The McGovney–Yunker Farmstead is a historic farm in Mokena,

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History

John McGovney was one of the first settlers of Frankfort Township, first legally acquiring the land in 1841. His son Elijah McGovney took control of the property in the 1850s and began to expand the property in 1857. Both John and Elijah primarily harvested corn and oats. The 1854 completion of the

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enabled the McGovneys to conveniently move their products. In the early 1860s, Elijah built a farmhouse and barn on the property. In the late 19th century, Elijah McGovney added a

chicken coop Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises poultry, domesticated birds such as chickens, Domestic duck, ducks, turkey (domesticated), turkeys and domesticated goose, geese to produce chicken meat, meat or Egg as food, eggs for ...

, well house, a

smokehouse A smokehouse (North American) or smokery (British) is a building where meat or fish is curing (food preservation), cured with Smoking (cooking), smoke. The finished product might be stored in the building, sometimes for a year or more.milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

. Following Elijah's death in 1921, the property again passed to his son L. Edward McGovney. He remodeled the farmhouse to conform with early 20th-century architectural trends. L. Edward McGovney only held on to the farmland for three years, as fellow heirs Fred and Carrie Yunker claimed ownership in 1924. The Yunkers added a few improvements in the 1940s and 1950s, including a hog house, cattle shed,

corn crib A corn crib or corncrib is a type of granary used to dry and store corn. It may also be known as a cornhouse or corn house. Overview After the harvest and while still on the cob, corn is placed in the crib either with or without the husk. The ...

, and open-wire corn bins. Two doghouses, a garage/workshop, and a tool shed were added in the 1960s followed by a metal shed in the 1970s. Edwin Yunker, the son of the original Yunker owners, worked to ensure that the farm would be used to educate local children about the history of Mokena. Edwin Yunker formed the Mokena Community Park District in 1958 and sold his property to the new entity in the 1990s. The farmstead was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

as a historical district on May 31, 2006.

References

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: McGovney–Yunker Farmstead
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcgovney-Yunker Farmstead Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois National Register of Historic Places in Will County, Illinois Houses in Will County, Illinois