Thoreson Farm

History

The Thoreson Farm was originally homesteaded in 1856 by William Foster. Nothing more is known of Mr. Foster except that he sold the land to Thomas Kelderhouse, the lumberman who owned much of Port Oneida. After clearing the timber from the land, Mr. Kelderhouse in 1881 sold it to Norwegian immigrants John and Frederick Anderson, who lived in log homes with their families and developed farmsteads.

Meanwhile, fellow Norwegians John Thoreson and Ingeboad Sakariasdatter had immigrated in 1877. Family lore has it that they crossed the Atlantic on the same boat, but did not know one another until they settled in Leelanau County, where they married and settled in Suttons Bay. After adding six children to their family, John and Ingeboad migrated across the county to Port Oneida, where they bought the Anderson farms in 1901.

In 1910 John and his son Fred replaced the Andersons™ log house with the frame structure that remains. They added the existing timber frame barn to the Andersons™ small log barn. The Thoreson’s built most of the existing structures themselves. Ole Thoreson eventually succeeded his father as owner of the farm, operating a general dairy operation typical of the Port Oneida area. He supplemented his income by selling McNess products (spices, salves, etc.) out of his car, along with farm produce.

After Ole suffered a stroke and injuries from falling in his orchard, his son Leonard largely took over. However, after running the farm for a year and realizing a net profit of $700, Leonard concluded that there were better ways to make a living. The farm was sold to Arthur Huey in 1958, who rented out the house and grew hay for his horse riding stable.

In 1979 Mr. Huey sold the farm to the National Park Service. Since 2001, the Park Service has annually granted the Glen Arbor Art Association a Special Use Permit allowing the Association to use the facilities for workshops, exhibits, concerts, and other arts-related activities. GAAA has done much to restore the farmstead to its historic condition, and continues to improve and maintain the facility pending a longer term agreement with the Park.

Photo Gallery/Preservation Projects

CLICK PHOTOS FOR LARGER VIEW!

INTERVIEW VIDEO WITH LEONARD THORESON