Every Place Had a Barn”: the Barn As a Symbol of the Family Farm in Southern Saskatchewan
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“EVERY PLACE HAD A BARN”: THE BARN AS A SYMBOL OF THE FAMILY FARM IN SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN by © Kristin Catherwood A Thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Folklore Memorial University of Newfoundland April 2015 St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador i ABSTRACT The barn in southern Saskatchewan is a structure which symbolizes the family farm. By analyzing the barn as a functioning building through to its current marginal status, it is possible to trace the changes in agriculture over the past century, namely: the profound impact of the mechanization of agriculture, continually evolving technologies, especially pertaining to hay production, and the gradual lessening of reliance upon livestock. Such changes rendered the barn nearly obsolete as a working structure and, as such, it has become instead a symbol of the family farm in the cultural landscape of the region. By examining the meaning the barn holds through the lens of critical nostalgia, it is possible to speculate on a potential future for the barn in Saskatchewan. A comparative study with barns in Essex, England will demonstrate, that in the UK, barns have been repurposed. There is potential for a similar undertaking in Saskatchewan on a smaller scale. The success of farmstead surveys in Michigan and Pennsylvania, and barn preservation groups in the United States, present a model for such programmes to be implemented in Saskatchewan. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The old saying that “it takes a village to raise a child” can certainly be applied to this thesis. It took a whole community to create it. First, the idea formed in Keels, Newfoundland as I studied a root cellar, thus sparking my interest in vernacular architecture and the possibilities for folkloric work in my home province. The credit for this goes to my infinitely patient supervisor, Dr. Gerald “Jerry” Pocius, without whom this project would never have got off the ground, and who introduced me to folklore and fieldwork during a field school in Keels which began my graduate school experience. He is one of the finest teachers I have ever known. Meghann Jack was another whose early guidance paved the way for me to feel confident enough to pursue such a large topic. Our shared love of rural life and passion for the past provided much inspiration. She was there with words of practical advice and encouragement right until the very end. There are simply not enough words to express my gratitude and admiration for Miss Jack. Nearly every faculty member in the Department helped in some way with words of encouragement or editorial support, especially in the process of applying for funding and for the proposal. Their wise counsel was indispensable. Department secretaries Sharon Cochrane and Melanie Sears provided necessary support for funding applications, formatting and deadlines. My barn hunting ally/sometime partner in crime Stacy Mackenzie was there from the first, and I am not exaggerating when I say I could not have done it without her. Her eye for detail, insider knowledge of barns and sound grasp of mathematics were indispensable. Her ongoing encouragement was vital. She held the tape measure more iii than anyone, and she was still there in the dying days of the writing stage for moral support. Teresa Whiteman, my dear friend who helped me in my initial scouting, back in the days when I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Once I realized it, she firmly encouraged me to keep on going even when “times got tough.” She also provided me with eleventh hour editorial support. Her keen eye helped me get to this final version. Any overlooked errors are mine. I would never have gone to graduate school, much less written this thesis, without her constant friendship and support. My research participants, some of whom reached out to me, and some of whom were gracious enough to accept my invitation to participate, are the core of this work. They are named within these pages. I am also grateful to the unnamed people, dozens of them, who provided me with valuable information, both logistical and historical, when I drove into their yards during my survey. My former professors at the University of Regina, Dr. Allison Fizzard and Dr. David Meban provided a lot of encouragement and sound, practical advice and helped pave the way for me on my journey towards graduate school and folklore. I need to acknowledge all of my fellows at MUN – MA cohort pals and Department folks – we’re all in it together and camaraderie goes a long way. A giant thank you to Eldene Schmidt who provided me a space in which to actually write. I will be forever grateful for the little nook in her basement – a tabula rasa with as few distractions as possible. iv I am grateful for the financial support I received from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) which granted me the opportunity to undertake a thorough field study. Finally, my family. Most families get thanked in thesis acknowledgements, but mine had a real hand in its development. Not only were they there for the requisite moral support and encouragement, but all of them at one time or another accompanied me (sometimes grudgingly) on my barn survey. They all held the tape measure, drove as I wrangled with maps, and waited patiently while I photographed barns from every angle. So, Janelle, Shawn, and Kenton: thank you. And to my father, Ken, the biggest thank-you of all. His passion for this project likely exceeded mine, and his pride in and respect for the past informed my early years and nurtured me along my path to academia. He is a natural born folklorist and I have learned more from him than anybody else. v Table of Contents ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.......................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vii Chapter One ................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter Two ................................................................................................................................. 28 A Day in the Life of the “Last Living Barn” ......................................................................... 48 Chapter Four ................................................................................................................................ 64 Place .......................................................................................................................................... 68 Work and Play .......................................................................................................................... 72 People and Gender ................................................................................................................... 79 Memory and Critical Nostalgia .............................................................................................. 84 Chapter Five ................................................................................................................................. 89 Case Study: A Barn Full of Christmas Trees ...................................................................... 106 Chapter Six ................................................................................................................................. 115 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 115 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 120 vi List of Figures Figure 1: The barn and the family farm ........................................................................................... 1 Figure 2: The state of barns reflects the fate of the farm ............... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 3: Map of southern and central Saskatchewan ................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4: The Rural Municipalities of the Gap No. 39 and Laurier No. 38……….. .............. Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 5: Timber-framed construction………………………….……………………………………………………………E rror! Bookmark not defined. Figure 6: The plank-framed gambrel-roofed barn ......................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 7: A barn with two lean-tos…….. ...................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 8: Transverse-crib type floor plan....................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 9: Stafford McGrath’s barn ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 10: McGrath Barn floor plan .............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 11: Thue Barn floor plan .................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 12: The standard gambrel-roofed barn ............................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 13: The gable-roofed barn .................................................. Error! Bookmark