Here’s a beautiful old farmhouse and barn south of Gallatin, Missouri on State Hwy 13. It’s always sad to me to see these old parts of Americana disappear into the sunset, sometimes never to be seen again, which is why I have preserved so many of them in this blog and in my Barns! Barns! Barns! flickr photostream.

You’re welcome to visit my Barns! Barns! Barns! photostream in flickr where you can register for free and upload your own photos of old barns, farm houses and other farm-related items. There are currently 799 members and 7,086 photographs and growing. If you love barns, you’ll love this website!

Last Friday afternoon I decided to go for a ride around the countryside and remembered to take along my camera just in case I found something that . . . well . . . I liked. And what I liked the most, at least on this day, were old barns and farm houses in a state of disrepair, and I wasn’t disappointed. Here is one old barn that has definitely seen better days.

You’re welcome to visit my Barns! Barns! Barns! photostream in flickr where you can register for free and upload your own photos of old barns, farm houses and other farm-related items. There are currently 770 members and over 6,300 photographs and growing. If you love barns, you’ll love this website!

Old barns are one of my favorite things to take photographs of. They are what made America great—albeit the farmers had something to do with it. While this barn is still in use, there are so many relics that have fallen into disrepair and many have fallen to the ground. This particular barn is in Daviess County, Missour,

Link back to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Houses and/or Barns

You’re welcome to visit my Barns! Barns! Barns! photostream in flickr where you can register for free and upload your own photos of old barns, farm houses and other farm-related items. There are currently 501 members and over 3,000 photographs and growing. If you love barns, you’ll love this website!

Nothing like a visit to the most beautiful part of the United States, the northwest, to improve one’s state of mind. IRC friends from New Jersey, Utah and Oregon met for several days of beachcoming, crater viewing and get-together fun. I’d love to go back and relive those days, not only for the beauty and fun of it all, but because one of us has gone to the great divide and others are no longer together. But for all the sadness, the memories are priceless and forever.

Link back to Weekly Photo Challenge: State of Mind

You’re welcome to visit my Barns! Barns! Barns! photostream in flickr where you can register for free and upload your own photos of old barns, farm houses and other farm-related items. There are currently 349 members and 2,100 photographs and growing. If you love barns, you’ll love this website!

Over 40 years had past since the last time I had visited Crater Lake National Park. No hand-feeding of chipmunks on this trip, but plenty of hand-rubbing, as it was plenty cold. Still, the drive was beautiful and the lake was stunning.

Contemplation was the order of business during this post-sunset scenario at a place I can’t even remember where. It was still cold.

And this was the sunset that greeted us at this unknown place.

A brief stopover at Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park resulted in plenty of greenery. There were some mighty tall timber that day on our way to the Pacific Ocean.

I was trying to get a shot of the waves breaking over this rock aways off shore when this darn flock of birds got in the way and ruined the whole thing. You can imagine how upset I was. The funny and sad part about it—I was. LOL Now I look at it and think to myself—wow! How cool.

The western United States has its own version of the Twin Towers in the twin volcanoes of Mt. Shasta, northern California. Fortunately, these twin towers are still there. I’d hate to think what would result if these two blew their tops.

This photograph didn’t appear in the local newspaper, but one like it did, along with an article talking about our IRC get-together. What a time it was. It will always be remembered. I actually like this one better.

Oops can take many forms. We’re going to skip the embarrassing ones for now. Enjoy these.

Link back to Weekly Photo Challenge: Oops

You’re welcome to visit my Barns! Barns! Barns! photostream in flickr where you can register for free and upload your own photos of old barns, farm houses and other related items. There are currently 305 members and 1,773 photographs. If you like barns, you’ll love this!

This is the home of my dear friends in rural Iowa. In their 90s, and not getting around like they used to, yet they’re always bright with sunny dispositions. In keeping with this, they welcome their mailman with bright and sunny flowers (mailbox off screen to the left).

Comments are welcome.

Link back to Weekly Photo Challenge: On Top

You’re welcome to come visit my Barns! Barns! Barns! photostream in flickr where you can upload your own photos of old barns, farm houses and other related items.

©2013 Cris Coleman All Rights Reserved

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word “monument” traces its origins back to the late thirteenth century, meaning

“a sepulchre,” from Old French monument “grave, tomb, monument,” and directly from Latin monumentum “a monument, memorial structure, statue; votive offering; tomb; memorial record,” literally “something that reminds,” from monere “to remind, warn” (see monitor (n.)). Sense of “structure or edifice to commemorate a notable person, action, or event” first attested c.1600.

The two featured monuments below were crafted by 37-year-old W.G. Sloan, a naturalized citizen, formerly of Canada, for Jonathan and Polly Tuggle. Here is what Cameron, Missouri’s official website says of these monuments:

Many of Sloan’s enduring monuments are notable. The 28-foot tall Tuggle Monuments in Packard Cemetery were manufactured in 1887 by Italian artisans in Vermont, shipped by rail to Cameron, and hauled to the cemetery in a log wagon pulled by a steam engine. Farmer Jonathan Tuggle’s will specified that $10,000 be spent for monuments for himself and his wife, Polly.

I must say that for a town of 9,933 (2010 census), these monuments are quite stupendous. I’ve lived most of my life in large, capital cities and I’ve never come across anything quite like these.

Tuggle must have been quite a farmer to have been able to set aside such a large fund for these monuments in the late 1800s. According to Dave Manual’s inflation calculator, $10,000 in 1887 would be equivalent to $243,902.44 in 2013. I can’t even begin to imagine spending that much money on a monument today. Can you?

Comments are welcome.

Link back to Weekly Photo Challenge: Monument

You’re welcome to come visit my Barns! Barns! Barns! photostream in flickr where you can upload your own photos of old barns, farm houses and other related items.

©2013 Cris Coleman All Reserved Rights

©2013 Cris Coleman All Rights Reserved

©2013 Cris Coleman All Rights Reserved

This monument is located about 6.8 miles southeast of Cameron, Missouri, as the crow flies. It is located in an area once known as Far West and still goes by that name, although there is no longer a town or anything resembling a town.

Far West was once a Mormon community of approximately 4,000 people, according to Wikipedia. It originally covered one square mile, but the plat was extended to include four square miles. It is now all farmland.

Caldwell County, wherein the monument is located, was created specifically for the Mormons to inhabit after they were chased out of Independence County, Missouri, by armed mobs.

The monument rests on the east side of what was intended to be a Mormon temple, but due to unrest in the area against the Mormons, their plans and city had to be abandoned. The original four cornerstones of the proposed temple are still present in the fenced-off area, although they have deteriorated due to weathering. The area is accessible to the public and is maintained by the Mormon Church.

Wiki reported the Mormon Church in May 2012 purchased 6,000 acres of farmland and three historical sights from the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Comments are welcome.

Link back to Weekly Photo Challenge: Monument

You’re welcome to come visit my Barns! Barns! Barns! photostream in flickr where you can upload your own photos of old barns, farm houses and other related items.

Once my gate stood far aside,
Welcomed friends both far and wide.

That was sweet.

Now it’s closed, no more to share,
No one to play, no one to care.

That is bitter.

And so it is, my friends, no more,
Bittersweet Lodge has closed its door.

Comments are welcome.

Link back to Weekly Photo Challenge: Threshold

You’re welcome to come visit my Barns! Barns! Barns! photostream in flickr where you can upload your own photos of old barns, farm houses and other related items.

©2013 Cris Coleman All Rights Reserved[/caption]

Coming home from Iowa recently, I passed a whole string of old, abandoned farm implements and buildings. Here are just a few.

Comments are welcome.

You’re welcome to come visit my Barns! Barns! Barns! photostream in flickr where you can upload your own photos of old barns, farm houses and other related items. You can find it by clicking HERE!

Link back to Weekly Photo Challenge: Abandoned

©2014 Cris Coleman All Rights Reserved

Here’s what it really looks like.

©2014 Cris Coleman All Rights Reserved

Here’s another view.

©2014 Cris Coleman All Rights Reserved

©2014 Cris Coleman All Rights Reserved

©2014 Cris Coleman All Rights Reserved

©2014 Cris Coleman All Rights Reserved

©2014 Cris Coleman All Rights Reserved