Records show that abstract of title to all of Section 3146-58, were filed in 1883.
Built on the land originally was a small three-room house, which had been put up in the late 1800's. Sells added on to the original house in 1904. This is the present Paulsen home, a four-bedroom, two-story frame structure.
In 1946 Jens and Mary Paulsen of Finley, North Dakota, bought the farm. They rented it to their daughter and son-in-law, Joe and Nina Stair, now of Denbigh, North Dakota
The Ben Paulsen family came to Finley, North Dakota, April 5, 1948, moving their belongings from Wyoming by train and a van.
Ben, Elizabeth, Lyle, Richard and Marian moved to a farm near what was known as the Sherbrooke area in Steele County.
In 1952 the family moved to the farm in Washburn Township, seven miles northeast of Cooperstown.
Ben had grown up on a farm three miles east of Finley, North Dakota His wife, Elizabeth, had been raised on a farm near Agency, Missouri. They met and married in Wyoming.
Elizabeth had two sons by a former marriage. Her eldest son, Delmer Lyle Piggott, married Freddra Rose Burr, granddaughter of the late Dr. Fred Rose, a Cooperstown dentist for many years. They have two children, Rebecca Marie and Cynthia Ruth Melissa.
The second son, Lewis Richard Piggott, lives in Kellogg, Idaho. He married the former Eleonore Kraft, in Germany. They have two children, Elizabeth and Donald Richard.
Ben and Elizabeth's oldest daughter is Marian Kathleen, born in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She is an Englis her husband, Montie A. Tesky, is formerly of Venturia, North Dakota. They have one son, Brant.
Janet Fay Paulsen, youngest of the four children, was born at Cooperstown and married Steven F. Zimprich of Cooperstown. They have two children, Kelly James and Sarah Thearesia. Steve and Janet live on the home farm where Steve farms with his father-in-law.
For years, previous to 1952, sheep were raised on the farm. From 1952 until 1957 the farm sustained a herd of Milking -Shorthorn cattle, but scarcity of water and more land put into grain eventually resulted in their sale.
From 1957, for the next 17 years, the Paulsens raised turkeys on the farm, providing their water from many shallow wells. In 1974 a water line was run 9,500 feet to the Sheyenne River at a cost of about $15,000; providing potentially 125 gallons per minute of good drinking water.
The first year, the turkey investment amounted to only $1,000. But through the years, three turkey sheds were added and flocks, while they varied in number each year, increased to as high as 25, 000 in one year.
On June 13, 1974, a fire caused the brooding barn for the turkeys to burn down. In 1975 turkey farming was discontinued.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 488