O’Donnell/Randall century farm: A century-long legacy on Vinegar Hill

The O’Donnell/Randall Farm, located at 21711 Randall Drive, Houston, Minn., is a multi-generational family farm that has remained in continuous family ownership for more than 100 years.

The Century Farm program, co-sponsored by the Minnesota State Fair and the Minnesota Farm Bureau, recognizes farms that have remained in the same family for at least a century. The O’Donnell/Randall Century Farm will be honored at the 2026 Houston County Fair.

According to the Century Farm application, the original farm was purchased in 1925 by John P. O’Donnell Jr., who owned the property for 38 years. Ownership then passed to his daughter, Rose Mary Randall, who owned the farm for 47 years. Her daughter, John P.’s granddaughter, Rose Ann Laumb, owned the farm for 14 years. Today, the farm is owned by Jackie Baker, who has owned it for three years. Jackie is the great-granddaughter of John P. O’Donnell Jr.

Laumb did a deep dive into the family’s history for the Century Farm application, and her daughter continued her work and eagerly shared the family’s history for this article.

The O’Donnell family history on Vinegar Hill in Money Creek Township goes back roughly 150 years. It is one of the long-standing Irish Catholic farming lineages on Vinegar Hill above Rushford, explained Baker.

The first Irish pioneers in the family were Hugh and Margaret O’Donnell, who settled in Money Creek Township in the 1800s. Their son, John O’Donnell Sr., later operated approximately 608 acres in Section 17 of Money Creek Township, including part of the original O’Donnell homestead located on O’Donnell Drive, just off County Road 26.

John Sr. and his wife, Susan (Layne) O’Donnell, raised nine children on the original O’Donnell homestead, including Hannah, John P., Edward, Mary, Joseph, Katherine, Gertrude, George and Lawrence O’Donnell.

In the early 1900s, the two oldest brothers, John P. and Edward, purchased land adjoining their homestead, which is being recognized as the O’Donnell/Randall Century Farm.

John P. and his wife, Mary (Saunders) O’Donnell, purchased Edward’s half and raised their family on the farm. Their children were Veronica “Boot,” Rose Mary and Harold “Bud” O’Donnell. John P. passed away in 1960, followed by Mary in 1964.

Rose Mary O’Donnell married Allen Randall, and the couple purchased the farm in 1963. They continued operating the family farm until Rose Mary’s death in 2009. For 47 years, Allen and Rose Mary cared for the land and animals with pride.

The couple milked Herford cattle and raised hogs, corn, soybeans, alfalfa and oats. The farm was also home to chickens, ducks, sheep, cats and dogs. Rose Mary and Allen raised their two daughters, Rose Ann and Mary Lou, on the farm and later enjoyed having their four grandchildren – John, Angela, Jackie and Tom – spend time on the farm.

Allen and Rose Mary’s daughter, Rose Ann (Randall) Laumb, carried on the family tradition, preserving both the farm and the values that came with it until her passing in 2023.

Rose Ann worked countless hours to keep the farm clean and maintain its buildings. After the deaths of her parents and sister, one of her greatest priorities was ensuring that the family farm remained in the family for future generations.

She cared deeply about preserving the farm’s legacy and worked tirelessly to see that it would be placed in the right hands – people who would respect its history, values, and the hard work that had built the farm over the years.

Today, the farm is owned by Rose Ann’s daughter, Jackie (Laumb) Baker, and her family, representing four generations of continuous family ownership.

Today, Jackie and her husband Cory own the 200-acre farm. They lease the farm out, allowing it to remain in the family.

Many reminders of the farm’s history remain. Baker pointed out that the house, orange daylilies and a birdhouse can be seen in historic photographs. The original field road has also been preserved. The house is partially log and remains solid and well-maintained.  The original barn was eventually removed.

For more than a century, the O’Donnell/Randall Farm has been shaped by generations of family members who worked its fields, raised families, cared for its livestock, and maintained the land and buildings.

As the Bakers carry the farm into its next chapter, the Century Farm recognition honors those who came before. Their story is one of family, perseverance and a deep connection to the land – a legacy that continues on Vinegar Hill.