Smith H. Mallory owned a great deal of land in Lucas County, most notably the farm north of Ilion house and its grounds. This farm, which an 1895 plat map shows stretching two miles north of Chariton's city limits, contained 1,000 acres more or less, growing during Mallory's lifetime to more than 1,200 acres, diminishing to 900-plus acres by the time it was sold during the First National Bank settlement. Mallory was a noted agriculturist, specializing in purebred horses and cattle throughout his tenure in Lucas County. Developing the farm into a commercially-viable enterprise, which he called Brook Farm, selling everything from eggs and butter to vegetables, fruit and fresh meat, seems to have been one of his principal occupations later in life, and he diverted his son-in-law, Deming J. Thayer, from civil engineering to farming to further that goal. Thayer was the farm's superintendent at the time of his mental breakdown, followed by suicide. At the time the following article was published in The Chariton Herald of 28 April 1898, Thayer was institutionalized at Iowa's hospital for the insane in Mount Pleasant, and his wife, Jessie (Mallory) Thayer, had taken over management of the farm. The article, obviously a puff piece, probably represents the farm at its zenith. It continued to operate after Smith H. Mallory's 1903 death, but had been scaled back substantially by the time of the 1907 bank failure. BROOK FARM AND DAIRY Owned by the Hon. S.H. Mallory and Managed by His Daughter, Mrs. Jessie M. Thayer Right in the heart of the blue grass region of Iowa, and just a mile from the flourishing city of Chariton, there is owned and operated one of the most noted stock and dairy farms in the state. Brook farm contains 1,200 acres, the greater portion being in blue grass pastures. The land is rolling, with abundance of water, and particularly adapted to the dairy business, which has been recently started and will be one of the leading industries of the farm. The necessary buildings have been erected and all of the modern machinery procured for carrying on the business in the most approved manner. Profitable dairying has become a science, and at the Brook Farm Dairy all the scientific methods are observed. Cleanliness and perfect sanitary conditions in every department is insisted upon. Careful and efficient employees are in charge. A more particular and exacting manager could not be found than Mrs. Jessie M. Thayer, and she will see that the patrons of Brook Farm Dairy are supplied with the cleanest, sweetest and freshest productions that any institution of the kind ever furnished. At present, twenty-nine high grade Jersey and Short Horn cows, all tested by our skillful veterinarian, Dr. T. A. Bown, and pronounced to be in extra healthy condition, furnish the milk and butter. The barns or milking sheds are thoroughly cleaned and white-washed, August Munson and Tony Swanson, two very reliable hands, have charge of the milking. The cows are all numbered and the milk from each cow is separately weighed, and an exact account is kept of the earning capacity of the different animals. The milk is immediately taken to the separating room. The milk for the butter department is run through the separator, which separates the cream from the milk. From there it is transferred to the milk and butter room where it goes through the cooling process. The room or building is situated about 300 yards from the barns and is connected with the cold storage. Here is where the choice Brook Farm Dairy butter is made that is getting a state reputation. Many other interesting and profitable enterprises connected with Brook Farm might be mentioned, among which is the magnificent orchard with 8,000 trees of the choicest varieties, that furnish the famous Ilion brand of apples known all over the world. Another enterprise is the farm garden containing 15 acres of land in the very highest state of cultivation, managed by Walter Plows, one of the best market gardeners in the state. Here all kinds of early vegetables and small fruits are raised in abundance and furnished in their season fresh every day. Another profitable and interesting branch is the chicken department, carefully looked after and managed by Mrs. Henry Stroud. Here the hen and incubator are having a race for life, in the matter of hatching out chicks, and the way the former gets in its work is certainly discouraging to any ambitious hen. One hundred and thirty-eight healthy chicks was the result of the last setting out of two hundred eggs for the incubator. We did not count all the chickens on hand, but would judge there was something less than a thousand --- so the Chariton market will not be short on spring chickens this year. The stock on the farm numbers about 225 head, including cattle, horses and hogs. Enough farming is done to produce grain to feed the stock. The reliable foreman, Wilson Kimsey, looks after the details and oversees the entire business. He has been in Mr. Mallory's employ a long time and takes a lively interest in the success of h is employer. Mrs. Thayer, the manager of this great concern, has an office fitted up where she transacts all the business and keeps the accounts, the superintendents of the different branches reporting to her every night the business done through the day. By this method an intelligent idea of the profits of the farm can be had. An elegant new wagon, built in the east, for the purpose of delivering the productions of the farm and dairy, to their patrons, can be seen on our streets daily. To show the character of the customers supplied by this farm, we mention the C. B. & Q. railroad. The dining cars on this road are furnished every day with fresh butter, cream and milk, also fresh vegetables, fruits and poultry. Brook Farm is a credit to Lucas county and we think it is not surpassed by any institution of the kind in the state. --- The Chariton Patriot, 28 April 1898