Back since Saginaw Calinda was born,
it's been cotton and soybeans, tobacco and corn
Behind the porticoed house of a long dead farm
they found the falling down timbers
of a spooky old barn
Out there like a slave ship upside down
Wrecked beneath the waves of grain
When the river is low
they find old bones and
when they plow they always dig up chains
Don't go into that barn, yea
I said, don't go into that barn, yea
There's something a little haunting about this location with the monster tree and the various outbuildings of the nearby farmstead. Here, an old thrasher sitting in the tall grass forfeiting itself to nature. There, a long empty corn crib overgrown with wild cucumber. Foundations succumbing to the constant settling of the land.
It's the absolute picture of a Midwest farm fading into antiquity. It's real gone. And yet right next to this park where it can be appreciated.
UPDATE: 9.2.07 Final relocated again due to undue stress on the last location. It is about 30' upstream from the initial coordinates.
UPDATE: 3.17.09 Final relocated AGAIN due to THIRD disappearance. Down-sized to pill-bottle, the phob kind, permanently. Look for the rest of the Real Gone series to be completed this year.
UPDATE: 7.22.10 Final relocated AGAIN due to FOURTH disappearance. Changed to mag keyholder. Hooray, the rest of the Real Gone series if finally published!
SERIOUS UPDATE: 10.7.10 Final relocated YET AGAIN due to FIFTH disappearance. I knew all about the acquisition of the farmstead and clearing of the old buildings and the homestead. Indeed, I was involved in the salvage sale of this old barn. It was purchased by a prominent community member and is being re-built as a "hunting shack" in Shiocton. Let's just say that this hunter would have no problems living in that half-mill mansi.... ahem, shack, year-round. Thankfully, the Menasha powers that be decided to leave the granary standing for some future park building or shelter. The replacement can be find in the structure.