A local farm became Huntington County's most recent recipient of the Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of the farm's ownership by the same family for at least 100 years.

Larry Zahm's farm was one of 35 Indiana operations to receive the award during a ceremony hosted by Lt. Governor Becky Skillman on Feb. 19.

"There are only a very small number of families in Huntington County that can claim that," Larry says.

In 1873, Nicholas Zahm, a native German from whom many Zahms in the county are descended, founded the Zahm farm north of Huntington.

After passing through three more generations, the property came under the ownership of Larry Zahm and his siblings.

Eventually, Larry purchased each section of the farm to reconnect the original property.

Currently, the farm consists of 90-140 acres, and is leased to an area farmer who grows corn and soybeans.

The history of the property shows a few lively events. After Nicholas returned to Perry County, OH, where he lived before moving to Huntington County, the farm fell to Jacob Michael Zahm.

During Jacob's time at the farm, the original 15-room farmhouse was destroyed as a result of a chimney fire, which spread to the family's barn, stables and sheds. Jacob then built a home on the corner of Madison and Jefferson streets in Huntington, where he died in 1903.

After Jacob's death, the property passed to Louis V. Zahm. Louis lived in Huntington and eventually became the owner of the Erie Department Store.

Eugene Francis Zahm then took ownership of the family estate after Louis died. Eugene also lived on North Jefferson Street, and was a World War I veteran and an insurance and real estate agent.

The farm was then divided among Eugene's five children, and is now wholly owned by Larry and his wife, Kathy.

Larry says he has no plans to end the farm's operation.

"It will still be a farm for a while," he says.