This is another installment in the “Before Blue Marsh” series, where I explore the remains of various properties that were razed in the 1970s to make way for the Blue Marsh Lake Project. See more here.

My ongoing Blue Marsh mapping project led me to the remains of the Speicher farm which sat off of Peacock Road. Most of these remains are only visible in the winter when the Army Corp of Engineers draws down the lake 5 feet. This farm was built in the mid-1800s by John Lamm, who owned most of the surrounding properties is well, including “Lamms Mill“, less than 2000 ft to the south of this farm. Lamm’s estate sold the property to Jacob Speicher in 1895, who passed it to his son; also named Jacob Speicher.

Part of a foundation that acts as a platform into the lake when the water is at regular levels is pictured below. Above is a Vintage Aerial photo of what the property looked like as an active farm in 1967. As indicated in the comparison below I believe this foundation is that of the small structure that sat directly northwest of the barn, perhaps a hog shed.

Below is an aerial comparison of the property from 1958 and 2018.

There are a few more outlines of foundations as well as pipes sticking out of the ground to the southeast of the platform. This is likely of the structure that sat to the southwest of the farm house. I believe the remains of the house itself are mostly under water even when the lake is drawn back.

After Speicher’s death in 1927 this farm was purchased in 1930 by Helen and Robert Skinner, who also owned and vacationed at the “Lambs Pasture” (Also originally a Lamm family property) a short distance north. They rented this property to Clayton Speicher (a descendant of former owner Jacob Speicher), who lived in the house and farmed the land at the time it was sold to the Army Corp of Engineers in 1976.