Category Archives: Barns and Farms

An Octagon Barn

Posted on by Posted in autumn, Barns and Farms .

Somewhere between Ovid and Elsie I came upon this massive octagon barn. I am not exactly sure of the purpose of an octagon-shaped barn. The most well-known one in Michigan is in Gagetown. In the late 1800s, octagon-shaped houses were popular and I guess a few barns were built in that configuration also. I was told they were popular in the great plains states because the shape could withstand the strong winds better. I am not sure the story or history of this particular barn but it is a beautiful looking barn.

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A Michigan Mail Pouch Barn

Posted on by Posted in autumn, Barns and Farms .

This old barn with Mail Pouch Tabacco advertising painted on the side is somewhere near Otter Lake. West Virginia Mail Pouch chewing tobacco company started barn advertising in 1891.  Barn owners were paid between $1 and $2 a year for the advertisement or about $20–40 today. Besides money, they received a new coat of paint over the entire barn. Mail Pouch painted their message on one or two sides of the barn and painted the other sides of the barn any color the owner wished. Many of the barns were repainted every few years to maintain the sharp colors of the lettering. By the early 1960s, about 20,000 Mail Pouch barns were spread across 22 states. There are only a few Mail Pouch barns still standing in Michigan. There is a severely faded one in Saginaw County near SVSU and one near Hillsdale.

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Autumn Barn

Posted on by Posted in autumn, Barns and Farms .

A saw this old barn somewhere between Elk Rapids and Charlevoix. I don’t know any history or stories about it, I just liked it and stopped for a photo on a nice Autumn day. I have learned that when Mother Nature gives you a nice day in October to take advantage of it because there are not a lot of them and nice weather is in short supply until spring.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my posts I hope you enjoy seeing someplace random from around Michigan every day.

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Lost on the Dirt Roads

Posted on by Posted in Barns and Farms .

I was out roaming the back roads of central Michigan near Shepherd when I turned down a dirt road. I came upon this old barn and I had to stop and take a pic. I don’t know any history about it but I thought it looked like a grand old barn. My jeep gets a little dirty cruising along those dusty gravel roads but I do see some nice scenery. Sadly some of the dirt roads are smoother than the paved ones.

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The Barn Theatre

Posted on by Posted in Barns and Farms .

Between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek near Agusta, it is hard to miss this barn with gold-colored lettering painted on the roof. The Barn Theatre was originally constructed in 1943 by Robert M. Cook as a dairy barn.  in 1946 when Jack Ragotzy, Betty Ebert founded the Village Players and a few years later purchased the barn to use as a theater. It is Michigan’s oldest resident summer stock theatre. Such theatres use a group of actors who perform consecutive productions of different shows. The company has performed over 300 plays and musicals and played to over one million patrons.

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Out To Pasture

Posted on by Posted in Barns and Farms, Landscapes .

I saw these old combines sitting in a field on the back roads somewhere near Shepherd. It looks as if they have been sitting there a while. They remind me of the bull in the movie Cars.

Since I don’t have a story I want to take the time to thank everyone who commented on my post about hay in the Upper Peninsula. I never realized it was such a big crop and is shipped around the midwest. I am always amazed by what I learn from the comments.

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The Barn in the Soo

Posted on by Posted in Barns and Farms, upper peninsula .

I saw this old barn ( and truck ) not far from Sault St. Marie and I had to stop and get a pic of it. For those of you that have been following my posts for a long time, you know that I was raised in the big city and no expert on farming. I found it curious that most of the farms in the easter U.P. were growing hay. Where I live in central Michigan most of the farms grow, corn, beans, and beets. I was surprised to see many farms in the U.P. bailing hay. I am wondering what all the hay is for. Do they ship most of it for the horses on Mackinac Island? If you know please leave a comment, I am curious.

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The Red Barn

Posted on by Posted in Barns and Farms, Thumb .

I saw this big old red barn somewhere near Bad Axe. I grew up in the big city nowhere near a farm, but I do like these old barns.  Years ago farmers would seal the wood with linseed oil to help protect the wood from the weather. Many would add rust to the oil because it would prohibit mold and moss from growing on the side of the barn. The rust would give the oil a dark reddish color. As paint manufacturing evolved and became a better option for farmers many stayed with the traditional looking red color. At least that is my understanding of why barns are red and the prevalent theory on the internet.

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The Lawr Barn

Posted on by Posted in Barns and Farms .

This old barn is north of Glen Arbor in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. George and Louisa Burfiend Lawr built this barn for their farm in the 1890s. Louisa was the daughter of Port Oneida pioneer Carsten Burfiend. George and Luisa farmed their land until 1945.

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The House Down The Road

Posted on by Posted in Barns and Farms, Forgotten Places .

In my half-century of living in Saginaw, I have traveled to Bay City countless times. I can’t even tell you how many times I have passed by this old farmhouse and never even noticed it. I probably missed it because there was a large gas station that stood in front of it. Now that it has been torn down I saw this magnificent looking old wooden farmhouse standing back off the road. I am still surprised I never noticed it before. I guess when you travel somewhere frequently you stop paying attention to what is around you.

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