The history of Detwiler Farm begins in 1838 when Jacob and Catherine Ziegler Nold of Leetonia bought 60 acres which is the main part of the farm. Over the next several years another 37 acres were added.
In 1851 Jacob and Catherine’s daughter, Barbara Nold, married Samuel Detwiler. They moved into a log cabin that was already on the farm. Here they began raising a family that eventually grew to ten children. At the same time they were improving the farm, clearing land and building buildings. In 1857 Samuel and Barbara purchased the farm from her parents. By 1860 they had a large flock of sheep and a small herd of dairy cattle. In 1861 they built the large brick house to replace the log cabin.
In the 1890’s Samuel and Barbara’s youngest son, Henry, and his wife, Clara, took over the farm. It evolved into a dairy farm with a herd of registered Holstein cattle. In 1913 Henry built a new barn to replace the barn that was probably built in the 1850’s. The old barn was moved to a neighboring farm where it still stands today. Henry also raised fruits and vegetables and sold them in downtown Youngstown at a farmer’s market near the courthouse.
When Henry died in 1931 his youngest son, Maurice (Bud) was only 16. Maurice dropped out of school and helped his mother run the farm. They continued milking cows and selling produce in Youngstown through the depression and WWII. In 1946 Maurice bought the farm from Clara and later that year married Victoria Lowe of Clearwater, Florida. Maurice sold the cattle and concentrated on raising produce and grain farming. For many years they ran a farm market and had many “pick your own” vegetables.
In 1986 Maurice and Victoria sold most of the farm to their youngest son Sam and his wife Monica. We currently raise pumpkins and other fall decorations along with 100 acres of grain on the original farm and some additional rented ground. Every fall we open our farm to the public for hayrides, pumpkin picking, and mazes so families have a chance to enjoy fall in the country.
In 2016, the Ohio Department of Agriculture recognized Detwiler Farm as an Ohio Sesquicentennial Farm for being in the same family for more than 150 years.
