Date Family Barn.....

banjoman09 · Aug 28, 2018

Not a tractor- but "Farm related". I think some of you may have alot more experience at this than I have. Our family barn , I think, was built in the late 1800's. I cannot find it in the cement footing- or scribed' on a board anywhere. Would my great grand dad not have dated it? It has a tin roof- but it first had a shingle roof...the shingle nails are in the roofing boards- they put tin over them when they pulled the shingles. Concrete footing; round nails hold it together. Im not sure when they switched from square nails to round nails in Kansas? My house was built in 1885- some say the barns are built first but I dont think this is the case- not sure. Any help would be appreciated .....thanks!

David G · Aug 28, 2018

Round nails would indicate 1900s to me.

kcm.MN · Aug 28, 2018

What you can do is, find the property abstract and then do some reading. Both this home and our previous home, we had a copy of the abstract given to us once the property was paid for. If you don't have yours, you can go to your local/county land office (usually at the local courthouse) and read their original files.

If the abstract goes back over 100 years, it's often compelling to read the history. I was never a big history buff. Reading the past on our places has truly been amazing. It was even logged in when someone would borrow a small amount (like $15) and then how long it took to pay that back, if they ever did. Most of the abstracts these days will likely start from a much larger area of land, then you can see how that has been divided and sub-divided until you have the parcel you have now.

Good luck.

JD Seller · Aug 28, 2018

Round nails came into common use in the 1890s to 1900s time frame. So I would say the barn was defiantly built after the house. The shingled roof does not really date it very close. A lot of roofs were still wood shingled up into the late 1920s. The fact it has concrete footings would also date it to around 1900. Much earlier than that they would have been laid rock.

So I would use 1900 as a good guess.

Old John in Ohio · Aug 28, 2018

I went to our county tax assessor's office with the same question. They were able to tell me the first year the original owner of this property paid taxes on a "barn".
In my case it was 1848, which agrees with our hand hewn, pegged, timber frame barn.
John

banjoman09 · Aug 28, 2018

Awesome- your barn is old and cool...pegged? I did go to the court house and in our county they first started collecting taxes in the 20's or 30's...atleast thats what the gal told me...1920's.

banjoman09 · Aug 28, 2018

1890-1900 would be my "guess" ...and the fact that I live on our "Homestead" means Great grand dad... was given this quarter in 1885- signed by Grover Cleveland. Its just one of those things I wish I knew and didnt asked my Dad before he passed on. I should have the Abstract - I will look for that. Thanks.

NEKS · Aug 28, 2018

That's amazing my Abstract was signed by Grover Cleveland also. What really is amazing my place is ten mile from my folks place. The place east of dads place was owned by a older guy named Mervin. Nice fellow. Got to reading the abstract on my place and it was owned by Mervin's granddad and when he died they hired Mervin (probably pretty young) to haul all the corn from the crib to town in the box wagon. Got paid 3 cents a bushel.

paul · Aug 28, 2018

A shed on my farm is older than the farm. Says so in the abstract.

My dad helped (or watched as a little one) his dad move an old RR lumber warehouse from the little village a mile away to the farm. The old shack was older than the farm.

It?s still standing use it too, tin roof, dad raised one side so 10 foot high stuff goes in. It actually was the big shed on the place until 1964 or so.

The barn is wood pegged and near the turn of the century. The granary is 1909 I believe. Still holds grain, just put the oats in.

Paul

farmerjohn · Aug 29, 2018

I?m in PA, I never heard of an ?abstract? is it like a deed?

moresmoke · Aug 29, 2018

Abstract of deed. It's a compilation of all the recorded deeds over the years for a parcel of property. Mine is quite thick considering the place was mortgaged almost every year for a while. When I lived out east, the deeds were written differently, referencing prior ones instead of having the abstract file.

mrslesq · Aug 29, 2018

"Most of the abstracts these days will likely start from a much larger area of land, then you can see how that has been divided and sub-divided until you have the parcel you have now."
That is very interesting, on my farm it was a couple 20's, 40's, and 80's combined until my Grandfather ( he did not do all the combining) had 320 acres. Which he then sold 160 acres to my Dad after he returned from WWII. When Grand father passed (I was 2 or 3 years old) the other 160 acres was sold to someone else. Fast forward to when I was 18, I purchased from Dad's estate his 160 acres and Grandfather's 160 acres (after several intermine owners). I sold 5 acres and the buildings from the south farm. Then it was all combined into 315 acres. This was back when land in my area was $5-600/acre. The then FHA and Federal Land Bank loaned me 100% of the purchase price. Not many years later up to 18% interest hit me and I got to struggle for many years after until I started to recover. Most others from that time period were sold out in very few years.

Date Family Barn.....

banjoman09

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David G

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kcm.MN

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JD Seller

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Old John in Ohio

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banjoman09

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banjoman09

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NEKS

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paul

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farmerjohn

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moresmoke

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mrslesq

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