The Agricultural Museum at "The Barn"
Seen at different locations in the barn are various tools for every-day use on a farm.
There are some sickles, used to cut down grass and weeds. There are also a combination scythe-and-rake used to harvest hay. ALthough the blade is now missing on this tool it would have been fastened near the last finger of the rake so that the hay would be cut and gathered with each swing.
Cutting tools mist be kept sharp to do the best work. near the wall is the grindstone, a large round light colored wheel on a stand. It can be operated by foot treadle, or it can be turned by a crank handle on the other side. The wheel is abrasive or gritty and when rotating will sharpen knives and other tools held against it. A hooked rod sticks up over the wheel upon which a small container of water should hang. A small spigot on the can allows a few drops of water to drop constantly onto the work to keep it cool. Otherwise the friction of the wheel might overheat the work and burn it.
The barn contains many buck saws. They are used to cut firewood from logs resting in a saw-buck, which is an "X" shaped stand made of wood. Used with two hands, a sharp saw can easily cut logs of eight or ten inches in diameter to fireplace length. The wood can then be split with an ax.
Also on exhibit are shoemaker lasts, needed for repair of boots and shoes.
Slipping a worn shoe over the foot-shaped support would allow a shoemaker to nail new heels or soles on the old shoes.
The barn's main purpose was to house the horses that where used for much of the heavy labor around the woodruff property. The barn has two lofts that would have stored hay for the horses for the winter months. Today the society keeps some of our collection such as baby carriages up in the loft out of harms way.
A view of the other loft.
