A2O-Lancaster F
Arthur and Marian Relst enjoy collecting antiques such as this
front of the farm’s red-brick house.
(Continued from Pago At)
The farm was split between the eldest two sons,
Henry and Linnaeus, Arthur’s grandfather. Lin
naeus look the northern half of the properly, where
there weren’t any buildings. Within three years,
before Linnaeus was 21 years old, he had built a
tobacco shed, bam, and brick house for himself and
his bride, Susan Herr Landis Rcist.
“Susan lived on a noble and beautiful large farm,
Windam, consisting of 14 buildings near Millcrsvil
le,” said Arthur. “She came from a prominent and
old, established family having connections with
Hans Herr, the original settler of Lancaster County.”
Home built on wooded hill
Linnaeus’ family urged him to build his home in
the center of his land, but that didn’t suit him. “He
wanted to build his house on the northern edge, here
on the hill, which was wooded,” Arthur explained.
“You can see Lancaster, Ephrata Mountain, the riv
er hills in southern Lancaster County, Leola, and
Cannon Mountain in Brickerville. We give hay
rides, and people can’t believe that we can sec as far
as we do.”
The two-story red brick house was built among
red oak and tulip poplar trees, thereby prompting
Susan to name her new home Oak Lawn Farm.
The brick house now is home for Arthur’s son,
Arthur E„ and his wife, Rachel, and their family.
Arthur and Marian live in the white frame tenant
house that Linncaus built in 1878 about 300 feet
from the main home.
'Linnaeus went on to become prominent in Lan
caster County serving as a bank director, county
commissioner, county fair director, and a leader in
several agricultural organizations.
Susan and Linnaeus had three children of which
the eldest, Linnaeus L„ is Arthur’s father. In 1889
Linnaeus purchased an adjoining 57-acrcs farm on
which his son, John, a tobacco merchant and farmer,
settled on. Arthur’s father eventually purchased the
home farm in 1941. Anna, Arthur’s aunt, was a mis
sionary in Korea for most of her life.
Arthur’s father married Frances and together had
six children, and in 1983 the farm was purchased by
Arthur, who still works the farm with his sons,
Arthur and Alfred, who raise prize-winning regis
tered Belgian horses. The farm also produces tobac
co, com, alfalfa, and pumpkins.
Farmer-turned-author
In the mid 19705, Arthur put some Lancaster
County history on paper by publishing a booklet in
which he told the story of tobacco, specifically Lan
caster County-grown tobacco. Some of the book
let’s illustrations come from Arthurs’s collection of
antiques.
One year later, Arthur penned a history of the
Conestoga wagon, a subject he felt close to because
one of his ancestors, Jacob Heist, was a wagon driv
er accompanying the ill-fated Braddock military
expedition into western Pennsylvania during the
campaign of 1755. Arthur is fortunate cnought to
own a Conestoga wagon.
Both books arc available for purchase by writing
to the Heists at 1050 Eden Rd., Lancaster, PA
17601. The tobacco book is $5, while the Conestoga
Wagon booklet costs $6.
Antique collection
About 35 years ago Arthur and Marian began col
lecting antiques. While their collection is extensive,
it isn’t quite as large as that of Arthur’s relatives,
Henry and George Landis, whose, collection led to
the founding of thc Permsylvania Farm Museum at
Satur
December 9,1989
History-Loving Cou
sleigh, which rests In
pie
Landis Valley. Arthur helped to start the Sperry
New Holland museum.
At any one time, parts of the Reis Is’ collection are
on loan to museums. In adition, they rent out various
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Marian Relst displays a surveyor’s draft of the land pur
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