Highway 30 Barn Tour and Picnic

Clinton County

The Campbell barn was built in the early 1900’s. Earl Campbell purchased the site in 1952 and with friends used a dragline and dynamite to dig out adjoining feed lot and a large basement. Each summer Earl and neighbors bought a load of sheep from the West. The western sheep were not familiar with corn and were turned loose in early fall to eat the foxtail and lower corn leaves prior to corn harvest. This helped farmers because there was little "trash" to plug the corn picker. A fourth generation of Campbells is farming the land.

This lovely well-kept barn is just off Highway 30 between Dewitt and Grand Mound. Barn has glass bowl fire extinguishers. The farm was named for original maple grove that surrounded log cabin before barn was built. A photo of the barn is shown on the right (click the photo to enlarge it).

Cedar County

Clydesdale horses are housed in this barn.

This barn is on the west edge of Mechanicsville where the paved street turns to gravel.

The Whitlatchs raise Belgians in their barn.

Linn County

The Scheer barn was built by Mrs. Scheer’s family in 1881 and was recently meticulously restored. The interior has a wooden silo.

This is one of three barns the Fruehauf family, who manufactured trucks, owned on Highway 30. It cost $45,000 to build the barn, silo, and milk house in 1945. The barn is brick, concrete, and steel. Even the hayloft floor is concrete. It is believed that the barn had one of the first automatic manure conveyer troughs in the country. The troughs were behind 50 milking stations. The front 70 per cent of the barn was used for milking. The barn had holding pens used for animals that had special needs.

Benton County

The McGregor barn is one of the remaining original barns in the area. It was built in 1883 with a limestone first story and original hand hewn pegged mortise and tenon construction.

The Milner barn was built in 1903 by Don Milner’s grandfather. Neighbors turned out to see the new style barn built without the use of wooden pegs.

Tama County

Gambrel roof barn is interesting layout with three Dutch doors on the south side. A photo of the barn is shown on the right (click the photo to enlarge it).

This is an interesting primitive barn that suggests it was built by original settlers. The beams are made of timbers with the bark remaining. A photo of the barn is shown on the right (click the photo to enlarge it).

A photo of the barn is shown on the right (click the photo to enlarge it).

Marshall County

This proud barn is a stunning, well-cared for landmark.

The Jackson’s horse and cattle barn, bought by the Jackson family in 1964, obviously holds history.

Story County

The Iowa State University horse barn is of major architectural importance to Iowa and Iowa State. The center wing was designed by Proudfoot, Souers, and Rawson of Des Moines in the mid-1920s. The Proudfoot firm became distinguished for major buildings around Iowa and beyond. The firm designed the noteable courthouse in Wichita, Kansas. The roof is outfitted with striking metal ventilators and lighting rods. The interior of the building is largely original. The haymow covers the entire building. The two wings, designed to house animals, were built in 1923 by an unknown builder. The building was recently repaired. Many Iowa historians believe this barn should be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. A photo of the barn is shown on the right (click the photo to enlarge it).

Boone County

The barn where Farceur the world-famous Belgian was buried in this barn after a sudden onset of acute indigestion in 1921, is one of Iowa’s hidden treasures. C.G. Good, bought 12-year-old Farceur, the San Francisco World’s Fair champion, for $47,000 in 1915. The horse was a service stud, and, to this day, Farceur’s name is on pedigrees of Belgians. Following a European custom, Good buried the horse in the stall of the stud barn-standing up. It took several days for several men to dig the grave. The inside of the barn, still owned by the Good family, remains as it was. A photo of the barn is shown on the right (click the photo to enlarge it).

Greene County

There are two historic barns on this beautiful farm. The original barn was built in 1876, but a storm blew the barn across the road in 1898. The family picked up the barn’s pieces and rebuilt in 1903. The barn has 12x12-foot mortise and peg boards.

The Ausberger barn was built in 1906 and has tenon and mortise construction. The center portion is pegged with a bridge truss system. The hay mow surrounds three sides of the barn.

The Thornburgh Home Place shows off original buildings including a 1930’s milking barn with original stanchions and drive through hay mow. The horse barn has original stalls and houses grain bins and another hay mow. The Richardses are preserving crib, machine shed, and chicken house. The original home, wash house, and cellar date to 1874.

Carroll County

The lovely farm features as five foot metal pig in the front yard and is sometimes referred to as "the pig farm". Three barns are used for hog production. The large barn was built in 1918; the corncrib is interesting. Three generations have farmed on this land.

Crawford County

Built in 1870, the Dunham barn is considered one of the earliest brick barns in western Iowa. The bricks were fired at a kiln northwest of the barn. The walls of the barn are four bricks thick at the lower level and three bricks thick at the upper level. The 40-foot hand-hewn walnut beam in the lower level is certainly noteworthy. There is a drive-in entrance on the upper level where a farmer could drive his wagon full of hay to dump into the bins. This special barn is on the National Register.