Memories Of Old Barns

[Gordo 56]

Memories Of Old Barns
Posted on July 3, 2012 by Gordon Milligan

This is a post from my farm blog at http://milligansganderhillfarm.wordpress.com/



A picture of my mother in front of my Aunt Bertha's barn that I played in as a kid.


Every farm needs a barn, if your farm has a old barn that was built before 1960, I envy you. Barns to me say farm, and they add a certain charm and romance to the place. As a kid growing up in the 50′s and 60′s there were lots of old barns still standing in Iowa, sadly alot of the those old barns are no longer there. I had two Aunts who had married farmers and I loved going to visit them on the farm, and what I remember most is playing in the old barns. All of us kids, the first thing would would do after getting hugged and kissed from our Aunt, we would head straight to the old barn to explore. We loved playing hide and seek in the hayloft with the smell of well made hay, it always seemed dark and cool there. One friend of my parents even had an old jute box in the hayloft of their barn were they had barn dances on occasion. We learned a lot on those visits to the farm, we learned where eggs come from and we learned about sex, yes sex. There seemed to be lots of sex going on all the time in the barn yard and it was after one of our first visits my mother had to explain about the birds and the bees to us kids.


Part of My Aunts Bertha's Dairy Herd

So I have lots of great memories hanging around the old barns, and it is of these memories that started my dream of wanting to be a farmer. If you are lucky enough to have an old barn on your farm, I hope you take care of it, so it will be around for future generations

[Lady Tonka]

Our 110-acre farm had a dilapidated old barn on it when Dad purchased the property in 1959, and we left it in its state of disrepair to house the chickens, hay, and tools just fine. As kids, my brothers and I learned which boards not to step on and played games for hours in and around the old structure, which must have dated from the Thirties.

But my favorite memory of a barn is from our annual trips to Frenchglen, Oregon and the Steens Mountain area -- the Pete French Round Barn:

"It was here that cattle king Pete French trained horses during the winter months. The inside of the barn is uniquely made from juniper posts and lumber that was hauled from over 60 miles from the north. The round barn was built in the late 1870's or early 1880's, the date is not certain. The barn remains much as it was in Pete French's day with some minor repairs to the outside and roof. The family donated the Pete French Round Barn to the state of Oregon in 1969...Almost all the wood used in the construction of this barn is made from the local desert juniper. This is 1 of 3 historic Round Barns in the state of Oregon. This one's by far the largest."

Harney County Steens Mountain French Glen, Pete French Round Barn, and Burns





One year we were tent-camping around the area and a huge thunderstorm hit. It was already getting dark and the thought of setting up a tent in the rain and lightning was not a welcome prospect, so we parked our van on the far side of the Round Barn and snuck inside -- it was after visiting hours and no fences existed then. After a cold dinner, it was heaven to snuggle inside our sleeping bags and listen to the storm safe and dry through the night.

[whistlepig]

A friend at work brought in a book with pictures of Amish barns. Recently Amish barns. They were so designed that the hay was always thrown down when harvested. Down from the wagon to the loft. Down from the loft to the livestock. We almost bought a place with one of these amazing Amish barns but the house was so old and such a potential money pit that we passed. Some off these old barns are a miracle of engineering. I could never afford to have one of these built although I would very much like to have one.

[Gordo 56]

Thanks Lady Tonka for sharing your memories of the old barns of your past. I really enjoyed reading your story, thanks for sharing.

[Gordo 56]

A friend at work brought in a book with pictures of Amish barns. Recently Amish barns. They were so designed that the hay was always thrown down when harvested. Down from the wagon to the loft. Down from the loft to the livestock. We almost bought a place with one of these amazing Amish barns but the house was so old and such a potential money pit that we passed. Some off these old barns are a miracle of engineering. I could never afford to have one of these built although I would very much like to have one.

I agree with you whistlepig the Amish built barns are a miracle of engineering, I also wished I could afford to have one built, but will have to settle for a pole barn.

[QRTRHRS]

I used to purchase hay from a man that allowed me to go to his barn and take as I needed. The barn was a bank barn but not the German stone ender style. Including the stone foundation, it was roughly four stories high. To go into that barn full of fresh cut timouthy and alfafa hay was an aromatic treat for sure.

No doubt the Almish can build a barn but if you ever get a chance, check out the Shaker built barns especially the round ones.

[whistlepig]

Sometimes pictures of old barns are posted here now and then but not very often. I do love to see these old barn pictures though. There are no Shaker's around our area but there is a lot of Amish and Mennonites. I once priced an Amish built barn. They were way out of our price range.

[NHmitch]

We have an Amish Built Barn, stall row. It is built very well, and it was the largest row that they had ever built when they shipped ours. It ran about 14K, but they now make them for about 9K. This is a photo of it the day that it arrived two years ago:

[mjarrels]

I have a 140 year old barn, no nails to build it, just a bunch of hickory pegs. Biggest barn I ever saw was at NAS Whidbey Island. Dang vertical post must have been 6 x 6, now used by DRMO.

mark

[Gordo 56]

We have an Amish Built Barn, stall row. It is built very well, and it was the largest row that they had ever built when they shipped ours. It ran about 14K, but they now make them for about 9K. This is a photo of it the day that it arrived two years ago:

Your picture didn't come show up, could you try and repost it, I would love to see it.