A Family Tradition
By: Debbie Dickens
In 1862, when President Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, Major Colonel Henry Schell and his wife, Aman- da, took advantage of the Act and claimed a 160-acre homestead in the recently established town of Marys- ville, KS. In addition, he received a 20-acre timber al- lotment, along with 40 acres of pasture. Today, Jeff Schell of Schell Farm & Construction, Inc. is the fifth generation to farm that homestead. Over the years, the family has increased its holdings, adapted to changes in both the agricultural mar- kets and soil conservation practices, and today farms about 1,500 acres, raising corn and beans.
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