This continues a series adapted from the book, “A Port Oneida Collection,” Volume 1 of the twopart set, “Oral History, Photographs, and Maps from the Sleeping Bear Region,” produced by Tom Van Zoeren in partnership with Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear. Here we continue with the Baker Farm, at the north end of Port Oneida Road, next to Camp Kohahna.
In the Baker Barn, hay was hoisted with a hayfork hung from a pulley mounted high in the peak. The load was then swung out over the mows to either side and released. The hay then had to be spread to fill the mow.
The larger Burfiend Barn had a track running gable to gable (end to end), so the pulley could be hung from a trolley and moved along the track to better distribute the load in the mow. The Burfiends’ hayfork track was made of maple. Jack Barratt: “That was peculiar to me because most barns had steel tracks for the trolley.” As the Burfiends’ track dried out over the years it became twisted.
