Excavating C.L. Schumm Pond

Problem: a low-lying, wet, unfarmable area on a farm.

Solution: a pond.

A reasonable solution, especially when your son-in-law has earth-moving equipment.

Back in the 1960s my Grandpa Cornelius Schumm (1896-1986) had a low area on his farm, located a little northeast of his barn.

His son-in-law Alvin Krueckeberg had the excavation equipment and turned that low area into a nice farm pond.

Cornelius Schumm farm pond, 2017.

Here are couple photos of the Cornelius Schumm excavation. Although I do not have an exact year, I believe the Schumm farm was created in the early 1960s. 

Excavating Cornelius Schumm farm pond, early 1960s.

Excavating Cornelius Schumm farm pond, early 1960s.

Excavating Cornelius Schumm farm pond, early 1960s.

My Grandpa Schumm standing in his newly excavated pond.

Cornelius Schumm standing in his pond excavation, early 1960s.

Alvin Krueckeberg (1928-2019) excavated other ponds in the area. One of them was for Ned Alspaugh in 1974, across from Zion Lutheran Church at Schumm, which I wrote about a couple weeks ago.

2 comments

    • Marie B on November 6, 2021 at 5:46 am
    • Reply

    … l’étang a-t-il été empoissonné ou est-il devenu le paradis des grenouilles ? Attire-t-il des animaux friands de milieu aquatique, des oiseaux en particulier des oiseaux piscivores ? Un superbe aménagement propice à la promenade… Merci pour ces images chère Karen…

    1. (Traduction, avec l’aimable autorisation de Google Translate. J’espère que ça se traduira bien!) Tellement agréable de vous entendre à nouveau! L’étang de Schumm est peuplé de poissons mais abrite également des grenouilles et des tortues. Les Bernaches du Canada aiment aussi s’y arrêter occasionnellement. Nous n’habitons pas au bord de l’étang Schumm mais nous avons un étang dans notre propre arrière-cour. Notre étang a été tué il y a plusieurs années et nous ne l’avons pas repeuplé. Notre étang est donc un paradis pour les grenouilles. Les hérons viennent ici pour attraper des grenouilles et une variété de canards s’arrêtent au printemps et restent parfois pour élever leurs familles. Des cerfs et un renard et un hibou occasionnels utilisent également l’étang. Merci pour l’écriture! Translation, using Google Translate, since I do not speak, write, or read French! [from Marie to Karen]: has the pond been stocked or has it become a frog’s paradise? Does it attract animals fond of aquatic environments, birds in particular fish-eating birds? A superb layout conducive to walking … Thank you for these images dear Karen … [from Karen to Marie]: So nice to hear from you again! The Schumm pond is stocked with fish but also has frogs and turtles. Canada Geese also enjoy stopping there occasionally. We do not live by the Schumm pond but we have a pond in our own back yard. Our pond had a fish kill several years ago and we have not restocked it. So our pond is a frog paradise. Herons visit here to catch frogs and a variety of ducks stop by in the spring and sometimes stay to raise their families. Deer and an occasional fox or owl also use the pond. Thanks for writing!

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