In 1988, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture published a commemorative book, North Carolina Century Farms: 100 Years of Continuous Agricultural Heritage. This book provided a history of century farms in North Carolina.
Since around 1741, when one of the Abraham Lamm ancestors received a land grant from King George along what is now Black Creek (formerly Wayne County) at what is now Lucama, one or more Lamms have continuously farmed part or all of this original grant.
Tobacco, cotton, corn and livestock farming was practiced almost exclusively by the succeeding generations with time out for some of the men who served in the intervening wars. About 1875, Elias Lamm, my great grandfather, started a sawmill about two miles north of Lucama on this land to produce lumber for general purposes and to rebuild some of the damage left by the Civil War. He continued this business along with farming enterprises until his retirement about 1900. Future generations continued active farming including my father Ivey A. Lamm and his wife, Louisa L. Lamm, who expanded the farm size to include land formerly owned by all the descendants of my grandfather. They were also very active in home demonstration club work and curb market produce sales. They managed to find time and resources to send all their six children to college and to watch them graduate and go on to rewarding careers. They retired in 1960.
In 1956, Ivey A. Lamm Jr. returned home from N.C. State University. Except for service in the Army and a brief time teaching mathematics in North Carolina high schools, he has been farming full time. He was married in 1961, to Vivian Rose Johnson of the Smithfield area of Johnston County, and they built a home on this same land and raised two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary Katherine. In 1970, Ivey incorporated his farming operation and began a wood pallet manufacturing business under the name Lamco Inds., Inc. This includes sawmill operations and pallet assembly.
The Lamm family plans to continue these enterprises on this land, which includes 150 acres, part of which Ivey inherited and part he bought from other Lamm heirs, and part he bought in Johnston and Carteret Counties.
….
--Submitted by Ivey A. Lamm Jr.
Stories about other Wilson County century farms in the book include:
The Aycock Farm, submitted by Sally F. and Clarence D. Cook
The Boykin Farm, submitted by J.R. Boykin III
The Braswell Farm, submitted by Douglas W. and Dorothy L. Braswell
The Etheridge Farm, submitted by Carlton Ray Etheridge
The Kirby Farm, submitted by Roxanne Kirby Exum
The Lane-Thompson Farm, submitted by Mrs. Henry Travis Thompson
The Liles Farm, submitted by Jack Liles
The Morris Farm, submitted by Joseph Adkins
The Peelle-Scott Farm, submitted by Elgia Scott Farrior
The Price Farm, submitted by Beulah P. Price
The Robbins Farm, submitted by Marvin L. Robbins
The Thomas Farm, submitted by Hugh B. Johnston Jr.
The Thomas Farm, submitted by Eric Thomas
The Thorne Farm, submitted by Miss Minnie E. Thorne
The Whitley Farm, submitted by Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Whitley Sr.
The Wiggins Farm, submitted by Elsie B. Williford
The Wilson-Phillips Farm, submitted by Charles H. Phillips
The Yelverton Farm, submitted by Mrs. Wyatt C. Yelverton
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Sciences has identified nearly 1,600 Century Farm Families in North Carolina. To see a list of Century Farm Families by county, go to http://www.ncagr.gov/paffairs/century/location.htm.
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