Wulf C. Krabbenhoft Farmstead

The Wulf C. Krabbenhoft Farmstead was a bonanza farm founded by its namesake in the late 19th century. Krabbenhoft immigrated to the United States in 1867, but this site which served as his permanent residence was settled in 1873 via the Homestead Act of 1862.[1] The farm operated for over 100 years and at its peak spread across 1,800 acres.[2] Notably, the farm not only provides a rare example of bonanza farming in Minnesota, but Krabbenhoft himself was one of the first immigrants from Schleswig-Holstein to take up farming in the Moorhead area. To this day, many people around Sabin can trace their ancestry back to this northern German state.[3]

The story begins with Wulf C. Krabbenhoft himself. Also known as “Fred,” he was born in 1847 to Wulf F. and Katharina J. Krabbenhoft. He was the eldest of twelve children, six of whom would immigrate to the Elmwood area.[4] It is unknown why Fred immigrated to the states, but it is likely that he fled to avoid being drafted into the military.[5] He arrived in the states at the age of 19. From there, he made his way to the San Joaquin Valley to start a farm. But California offered little in the way of success and in 1872 Fred decided to cut his losses and return to his family in Germany. However, he changed his mind when he stopped to visit his sister in Iowa. She informed that under the Homestead Act of 1862, he could acquire land in the Red River Valley. Upon learning this, Fred decided to give farming another shot and made his way to Minnesota. Once he arrived in Minnesota and started farming, he found greater success and assisted other family members who wanted to move to America.[6]

Krabbenhoft built a claim shanty when he purchased the area where he’d build his permanent home. By 1874, his immediate family had arrived in Minnesota, they took up residence in the claim shanty. As the Krabbenhofts purchased and improved their own property, the area around them developed. In 1875, Elmwood Township was given its name and in the following year, the Krabbenhofts started hosting religious services led by a traveling pastor near the claim shanty. By 1890, the Krabbenhoft family helped to establish the Trinity Lutheran Church. Until the physical church was built, services rotated households every so often, more often than not occurring in H.O Krabbenhoft’s house. H.O Krabbenhoft was a younger brother of Fred’s and also became a successful bonanza farmer in Clay County. He and Fred often worked together on their respective farms. They initially used cradle scythes before advancing to a horse-powered thresher which used 6-8 horses. They partnered together until 1895 when each was able to purchase their own steam-powered threshers.[7]  

Following the end of his partnership with his brother, Fred’s farm continued to grow and saw much success. He built a horse barn and later constructed a cow barn and a machine shed.[8] In 1901 a new Queen Anne style farmhouse was constructed for Fred and his wife, to accommodate their growing family.[9] Fred had married Marie Jensen in 1878 and together they raised nine children. They planted potatoes, corn, wheat, flax, and barley, and Fred was even able to hire some extra hands around the farm.[10] Further evidence of success is in the farm buildings themselves which were kept in immaculate condition, and the existence of a grain elevator. Constructed in 1911, and with a 12,000-bushel capacity limit, Krabbenhoft’s grain elevator was an unlikely sight on a privately owned bonanza farm as this was more commonly a feature of corporate bonanza farms.[11]

Fred Krabbenhoft passed away on May 14th, 1910. His death was due to a broken back which he received a few days prior to his passing when he suffered a stroke and fell off a wagon. He was 63 years old.[12] Following his death, his son Otto took over the farm and it remained in operation until the late 1970s. During that time the 3-4 acres that included the farmhouse, the barns, the machine shed, and the grain elevator were registered with the National Register of Historic Places. In 1981, Otto passed away and the farm left the Krabbenhoft family. Today the land is privately owned and the buildings themselves are not open to the public.[13] The land Fred’s family once farmed to the east is now owned by BASF Agricultural Solutions.

Even though the age of the bonanza farm has long since ended, the Krabbenhofts’ influence over the Fargo-Moorhead community still remains. Fred and Marie Krabbenhoft are gone, yet their presence can be felt in the house they owned. In 2004, the just over 100-year-old house had to undergo some basic repair and remodeling. While working on a wall, two sketches of a man and a woman were uncovered underneath some wallpaper. It is believed that these sketches are Fred and Marie Krabbenhoft. Rather than covering up the sketches once more, the owners chose to leave them uncovered in memory of the legacy of the Krabbenhofts and the history of the house.[14] So in a way, Fred is still there grounding this historic farm to its roots.

[1] Sabin, Minnesota, Centennial, 1881-1981: 100 Years. (Sabin, Minnesota. 1981), 90.

[2] Elsa Krabbenhoft-Radichel, Krabbenhofts and Kin: 1872-1949, 1972, 24.

[3] Mark Piehl, discussed at the HCSCC, March 2021.

[4] Elsa Krabbenhoft-Radichel, Krabbenhofts and Kin: 1872-1949. 1972, 23.

[5] Sabin, Minnesota, Centennial, 1881-1981: 100 Years. (Sabin, Minnesota. 1981), 89.

[6] Elsa Krabbenhoft-Radichel, Krabbenhofts and Kin: 1872-1949. 1972, 22, 23.

[7] Elsa Krabbenhoft-Radichel, Krabbenhofts and Kin: 1872-1949. 1972, 75, 70.

[8] National Register of Historic Places, Wulf C. Krabbenhoft Farmstead, Sabin, Clay County, Minnesota, Register Number 80002021.

[9] Elsa Krabbenhoft-Radichel, Krabbenhofts and Kin: 1872-1949. 1972, 24.

[10] Elmwood Township Agricultural Census. U.S Census 1880.

[11] National Register of Historic Places, Wulf C. Krabbenhoft Farmstead, Sabin, Clay County, Minnesota, Register Number 80002021.

[12] Elsa Krabbenhoft-Radichel, Krabbenhofts and Kin: 1872-1949. 1972, 24.

[23] National Register of Historic Places, Wulf C. Krabbenhoft Farmstead, Sabin, Clay County, Minnesota, Register Number 80002021.

[14] News@inforum.com, "Neighbors: This old farmhouse: Former Fargoans find hidden gems while restoring Sabin home, Inforum": July 11, 2004. accessed April 20, 2021, https://www.inforum.com/news/2739212-neighbors-old-house-former-fargoans-find-hidden-gems-while-restoring-sabin-home.

Elmwood Township Agricultural Census. U.S.A Census 1880.

Krabbenhoft-Radichel, Elsa. Krabbenhofts and Kin: 1872-1949. 1972.

Mark Piehl. Discussed at the HCSCC, March 2021.

National Register of Historic Places, Wulf C. Krabbenhoft Farmstead, Sabin, Clay County, Minnesota, Register Number 80002021.

news@inforum.com. Neighbors: This old farmhouse: Former Fargoans find hidden gems while restoring Sabin home, Inforum. July 11th 2004. Accessed April 20th 2021. https://www.inforum.com/news/2739212-neighbors-old-house-former-fargoans-find-hidden-gems-while-restoring-sabin-home.

Sabin, Minnesota, Centennial, 1881-1981: 100 Years. Sabin, Minnesota. 1981.