April 26, 2003 First Interlaken Historical Society Barn Tour

The April 2003 issue of the Interlaken Historical Society newsletter provided the background on the upcoming tour.

“We have all driven past the enormous barns throughout our township and perhaps wondered their age, architecture, and current use. We have noted in the passing years the decline of the nineteenth century farming structure, and this became our impetus to promote a tour of these remaining buildings before they disappeared.”

With that goal in mind, Sally Hubbard and Bill Gates set out to find barns, their owners, and docents to be on hand to welcome visitors and tell the stories of the barns.

Along the way, they found “stalls, stanchions, and granaries have been changed little from their original design. Foremost, the structures were built to last.”

So what barns were open for that first Barn Tour?  

An English Hillside barn with hand-hewn beams.
Collection of the Interlaken Historical Society

1909 J. T. Wells & Son patented laminated arch free-span barn
with slate roof.
Interlaken Historical Society collection

A circa 1820s English style bank barn, used for cattle, horse boarding and training.
Collection of the Interlaken Historical Society

An early 1820s English type barn with Gamble roof. The thrashing floor, granaries and hay fork are intact. 

Visitors to the barn tours stated at the Farmers' Museum
and had time to look through the museum before going on to the barns.
Interlaken Historical Society Collection.

The last barn on the 2003 tour was a 1995 Amish dairy barn, which was selected for comparison with the older barns.

The 2003 tour was very well received with over 100 people visiting the barns, and in 2004 a second event was held. This tour featured carriage barns and horse drawn vehicles.

Dewitt’s Diary April 26, 1937-38-39-40

Monday April 26, 1937 Edna washed, I plastered on the dining room. Bunny H is going to paper it. Rev. VanWagenen died today. He was only 39 years old.

Tuesday, April 26, 1938 Finished plowing sod for corn, the second field up on the North side. A beautiful day. Edna and Francis went to Neil Gardeners sale today.

Wednesday, April 26, 1939 Rain. Shearing the sheep. Temperature 60 this morning.

Friday, April 26, 1940 Drew out manure around hen house. Went to Wilcox’s sale this afternoon. Plenty of snow up around Townsendville.