June 5, 1950 Department of Public Works Barn Purchase

1950 was a busy year for the Interlaken Village Board. The fire house was remodeled, the Board sold the older firehouse and purchased a barn for the Department of Public Works.

Village Clerk Jeannette Martin recorded the minutes of the June 5, 1950 meeting. After noting the Mayor was absent due to illness and approval of the prior meeting’s minutes, a motion was made to purchase a village lot.

“Motion by Morehouse, second by Hildebrand that the Village purchase Lot #4 160 feet by 100 feet including barn located on Railroad St. from Owen English at a price of $1,600. $800 to be paid at once by check, balance by note (1 year). Carried.”

You may well be saying, “Okay, interesting. Is there more to this story?” The answer is yes.

Until November 1947 the barn stood on Orchard Street, behind the Catholic church to be accurate.

Interlaken Review November 7, 1947. The headline reads, “Stafford buys barn. Will move soon.” “The barn, that has stood for years at the back of the Catholic church, is about to be moved to the rear of the lot at the Hotel Goodman. Glenn Stafford has purchased it, and expects to move it over to the hotel to be used as a garage.”

From several of the other Snippet articles we know that buildings can be moved in total or taken apart and moved in pieces. In this case, “the barn is up on skids and within a few days will grace the hotel property.”

Since 1950 there have been two additions to the barn so that today there are four bays in addition to the original building.

Duane Waid shared this photo with snow and the DPW barn in the background.

Late 1950s snowy evening with the DPW barn.
Photo by Duane Waid, provided to the Interlaken Historical Society.

Dewitt’s Diary June 5, 1949 and 1950 

Saturday, June 5, 1949

Clear, temperature 85, cooler tonight. Very dry now. Some lawns look like middle of August after all summer dryness.

My field corn is coming up.

Went to ball game this afternoon. Groton 7, Interlaken 10.

Edward Hayward and I tried the night fishing for a while. I caught two on a bright moon.

Monday, June 5, 1950

Drawing manure today. Ground too wet to work on. Drew out 17 loads with the new spreader.

Junior B[assette] and I went trout fishing north of Willard. Junior caught two for the first for him. Weight three and four pounds.