This series of caches was put out to celebrate our ten years of geocaching. We have spent many hours volunteering at the Atkins-Johnson Farm and also wanted to celebrate this historic area.
The Atkins-Johnson Farm has only been owned by 5 families since 1824 and was purchased by the City of Gladstone in 2005. The property was listed on the National Register for Historic Places in 2007. The City acquired the abandoned Big Shoal Cemetery in 2009. The City and the Friends of the Atkins-Johnson Farm have worked to restore the farmhouse and the cemetery. The house is available for free tours Wednesday through Saturday, April to early December, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The farmhouse is built around the original two story log cabin. The walking trail and cemetery are available year-round during daylight hours.
Spend some time enjoying the serenity of the farm. Keep your eyes open for the deer, turkeys, ground hogs, and other wildlife.
Permission granted by the City of Gladstone.
Rudolph Schroeder
February 13, 1904 Warranty Deed $7,605
Book 136, Page 193
Mary Atkins, Jonathan & Fannie Atkins, John C. & Estelle Stone
Sell to
Rudolph Schroeder
The east half of the southeast quarter of section 19 except one acre in the southeast corner thereof conveyed to the trustees of Big Shoal Church; also a part of the west half of said southeast quarter bounded as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of above described 80 acre tract thence north 160 poles, thence west 10 poles, thence south 160 bounded as follows: Beginning at the northwest corner of said west half thence south 120 poles, thence east 53 ½ poles thence north 120 poles, thence west 53 ½ poles to the beginning. Also the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of said section 20 (all in township 51 of range 32) containing in the aggregate 169 acres be the same or less.
The above described lands constituted the home place of William H. Atkins at the time of his death – the above named Mary J. Atkins is the widow and Jonathan H. Atkins and Estelle G. Stone are the only children and heirs of said William H. Atkins, deceased, who died intestate….
Prior to this, Rudolph and his wife Annie Schroeder owned Lot 10 Block 7 in the town of Harlem. This is now part of North Kansas City, Missouri located southeast of the Downtown Airport.
Rudolph Schroeder was a truck farmer and grew vegetables, fruits and berries on a farm north of North Kansas City. The produce would be taken to City Market in Kansas City and sold retail and wholesale. According to Rudolph’s grandson, the Schroeders never lived on this farm. Rudolph had investment property and most likely used this farm for investment purposes and possibly leased to a tenant farmer.
In the 1920 Census it shows that the Schroeder family was again living in Harlem, Clay County, Missouri.
Rudolph sold the farm to Mary Johnson in 1920 for $21,175.