Agriculture at River View Farm

By 1880, census records document that Hugh Carr had a diversified 80-acre farm. Using both horses and oxen to clear and plow, 32 acres were planted in wheat, corn and oats, as well as potatoes and tobacco. Supplementing these cash crops, Hugh Carr also kept a milk cow, four swine, ten poultry, and a half acre orchard.

Under the care of his son-in-law, Conly Greer, River View Farm grew the cash crops corn and wheat as well as hay to feed the livestock. Dairy cows, hogs and chickens were also kept. Eggs, as well as milk and the cream skimmed from it, were sold locally. Close to mid-century, Greer’s livestock began to reflect regional trends, focusing more on cattle and horses. Like his father-in-law, Greer turned his fields with a horse and plow and did not acquire a tractor until shortly before he retired as county extension agent in 1953.

The Field Trail of Ivy Creek Natural Area passes through what was one of these agricultural fields. From the overlook in the woods at the end of this field you can see the former location of Hydraulic Mills. In the woods to the west, downhill from this field and the Barn, Blue Trail passes by an old spring which supplied the farm with drinking water and served as a storage location for perishable foodstuffs.