The Hilltop Farm has been in the Schmieg family since 1853, which is five years before Minnesota became a state of the Union in 1858 and eight years before the inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln and the beginning of the Civil War in 1861.
In modern times the Hilltop Farm is home to Richard and Mary Schmieg of Victoria and sons Ron and Mark.  In many ways the farm is also home to Barb, Paul, Cathy, Julie, Anne, and Dale, for the eight children and their families and friends are never too far from the place. 
The farm, originally 160 acres home-steaded by Johann Schmieg who emigrat-ed to America from Hachtel, Germany, in 1847, is situated on top of a hill just south of Victoria. 
From the pasture you can see the steeple of the St. Victoria Catholic Church in the near distance and the town of Shakopee in the far distance.  From the barn roof you can see Delano in one direction and downtown Minneapolis in another.  The kids know this from firsthand experience.
Visiting the Hilltop Farm and the Schmieg family today gives a perspective no longer encountered within the city limits of Victoria, a perspective that is also disappearing from the outskirts of Victoria.  One day, as annexation of Laketown Township is already occurring, the Hilltop Farm, which is about 100 acres today, will be included in the city limits of Victoria. 
Other acreage along Marsh Lake Road had also belonged to Uncle Alphonse Schmieg and Uncle Ben Schmieg, brothers of John and grandsons of Johann.  Dick grew up with over 80 first cousins!  Now the family-friendly gravel road separating the farms is destined to become a major thoroughfare for anticipated development and increase in local traffic.
The fourth and fifth generation Schmiegs try not to think about future development.  They simply take one day at a time and enjoy children and grand-children at their kitchen table or on the front porch of the old family home, a home filled with as many Schmieg memories as can pile up since it was built more than 100 years ago, in 1903.

Richard Schmieg was born in the Hilltop home on January 30th, 1937, to John and Gertrude Schmieg.  It is a little known fact that neighbor Anna Kelzer, mother of Clarence, came into the home to help with the delivery. 
Better known as Dick, or even Dickie, he has three younger sisters.  John and Gertrude worked and farmed their entire married life on the home place and sent their children to the St. Victoria Catholic Grade School.
"In the spring of the year we sneaked out of school and walked home," said Dick.  Escaping the classroom was appar-ently more fun than riding the orange wooden school bus.  "We called it a chicken crate," he said.
Dick then attended two years of high school at Guardian Angels in Chaska and abruptly quit.  "I told the nuns I wouldn't do all that homework, it wasn't necessary, and they told me not to come back to school anymore so I didn't," said Dick with the same determination of forty years ago.  "But I sure made a lot of friends in those two years," he added, "like George Notermann and Marvin Hartman."
There was plenty of work on the farm to keep the teenager busy, and he took up other jobs also.  "I worked part time at Victoria Lumber unloading railroad cars, and then I worked at the Sugar Plant in Chaska and the Ski Factory in Victoria," he said.  "They were seasonal jobs so I went back and forth from one to the other.  At the Ski Factory we did everything that was needed to get the skis built for the summer water ski season, including getting the wood curved and painting the skis."
"In 1962 I went year round at the Sugar Plant and stayed there for 40 years," said Dick, who received a plaque in recognition for his loyalty and longevity with American Crystal Sugar.
"At first I worked seven days a week there," he said, "and, boy, you didn't.  spend money then!  There wasn't time to spend money because you were always working.  I did farm work too."
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