Prince Homestead Quarter (NE ¼ Section 30)

This article is part of a series. To find other articles, see Some South Reardan Homesteads.

Prince Homestead Quarter (NE ¼ Section 30)

George Prince homesteaded this quarter. He occupied the land in March 1883 and completed the improvement requirements for homesteading on 15 Nov 1889, just four days after Washington became a state. This makes him one of the first five settlers in the township surrounding Reardan. In 1895 he sold to W. G. Estep, who in 1897 sold to L. W. Moody, who sold to Chris Janett, who in 1901 sold to W. H. Childs. John Mahrt bought the place in 1908 and it has been in his family ever since. It is not clear when the house and other buildings were built, but if they were built by Prince, they would be one of the oldest standing buildings around Reardan.

Prince Place around 1910

Prince Place around 1914

At the urging of her brothers, John, Fred and Henry Mahrt, William and Mary Koeller decided to move from Milwaukee to Reardan in October 1905. It was felt that the climate was healthier than Milwaukee where four other Mahrt sisters had died before their 30^th birthdays. They moved with their children Roy, Edwin, Emil, and Irma. It is believed that they first lived in the Prince house before moving to the Buckman place. They may have rented from Mr. Childs. According to family lore, the house was ‘old’ even back then.

While the Koellers lived at the Prince place, they boarded at least one school teacher for the Locust Grove School, a mile and a half away. The last teacher of the school, Evelyn Dobbler, married Edwin Plaster who grew up and lived most of his life next door to the school.

Near June 20, 1908, probably the Reardan Gazette:

LITTLE GIRL MEETS DEATH IN FLAMES

Adopted Daughter of Wm. Koeller Fatally Burned by Falling in a Pile of Hot Ashes

Evelyn Ferch, the four-year old adopted daughter of Wm Koeller, was fatally burned last Saturday evening about six o’clock, and death relieved the sufferings of the little one five hours later.

As there were no eyewitnesses at the time the child’s dress caught fire, it is thought that she fell on a pile of hot ashes and her dress caught fire in that manner. Mr. Koeller had been cooking potatoes for the stock, and after he had finished the task scraped the hot ashes out from beneath the tub and poured water on them. He did not have enough water to completely extinguish the fire, but did not think the blaze would start again.

Evelyn Ferch

He went into a shed and was mixing the feed for the stock, and as Mr. Koeller is a helpless cripple, the little child was continually at his side, ever ready to perform some favor for him. At the time the fatal accident occurred, the child had been sent back to the tub near the fire for a dipper left there. She was gone but a short time when Mr. Koeller heard her screaming. He managed to get out of the shed and seen the girl coming around the corner of the building with her clothes in a blaze. Owing to his helpless condition Mr. Koeller could not reach the child so called to the house for his wife, who rushed out and smothered the flames with her dress and hands. But it was too late, as the flames had burned the little one all over the body excepting the feet.

Dr. Dean was hastely summoned and everything was done to alleviate the sufferings of the child, but of no avail and she died that night at 11 o’clock.

She was a healthy and beautiful child and a great favorite in the Koeller home. She was born in Milwaukee, where her father and three brothers are still living, but they are unable to get here in time for the funeral which was held Tuesday.

Otto and Meta Mahrt (John’s son) lived in the house and farmed the land at least from the 1920’s through the 1940’s. Otto graduated from Reardan High School in 1915. Otto was left this quarter upon John’s death. Meta was a Wegner from another Reardan pioneer family. They had three children: one an infant that lived one a few days, Roger who was a pilot in WWII and disappeared over the south Pacific, and Helen who married Ed Kasten, a Lutheran minister. All are buried at Reardan. Ed and Helen's two children have both passed, Tim is buried at Reardan.

Prince Place around 2010. (Photo by Kirk Carlson)

Next on the farm were tenant farmers, Herman and Sylvia Ahlf, They lived there in the 50’s and 60’s until about 1968 and raised two boys: Ron and Ken. Two of Herman’s sisters, Edith and Estella, married two of Meta Wegner Mahrt’s brothers, Otto and Emil. The Ahlfs were also raised on the Davidson Homestead Quarter just south of Reardan at the base of the Reardan Butte.

The Nelson family rented the place in the early 1970’s. The barn burned down in the fall of 1971 where 'Spud' was raising pigs for an FFA project. Bob and Penny Piper lived there during the late 1970’s and into the 1980s. The house was insulated and the interior extensively remodeled. The house, buildings, and pasture land were separated from the farm land and sold around 1986.

This article is part of a series. To find other articles, see Some South Reardan Homesteads.