BARNS

109 YEAR OLD BARN

BY R. AUBREY LA FOY

The history of our past should be preserved. Towns and farms of today are quite different from 50 or 60 years ago. Many small communities have almost ceased to exist and many struggle. The post office is probably one of the last establishments to disappear and we observed the many closings this past week. Farms have now become primarily grain producers. 100 years ago a barn was a must to store hay and house the milk cows. It is indeed sad to see a once fine barn slowly deteriorate, lean and collapse. Kids today don’t know the thrill of playing in the haymow or seeing the excitement of bringing in the hay and elevating it into the barn. Remember the horses pulling the long rope to put the hay up and in. Any kid that grew up on farm can relate to pitching hay down for the horses and cows. Do kids today even know what a pitchfork is?? We need to try to save and preserve at least a few of our past for future generations-Save the barn.

The big white barn directly back (south) of the Dickinson County Nature Center building was built in 1902 by Sam A. Holcomb. A news article in the July 18, 1902 Spirit Lakes Beacon reads, “S.A. Holcomb is building a barn on his farm 40 X 80, 16 foot posts. It will hold 75 tons of hay and furnish Sam’s stock excellent quarters.” It is a well constructed building with huge timbers. Some of the lumber was secured from the oak trees located on the property and the land across the road to the north. Another article in the Spirit Lake Beacon, February 18, 1901, “S.A. Holcomb will move to his Center Grove farm about the first of March. He will have one of the nicest farm homes in the county and have it stocked and equipped without a burden of debt. Sam’s many friends contemplate his property with real satisfaction.”

Samuel Anselum Holcomb is my grandfather. Sam was born at Castilia, Iowa, November 9, 1861, and my grandmother, Georgia Sperbeck Holcomb was born April 4, 1861 at La Crosse, Wisconsin. Both families came by covered wagon to the Iowa Great Lakes. The Lewis Holcomb family (Sam’s father, mother three brothers and one sister) settled on a homestead several miles east of Big Spirit Lake and the Sperbecks (Eight children and wife) homestead was on the east shores of Big Spirit Lake. The Sperbeck family came to Dickinson County in 1867 and the Lewis Holcomb family came in 1870.

The Holcomb family came by covered wagon drawn by oxen. Sam and his brother John walked the distance herding the family cows. The family lived in a sod dugout when they first came to the area. The Lewis Holcomb family lived in the area until 1885. Lewis was sheriff of Dickinson County in 1882. He was also engaged in a stagecoach line traveling from Jackson, Minnesota to Spencer, Iowa. He left with his family, all but Sam, first to Kansas, then to Oklahoma for the Land Rush. The families of Sam’s brothers still reside in Oklahoma.

Sam Holcomb, my grandfather, left home at the age of 13 to work at a farm in Diamond Lake Township where he also attended school in a one room schoolhouse. Later he worked in the Minnewaukon Hotel at Spirit Lake and two years in the Schley Hotel at Jackson, Minnesota.

Sam and Georgia were married on December 10, 1884 at the home of her parents James Sperbeck in Minnie (Orleans), Iowa. After three years they moved to a Diamond Lake Township farm and stayed there for five years. Leaving the farm they moved to Spirit Lake and Sam was involved in a livery concern with a Mr. J. Mott. Spirit Lake Beacon article, January 12, 1900, stated that, “Mott & Holcomb are now entirely out of the livery business. The firm will not dissolve, as they have extensive farming interests which will engage their attention. The relations of these parties with the community have been such as to make their movements of interest. The junior partner (Sam) came here as a small boy and has made a record for honesty and general good conduct. S. Mott came here in 1869 and is a good man.” January article reads, “Big Sale-Mott & Holcomb on Lake Street, 40 horses and vehicles.”

In 1901 they purchased the farm now known as Kenue Park. (North one-half of the Northeast one-fourth of Section Eighteen, Center Grove Township of Dickinson County) They also owned some land across the road to the north. The family lived on the farm from 1901 to 1905. While there as stated before he built the farm and other outbuilding for the use in the farm operation.

The Sam Holcomb family consisted of Sam, Georgia his wife, Freda, Ollie, Ferol, Charlotte and Jean. Freda, the oldest, graduated from Spirit lake High School in 1902. She rode a pony from that farm into Spirit Lake each school day and the rest of the children attended a one-room school that was on the corner where the Barns are today. My Mother Jean remembers sliding down the big hill (kane) directly to the west and south of the barn. She was born in 1898.

Sam earlier had a meat market in Milford so he knew the butcher trade. While living on the farm in Center Grove he continued that trade an during the summer months would get up early, butcher a beef, cut it into cuts, throw them into a horse drawn wagon and peddle the meat up  and down the east shores of West Okoboji. Ice was harvested from the lake in the winter and kept in an ice cellar. The ice was covered with sawdust and taken out as needed.

On March 31, 1905 the Dickinson County Supervisors met in a Special Session. “Members present were: J.T Webb, C.C. Gregory and W.C. Edmunds and County Auditor-C.C. Hamilton. Supervisor Gregory introduced a resolution authorizing the purchase from S.A. Holcomb farm for a poor farm for use and benefit of Dickinson County for the consideration to be $7,080.00. That we also purchase from S. A. Holcomb nine head of Aberdeen Angus Cattle, consideration $700.00”

The Board of Supervisors, April, 1905 session, “appointed Geo. Machesney as Superintendent of the poor farm for the period of eight months beginning April1’ 1905 at $40.00 per month. Also a garden was allowed by the board as well as cows and chickens. There would be milk, butter, eggs for table use. Each person placed on the farm to be boarded and cared for by him and his wife as conditions may require, the county shall pay him $2.00 per month per resident, bills payable for each month. Mr. Machesney was to have the management of the farm. J. T. Webb was appointed to purchase horses, machinery, feed and seed necessary to operate the poor farm.” The above information secured from the 1905 Minutes of the Dickinson County board of Supervisors.

Sam Holcomb family moved to Spirit Lake and later to Milford. Sam owned and operated several meat markets over the years. Sam kept the farm area north of Kenue Park and harvested many of the oak trees there. The Holcomb’s burned oak in their furnace in Milford and I recall going with my Dad to cut and saw up the trees. The area was also covered with gooseberry bushes and many times we would accompany grandmother Holcomb to pick gooseberries. Grandma Holcomb was noted for her gooseberry pies. Sam died in 1940 and Georgia in 1958.

Dickinson County worked the “farm” for many years producing garden produces: milk, butter chickens and eggs for consumption at the “poor” farm.

The barn my grandfather, Sam Holcomb, had constructed in 1902 is still in fair condition. Several years ago a metal roof was installed which helps preserve it. The 40 X60 white barn in Kenue Park is over 100 years old. The location in Kenue Park makes it an ideal place to preserve some of Dickinson County’s history. Save the barn.