INDIANAPOLIS – According to family lore, when Jane Campbell Martin arrived at the land she bought in Decatur County, Ind., in 1825, there were Native American tipis on the hillside of the property.

Two hundred years – and several generations – later, Martin’s descendants still own the same 80 acres she purchased.

“(Jane) was the first settler to own the property in 1825,” said Adam Spillman, Martin’s fifth great grandson. “She was from Cincinnati, Ohio. We’re not sure why she chose this location. I think my ancestors would be proud that the farm is still in the family.”

The Spillman family was one of 95 farming families honored Aug. 13 with a Hoosier Homestead Award by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). The Spillman family received a Centennial Award (100 years), Sesquicentennial Award (150 years) and a Bicentennial Award (200 years).The awards were handed out during the Indiana State Fair.

The farm is owned by Adam’s father Lonnie, and Lonnie’s siblings Harold Spillman and Donna Spillman. The original 80 acres are leased and planted with corn and soybeans.

Adam said his family sought the awards because his grandfather always wanted the farm to be recognized in that manner.

“At first, it was hard to gather all the information (required for the awards) until we found the original abstract that had been in storage because my family was renovating the house on the property,” he explained. “The abstract stated the homestead was purchased in 1825, (but) the deed said 1826 because the closest land survey office was in Brookville, Ind., so it didn’t get recorded until 1826. It was signed by President John Quincy Adams.”

The original deed was made out of sheepskin and remains in the family’s possession, Spillman said.

The oldest building remaining on the homestead is a house built in 1931 by Adam’s great grandfather. A Revolutionary War Soldier – John O. Gullion – is buried on the property. Spillman said Gullion wasn’t related to his family.

The Hoosier Homestead Award recognizes the commitment of the families to Indiana agriculture, according to ISDA. More than 6,200 families have received the award since the program began in 1976.

To be considered for an award, a farm must be owned by the same family for more than 100 consecutive years and have more than 20 acres, ISDA said. If less than 20 acres, the farm must produce more than $1,000 of agricultural products annually, the agency said.

“I am continually inspired by the long-established farming families that are recognized during the Hoosier Homestead ceremonies,” Don Lamb, ISDA director, said in a release. “I personally know the amount of commitment and dedication needed to keep a farm in the family for 100 years or more. I thank each one for their devotion to the agriculture industry and their loyalty to the state of Indiana.”

Seven additional Hoosier farms were honored with a Bicentennial Award: Michael B. McConnell family, Gibson County; Chastain family, Montgomery County; Runyan family, Montgomery County; Robert M. Stwalley Jr. family, Montgomery County; Dobson family, Putnam County; Meal family, Rush County; and the Dennis and Sue Briggs family, Switzerland County.