Barn Fire

The barn that was on this farm was old, older than the house, I think. The house was built somewhere between 1875 and 1900, depending on who you ask, but a log house stood somewhere on the farm before that. I know the log house was started in 1851, and I would think the barn came sometime between then and 1875.

It was a bank barn, meaning that one end was built into the side of a hill so the second story at that end was at ground level. At the other end the first story was at ground level.

We’ve been told that this farm was a stagecoach stop. I’ve not found any documented proof of that, although history books do mention that the farm did have travellers stop to drink from the spring (which has since disappeared). But the structure of the barn would seem to support the theory, with wide stalls big enough to store carriages in at the bottom level.

Matt told me not to go poking around in the barn, because it was downright dangerous and unstable. But one day the wind had blown a door open and I spied an old wooden ladder inside. I asked him to retrieve it for me, and he did, but not without comments like, “What do you want this old thing for?! It’s covered in pigeon poop!” I cleaned it up and now it’s in our living room displaying quilts made by my grandma and great-grandma, and his foster mom. I’m sure glad I have it now.

On August 22, 2000 I was working in my office upstairs when one of those summer afternoon thunderstorms rolled through. There was a deafening crack of lightning, which killed my computer, and shortly everything cleared off and the sun was out again.

A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. In that understated way people in rural Iowa have, the guy at the door asked, “Did ya know your barn’s on fire?”

The fire department was called, not in the hopes of saving it, but simply to control the burn. Its dry wood and old hay went quick.

12:26 p.m.

12:34 p.m.

12:41 p.m.

7:13 p.m.