Old Times Mostly Forgotten

 Looking at old farmsteads is  enjoyable and educational, and I always wonder what became of the families who lived on them.  This still-sturdy barn shows that this farm was prosperous in its day, with lean-to additions on three sides.  The tin roof has allowed the barn to survive well past its working days.

 These dilapidated corn cribs show us that the farm was not a huge corn producer, and that the farmer who used these cribs never made the switch to shelling in the field.  The farm ground would have been rented out to a neighbor when this farm family retired from agriculture.

 This proud old manure spreader was a horse drawn unit, and was always stored inside, protecting the paint from the elements until recent years.

 Collectors of John Deere equipment would probably put on a real show if this old machine was put into an auction.  I haven't seen one of this vintage with original paint on it for around fifty years.

The windmill and pump sit about mid-way between the house and barn.  This well is located on a low river bluff, and sits atop Illinoisan alluvial deposits on the Little Wabash River in Edwards County.  It's deep enough to be a problem for anyone who might unwittingly fall into it, so I hope that this well is filled in when the ironwork is scrapped, which will probably happen sooner than later.  The wooden cover is already crumbled, and is a hazard to animals.