The aerial view of the farm in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, that was owned by Captain Benjamin J. Evitts in 1875, the location of which is shown on the map below, was taken some time in the 1960s when the farm was operating as the site of the Troutman Dairy.
The Evitts’ farm of 110 acres was located just north of the top of the hairpin turn in the Wiconisco Creek and west of the St. Peter (Hoffman) Reformed Church along the crossroads (name circled in red on map). It was in the southwest part of Lykens Township and was part of a larger grant of land to Nicholas Sins in 1779. In 1801, the land was patented to John Hoffman, and parts of it were sold off to the Willier family in subsequent years. In 1859, Benjamin Evitts purchased what was then a two-story log house, a spring house, a log barn and some outbuildings along with part of the 110 acres, the remainder being accumulated around 1872 through a purchase from the Willier family. The Evitts’ land in 1875 included a small portion extending into Mifflin Township, although that is not noted on the Mifflin Township map of 1875.
Following the death of his first wife, Sarah, in 1876, Capt. Evitts married the widow of George Garber. This second wife, Sarah [Geise] Garber Evitts had a small business at the western end of Gratz where she sold sundries and children’s shoes. At about that time, Capt. Evitts decided to sell the farm and move to Gratz. Franklin Beisel purchased the farm and he lived there for many years with his wife Adeline [Romberger] Beisel. After Franklin died, his daughter Katie [Beisel] Troutman and her husband James M. Troutman, came to live with the widowed mother. About 1902, the Troutman Dairy was established here.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.