Now in its fifth generation, the Proksch Family in Stoddard is celebrating more than 150 years of family ownership.  In fact they've got documents that carry the signature of then President, Abraham Lincoln!
I had a chance to visit with Paul Proksch and his wife Jennifer, who along with Paul's sister - Kathy, are still operating the farm and discovering valuable lessons every day.

Here's more written history they supplied.

ANTON PROKSCH WAS BORN, IN SAXONY GERMANY WHICH IS NEAR DRESDEN, ON DEC. 15,1804. HE MARRIED A GIRL NAMED BRIGETTA,ALSO FROM THE SAME AREA IN GERMANY AND SHE WAS BORN FEB.28,1802. THEY HAD EIGHT CHILDREN, FRA MI'. ANTON JR., JOSEPH, WILHELM, LORENZ, EGNATIOUS (EGNATZ), MARY AND TERESA. 

ANTON JR. WAS BORN IN 1829 AND AT THE AGE OF 15 HE SAILED FOR NEW YORK IN 1844. UPON ARRIVING IN THE USA HE WORKED IN THE NEW YORK AREA AS A STONE MASON AND ALSO IN A POWDER MILL. URGED HIM TO LEAVE THE CITY AND HEAD WEST. 

ANTON SAILED DOWN THE OHIO RIVER TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND THEN HEADED NORTH ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO LACROSSE. FOR SEVERAL YEARS HE RAFTED LOGS DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI AND IN 1858 OR 1859 HE MARRIED MAGDALANA HAGENBART. SHE WAS ALSO BORN IN THE SAME COMMUNITY IN GERMANY. AT THIS TIME HE WAS ABOUT 29 YEARS OLD. 

THE VALLEY LAND NORTHEAST OF STODDARD, HAD A STRONG APPEAL TO ANTON AND MAGDALANA AND FOR THE SUM OF $250.00 THEY PURCHASED 160 ACRES WHICH WAS TO BECOME THEIR HOME AND THAT OF FUTURE GENERATIONS. THIS LAND ORIGINALLY HAD BEEN GIVEN TO A NEW HAMPSHIRE MILITIAMAN, CORPORAL PAGE ATWELL. A CONGRESSIONAL ACT OF 1855 MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR CERTAIN OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS WHO WERE IN THE MILITARY SERVICE OF THE U.S.A..

CORPORAL ATWELL THEN SOLD IT TO NATHANIEL MALBON, WHO THEN DEALT WITH ANTON JR•. THIS CERTIFICATE WAS SIGNED BY THE THEN PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN, AND STILL REMAINS IN THE PROKSCH FAMILY, THE PROPERTY OF DORIS OLDENBURG AND WILLIAM PROKSCH Ill.