Bee Family Farm provides look at pioneer agriculture

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Family members at the Bee Family Centennial Farm near Wellington have been busy as, well, bees for the past few years. The current generation of Bees--the fourth in Colorado--wants to share their pioneer heritage with the public, and they are transforming the family farm into a history museum.

People from farm backgrounds will appreciate the old farm implements and displays showing early irrigation methods. City folks are bound to learn a lot about the struggles faced by early settlers in the area as they sought to eke out a living from the land.

Getting everything ready for the museum has required hundreds of hours of work. Over the years, Bee family members have saved thousands of items, from farm implements to cars to family letters. Now the family has dusted off these treasures, creating educational displays and making the old homestead house homey again. The goal is to give the public a close-up view of pioneer farming around the turn of the 20th century.

The farm is open for group tours by appointment. Next year, when all buildings have been approved by the county, people will be able to drop by without making appointments. A small admission fee will help with future improvements at the museum.

The long trek west

The first generation of Bees established itself in Larimer County in 1882, when John and Fanny Bee brought their family west from Glenwood, Iowa, by train. Two years later, Fanny's sister Lizzie and her husband, Al Morse, followed in their tracks, and both families established homesteads. Al Morse also worked for the predecessor of the North Poudre Irrigation Co. and helped build dikes for some of the area's reservoirs.

The present Bee farm was purchased by the Morses in 1894 and later deeded to one of the Bees' sons, Arleigh. The original Bee homestead was sold in 1902 to North Poudre Irrigation Co.

In the early 1900s, the sugar beet industry was thriving in Larimer County, and Arleigh dug one of the area's first irrigation wells--with genuine horsepower--for irrigating the beets. Arleigh and his wife, Selecta, had three children, and all attended college. Their two sons graduated from Colorado A & M, now Colorado State University, while their daughter graduated from the University of Colorado.

Francis, one of the sons, joined the family farm and started a dairy operation with a herd of registered Jersey cows. Francis and his wife, Sylvia, had seven children, and two of their sons continued to farm until recently. Over the years the family has raised sheep, dairy cattle and Limousin/Angus cattle, in addition to crops of beets, corn, pinto beans and alfalfa.

The Bees have also been active in their community. Selecta helped start a library in Wellington, three generations of Bees served on the board of what is now Wellington Community Church, and Francis and his son Bob both served as president of the Larimer County Farm Bureau. In 1984, Francis received the Colorado Farm Bureau distinguished service award.

The Bee farm was designated a Centennial farm in 1994 by the Colorado Historical Society. That event spurred the interest of Elizabeth Harrison, daughter of Francis and Sylvia, to share the history of the farm with the public. In 2002, the farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

An important part of the Bee farming museum is the two-room homestead house built in 1894 by Al and Lizzie Morse. Used as a storage shed for 40 years, it has been completely refurbished and provides a cozy glimpse into domestic life of 100 years ago. Among the many artifacts on display are a pedal sewing machine, the potbelly stove that warmed the pioneer family, old family photos and an antique baby bed.

The transportation exhibit at the farm includes a 1947 Chevy coupe that belonged to the third generation of Bees. Francis traded the car for a station wagon to accommodate his large family, but the Chevy wasn't gone for long. Francis' father, Arleigh, complained and asked where "his" car was, so Francis high-tailed it back to town and repurchased the coupe.

Old farm equipment on display at the farm includes a grain drill, planter, harrow and horse-drawn plow, as well as several tractors and a 1945 Chevy truck that was used for hauling hay and beets.

The machine shop is also open to the public and is used to display blacksmith tools such as an anvil, forge and grindstone. Other restored buildings include the old milk barn and a primitive house for migrant workers. All displays are accompanied by explanations of pioneer agricultural methods.

The Bee Family Centennial Farm is a nonprofit organization. As money is raised, family members hope to create a gift shop and picnic area. They also plan to have live animals at the farmstead and to offer tractor-drawn wagon rides. Teachers are encouraged to bring their classes there on field trips.

The farm is located at 4320 E. County Road 58, just east of Interstate 25. For more information about farm tours, call 482-9168 or visit www.beefamilyfarm.org.