For Myrt Bowers and her family, the land west of Mount Vernon isn’t just acres of corn and beans, it’s a living piece of history. This summer, that legacy gained special recognition at the Iowa State Fair when the Bowers farm was honored as a Century Farm—a designation reserved for properties owned and operated by the same family for at least 100 years.
That sense of legacy reaches back to 1844, when Bowers’ ancestor Oliver Clark traveled from Ohio to settle along the Cedar River. One of the early pioneers in the Iowa Territory, Clark carved out a livelihood in a landscape still wild and unsettled, raising 12 children and embedding the family’s presence deep into the Lisbon and Mount Vernon communities.
“Our family has been tied to this land for generations,” Bowers said. “It started with hard work and determination, and it’s continued that way ever since.”
The evolution of the farm became more pronounced in 1924, when Myrt’s husband Bill Bowers’ grandparents purchased the 162-acre property for $15,556. At that time, modern roads were still a dream; what is now the Lincoln Highway was then just a dirt track. With the newly purchased land, the family’s main livelihood came from dairy.
“They milked cows and delivered the milk to Cornell and to Mount Vernon,” Bowers explained. “That was what sustained the family for a long time.”
The business of farming, however, has always required adaptation. By the 1970s, the dairy industry no longer offered enough revenue to keep the farm afloat. Like many small family farms, the Bowers had to change course. Today, the land is planted with corn and soybeans, tended by local farmers Jay Davis and his son, who continue the work with the same care and dedication as those before them. Even though the operations have shifted, the family’s connection to the farm has never wavered.
“It’s been passed down through the generations, and each one of us takes pride in maintaining it,” Bowers said.
The Century Farm honor is one the family has long respected.
“We’ve always known about the program, and it means a lot to us,” Bowers said. “We realize how difficult it was for families to start a farm and hold onto it this long. To be recognized for that is something we feel great pride in.”
To celebrate, the family attended the ceremony together at the State Fair, wearing custom- made shirts printed with “Century Farm – Clark/Matthews/Bowers.” They also received a plaque to display on the farm, marking a milestone for future generations.
But the farm’s significance extends beyond crops and ceremonies. It’s a place where traditions have been passed down like heirlooms, gardening, harvesting cherries from the trees, or the excitement of climbing into a tractor for the first time.
“You grow up understanding the value of hard work here,” Bowers reflected.
As she looks to the future, Bowers hopes the next generation holds onto the same values that sustained the farm through droughts, industry changes, and shifting markets.
“The biggest value is knowing the history of the farm from what it was and where it came from,” she said. “It should always be known as a farm.”
For Bowers, the recognition is less about a certificate and more about the story it tells of persistence, adaptation, and community roots that reach back nearly two centuries.