Page 10 - Wayne Dispatch Pages

Farming life in Wayne

Back in the 1820s and 30s most
of the area immediately outside the
few downtown streets was originally
settled as 40 - 80 acre farms. This
land was mostly wooded with white
and yellow oak with some poplar
mixed in. The original landowners
would have to cut the trees, pull or
burn the stumps and do something
with the wood. for other food and commodities.
The first sawmill in Wayne was The barter system was strong
built in 1832 along the Rouge, just here, as evidenced by an 1847 letter
west of the present Wayne Road from the Hall family where they men-
bridge, so that was one option. When tioned trading corn for apples, and
the railroad came through Wayne in one of the young daughters saving up
1838 farmers could also sell the money for cloth by selling butter and Harvest time at the first sawmill in Wayne. Photo courtesy of The Wayne Historical Museum
wood they had cleared to them for a loaves of bread to the general store. bush, a place to tap maple trees to into sugar. Peppermint oil also be-
decent price. After clearing the land, Disease was a constant worry, collect sap, boil it and get maple came a hot commodity in the 1890s,
nearly everyone would plant an or- "Ague" (malaria), was rampant sugar. About 500 pounds of maple one farmer Mr. Newkirk was re-
chard of pear and apple trees, as around here due to the poor sugar was made here per year in the ported to have shipped 5,200
these would take many years to ma- drainage. The Halls had Ague nearly 1850s, and the practice continued pounds of peppermint oil in one
ture. every year in the late 1840s, as well into the 1900s. month.
Wheat, sheep and corn became as an outbreak of meningitis and tu- After the Civil War farmers began Traditional farmers growing
the biggest cash crops for early set- berculosis that had hit the town. to diversify into new specialty crops. grains also had improvements as the
tlers. Everyone would have a milk By the 1850s the average farm Tobacco was grown here for the first first grist mill was built in Wayne in
cow or two, and some hens for eggs. here in Wayne would have 2-4 time, and Wayne even had a few 1870, so farmers didn't have to haul
Women and children would usually horses, 2-4 milk cows, 2 oxen, 20-80 small cigar makers selling locally the crop to Ann Arbor or Detroit to
manage a kitchen garden near the sheep, and 3-5 pigs. Potatoes be- made product. grind and sell. This mill burned
house growing other vegetables and came a popular crop, as well as a lit- Eventually sugar beets also be- down in 1885 and was replaced with
fruits. Women would also often tle rye and oats. Around 1/4 of came a major staple to grow on the
make butter and sell it, or trade it farmers would also have a sugar farms, as these would be processed See Memory, page 14

10 · April 2025 · The Wayne Dispatch