GREETING CARDS and PRINTS
FRIENDSHIP AND FAMILY REACHING ACROSS GENERATIONS
ABOUT ROUND BARN VINTAGE IMAGES
In 1911, Wesson J. Dougan finished building an innovative round barn on his dairy farm near Beloit, Wisconsin. He christened the new building by posting his philosophy of of farming on the silo at the center of the barn:
- The Aims of This Farm:
- 1. Good Crops.
- 2. Proper Storage.
- 3. Profitable Live Stock.
- 4. A stable Market.
- 5. Life as well as a living.
With his wife, Eunice, their two sons Ronald and Trever, their daughter Esther, and the help of numerous farm hands, the dairy grew into a thriving enterprise over 75 years, delivering milk, butter and cream to customers all around Beloit.
The visual history of the Dougan Dairy farm has been well documented. Farm work, family fun, and animal nature were often caught on film. The perspective of more than one eye took its place behind the camera over the years. In 1917, when Ronald was 14, was given a camera in 1917, and promptly ran all over the farm taking pictures. These are just one part of a collection of several thousand photographs taken over several generations.
Now, in the 21st century, we've selected several of the most evocative and perceptive images to share with contemporary hearts.
A collection of stories from the farm are written up in series of volumes called The Round Barn, A Biography of an American Farm. You can read sample stories here, as well as excerpts and related blog posts here.