils; and Wilson Smith and Sydney Van Meter. Also not pictured is the late Jeff Shriver, who wanted to obtain recognition for the farm. Photo provided by the ISDA.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

ROCHESTER — Jeff Shriver had wanted his family’s farm outside Rochester to be recognized for being owned by the family since 1864.

Now, five years after Shriver’s death from cancer at age 53, his family has achieved that in his honor by obtaining two Hoosier Homestead Awards.

Shriver’s parents, Steve and Jane Shriver; widow Janie Shriver; sister Beth Smith; children Ben Shriver, Stephanie McCulley and Shayleigh Shriver; grandchildren and other family members accepted centennial and sesquicentennial awards from Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb and Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith on March 21 at the Hoosier Homestead ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse.

The awards were for the house and farm currently owned by Steve and Jane Shriver at 3304 N. SR 25.

It was Jane Shriver’s great-great-grandfather, Daniel Struckman, who acquired the land in 1864, clearing it and building a cabin.

Shayleigh Shriver, who helped gather history for the application for the family’s Hoosier Homestead Awards, noted Native Americans who lived in the area sometimes would take pies from Struckman’s home on baking days. She added they were afraid of Struckman due to his red hair and red beard.

Jeff Shriver

Struckman would die due to injuries from being attacked by a bull at the farm, as outlined in a 1910 newspaper article.

The farm would pass next to Daniel Struckman’s son, William Struckman, then William’s daughter, Ethel Struckman Smith, followed by her son Herbert Smith, who was Jane Shriver’s father.

Steve and Jane Shriver officially got the farm in 2012, though they’d been helping run it since the 1980s.

The farm covers pretty much the same acreage that it did in 1864. Though the original home no longer stands there, some outbuildings on the property do date to the 19th century.

Jane Shriver said beef cattle, hogs and crops have always been raised there.

Currently, Steve and Jane Shriver’s son-in-law and grandson farm the land, which they believe will continue in the future.

Shayleigh Shriver added she believed Steve and Jane’s great-grandchildren would continue on the farming legacy.

“I think all of the little great-grandchildren are excited to be in 4-H in a couple of years and keep the Herefords,” said Shayleigh Shriver.

From left, Shayleigh Shriver, Steve Shriver and Jane Shriver stand at the home on the family’s farm at 3304 N. SR 25, Rochester, with the Hoosier Homestead Awards they received for the farm being in the family for 150 and 100 years. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

Some of the history used to apply for the awards was compiled by Jeff Shriver when he tried applying for the state John Arnold Rural Preservation Award for the farm in 1996.

In a letter he wrote to that award committee, he said as a child he and his sisters “were surrounded by the history which permeated the farm” owned then by his grandfather Herbert and grandmother Margaret.

“As we walked the grounds, we were in awe of the large barns and their rough-hewn log beams,” wrote Jeff. “We examined the various foundations and remnants of the original frame house, summer kitchen, ice house, livestock scales and other outbuildings. We found unique outdated farm tools and equipment and heard in-depth explanations of what they were and how they were once used on the farm.”

Jeff also shared about hearing stories on the land and receiving an arrowhead from the farm from Herbert.

“A sense of what had come before me was engendered as I viewed the collections of arrowheads, which had been harvested, along with the crops by those who had previously worked this land,” Jeff Shriver wrote. “Each year, the collection continues to grow and I cannot describe the satisfaction and pride on my own father’s face as he shows off his newest find to his own grandchildren, and then adds it to the collection, thus creating a timeless memorial to the original inhabitants of this land.”

Jeff Shriver added later on in the letter that the farm “had been a home, produced row crops, livestock and love.”

“It has survived two World Wars, the Great Depression, acts of nature and numerous other local and world conflicts,” Jeff Shriver wrote. “The farm has provided each new generation with a livelihood, as well as a way of life. It has bound families and generations together in a commonality of purpose and pride. Not only pride of ownership, but more importantly, a pride and appreciation for the hard work and sacrifices made by those who came before.”

“I believe it is in this appreciation for the past that aids each generation as they work the land and strive to pass its rich history on to the next generation,” Jeff Shriver continued to write. “The world of agriculture has undergone incomprehensible change since Daniel Struckman first came to Fulton County in 1864. However, I believe the thing that would amaze him most is the blood, sweat and tears, which were shed by his descendants to keep his dream alive.”