Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Wisconsin Barns, Vintage Rusty Stuff


It doesn't take long to find old barns in our area. In fact, since they are a favorite subject of mine, you'll probably see more farm/barn posts in the future. Since many of the smaller dairy farms have been replaced by the mega dairies, you'll see a lot of once-thriving barns that are collapsed, barns that are in bad repair, and barns that are still barely standing. Barns were kept warm by the heat of the cows in them, so once the dairy herd is sold, there's nothing to keep the barns warm, thus the freezing and thawing, broken foundations, and the ensuing collapse of the barn.

I doubt that the above barn was actually used for cows, unless there were just a few. it looks more like a storage for grain and hay. Not sure about that.

In our case, our dairy barn is still standing but needs repair. Although most people like the idea of preserving the barns, once the barns are repaired they only cause property taxes to increase and provide no additional income. It's difficult to talk a farmer into putting money into something that's only going to cost him more money in the long run.



I've been meaning to get a photo of this barn for quite a while. It seems that whenever I'm ready with my camera, a car or truck or pickup is right behind me. But this day last week was perfect. Everyone else stayed home, it seemed, so I had the road all to myself.  The photo above is the same barn as the first photo, just taken from a different angle. I've always liked that sloped roof.

 Old Milk Bucket
Has Seen Better Days

Just look at that patina! ;-)


Milk Can

You'd pour the milk fresh from the cow into the bucket, and when that was full, the milk would get poured into into the milk can and kept in a cooler, usually a concrete rectangular tank (like a bathtub for the milk cans,) which was filled with cold water to keep the milk cool until the milk truck from the creamery came to pick it up. Cold water ran through the tank to keep the cans as cool as possible. This was before the advent of the stainless steel bulk tank, of course, which had an electric refrigeration unit and an agitation paddle to stir up the milk.


Just a few of the artifacts from the bygone era of the small Wisconsin dairy farm.


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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of the following: Treasure Box Tuesday  and Rubbish Tuesday and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Adorned From Above  and Rurality Blog Hop and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and From the Farm and    Junkin' Joe and  Vintage Inspiration Friday and Photo Friday and  A Favorite Thing Saturday and Weekly Top Shot 

43 comments:

  1. Have a beautiful day my friend.

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  2. Morning, love to see the old barns and rusty goodies. Great milk can, Blessings Francine.

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  4. Love that barn! I was a property adjuster in my younger years, so all I would think of was how on earth did the workers cling onto the side of that slope while putting on the tin roof. Made my toes tingle just thinking about it. Lots of wonderful Rubbish. Thanks for linking up.

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  5. i love it - and i LOVE the old milk cans.

    a tidbit from my past, before i was born, my father was a milk man. he drove a truck on a dairy route and picked up those milk cans. (later, he went to work at a cheese factory.) wisconsin all the way. :)

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  6. As you know I'm a city girl from the greater Chicago area, we would take Sunday family rides into the country. I always wondered what kind of things were inside of barns, and would be thrilled to see the animals peppering the field.

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  7. Great rustic tour!

    Property taxes increase if one repairs a building on the property, and sometimes if one removes the building on the property. Our own property was "improved" when we tore down an old barn that was beyond repair, and our property value went up. Go figure. :)

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  8. This post brings back fond memories of my Great Uncle John Lynn's dairy farm. I faintly remember the old farm and then saw all the modernization when he went to what he called the fancy stuff.

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  9. Love the old barn photos. The rusty milk cans does seem to be a dairy barn. Hope you keep finding barns, my SIL love old barns too. xoxo,Susie

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  10. What happens in the tall structure?
    It is a shame the barns are disappearing, but you can understand why. I particularly like the milk can linking back to times past.

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  11. Love old barns. great picture of the milk can too!

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  12. Perhaps farmers should sell the barns for the wood. Wonderful old beams and wide planks...can't have an antique store in every old barn nor a restaurant nor a wedding venue. Sigh.

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  13. I love driving through the country and seeing the old barns, but it is bittersweet!

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  14. Cool old barn. I love barns too. I have a whole folder just on barns. Used to be a meme on old barns too. someone should bring it back. MB

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  15. I love old barns. I recently painted a sign for a friend with an old barn on it to hang outside their new barn. They named their barn "Barn Yesterday." =) Blessings and Sunshine, Valerie

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  16. Love the photos. In junior high, I used to occasionally sleep over at a friends who lived out on rural route 6. She had to milk the cows in the morning before catching the hour+ bus ride to school. I think they had 3 cows. Quite a few kids at Bemidji Jr High had cows for 4H projects. I had forgotten about that until seeing your photos of this barn.

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  17. Oh what a beautiful scene to come up on when out for a country drive!!

    Also, along with the 'rubbish'...I really like the rolling fields for a backdrop.

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  18. Oh, if these barns could talk....

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  19. Abandoned buildings always make me a little sad. There is beauty in the decay, though, and you captured it in your photos.

    My distant cousins had a dairy farm, and I got to spend a week with them a couple of summers. They had a big stainless tank, where the milk went. I remember seeing the milk swirling around in it. They also had warm milk, right from the cow, on their breakfast cereal. I didn't like it that way - AT ALL. Never got used to it. Thanks for the memories, though!

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  20. I love old farms and barns and machinery. Beautiful photos of these barns and the old milk cans. Keep em coming.

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  21. Barns have always been (practical) works of art to me; so glad you were able to photograph this beauty before it was gone.

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  22. That is a wonderful old barn. I like seeing them standing and taken care of, but I also understand that progress is necessary. Great old rusty post!

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  23. An interesting structure and amazing roof. I do agree...don't think any cows ever kept this structure warm.

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  24. I love these photos. I love old barns and farm buildings. The milk pails are so nostalgic, too. Love it!

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  25. What gorgeous photos of the barn. So charming! And I love the old milk can.

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  26. Love the barn. I have milk cans like that but did not understand the process.

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  27. I love these old barns too. I wish they were kept up better, I know little of farming, but I am guessing they are easier to replace than keep up...the metal ones just aren't the same, are they?

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  28. That first photo is stunning. I think I've mentioned why barns for the most part look like that in our state---they pay less tax on them than if they are painted. You sort of get used to the tattered rustic look.

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  29. Love old barns. Such character!

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  30. Few structures have the character old abandoned barnes exude. I always have mixed feelings when I look at them. I appreciate their beauty, but so wish they could be restored so that we can enjoy them for many years to come.

    I've never been to Wisconsin and I can only imagine the old barns that must dot your landscape. Here in Massachusetts we have our fair share, and a few covered bridges too! ;)

    We have several blogs we mutually follow Judy, and I've been meaning to pay you a visit for a while. I see we are both animal lovers, and I'm making sure I follow you now so I don't miss an update.

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  31. Hello Judy...I wanted to thank you for your kind visit and words on my Honey Cat post, especially.

    Your words meant so much to me as I grieve over my beloved kitty's death.

    Loved your lovely photos. Susan

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  32. I wonder why we all seem to just love olden barns..?? They are just down right pretty to me.
    It makes me a tad bit sad to see them just falling down...
    Love this one you share with us....

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  33. I loved watching old barns from far away Wisconsin!

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  34. Those are great finds. I love barns, they are a favorite of mine and the rest is so beautiful!

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  35. Gorgeous rustic barn images! I like the old milk can, too.

    Visiting from Rubbish Tuesday,
    ~Lindy

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  36. it looks so lonely...the farm probably misses the days when it was busy

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  37. I live in Michigan and I also love the old barns. I have taken pictures over the years and glad of it because a lot are gone now. Piles of rubble. You wonder how people can allow it to happen but I bet the expense of upkeep is horrendous
    Janice

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  38. Gorgeous pictures as always. Love seeing aged barns that are still standing proudly.

    Cynthia

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  39. What beauty there is in "aging" as evident from these wonderful shots of this old barn and the milk jug.

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  40. It never ceases to amaze me how those barns stay up, Needs the equivalent of the English Heritage to keep them up !

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  41. I love to photograph old barns too. Barns and churches are my favorite. I have some on my blog as well. I'm a new follower coming from Cozy Little House. :)

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