For those who like numbers, the Weitzel barn is 60 feet wide, 88 feet long, and 50 feet high at its peak; that’s 264,000 square feet of space, most of it utilitarian. It has three tracks for hay lifting, storage, and delivery to several drops for livestock. It has housed 28 horses and the same number of milking cows.

The Weitzel barn has been a busy, big barn.

Weitzel’s grandfather, George Philip (GP), purchased the land in 1874 at just 23 years of age. In 1902, he raised the barn on this Sac County farm.

He most likely brought the wood in by rail, and it was constructed with wooden pegs. It was a time when nails cost a premium. The original foundation is rock and mortar, with some patchwork over time.

-Messenger photo by Doug Clough
Gene Weitzel stands in front of the family’s century barn, which was raised by his grandfather, George Philip (GP) in 1902.

Now, 120 years later, the construction is sturdy as ever, a testament to the carpentry skills of those who made this behemoth a reality.

In 1907, GP attached a sizable shed to his barn to aid in the care of his 380 head of cattle. In 1921, his corncrib burned to the ground. “What I find incredible is that the fire didn’t leap to the barn or other buildings,” said Gene Weitzel. “The farm could have been a total loss with the livestock.” The corncrib was rebuilt in 1922.

In 1935, Franklin Roosevelt created the Work Progress Administration (WPA) to alleviate one of the toughest unemployment times in the nation’s history — and the Weitzel barn was there to support the effort. “The creek to the west needed to be straightened,” said Weitzel, “and a new bridge built. GP provided barn space and care for the workers’ horses. He was paid 50 cents a head for the work.”

The WPA administrator must have been pleased to see the size of that barn.

In 1942, GP’s son Albert John (AJ) garnered ownership of the Weitzel farm after partnering with his father to the farm’s success.

-Submitted photo
This photo shows the barn raising in 1902. Constructed with wooden pegs, the wood was likely brought in by rail.

“I remember becoming active on the farm around 1955 when I was 11 years old,” said Gene Weitzel. “I was raking hay, taking care of little calves, and had my own litter of pigs. Cleaning out the chicken coop was my least favorite thing to do.”

During his father’s tenure, there was wall renovation in the 1960s as well as Ceco-rolled white tin to replace the original cedar shingles. AJ’s initials were painted on the corn crib during his years of ownership.

In 1970, Gene and Sandy were married, earning ownership of the farm in 1977 after being partners with his father. Gene Weitzel remembers his father saying to Sandy, “Our barn is so big that it clouds up and rains in there!” Climbing on the ladder into the hayloft, the barn does seem to have its own atmospheric condition.

“Five years ago, we decided to get out of livestock altogether; the hay is used for the church manger at Christmas time now.”

The Weitzels, along with their son Ryan, 47, exclusively farm 272 acres in Clinton Township. Daughters Kristen, 50, and Sara, 42, both live in Minneapolis.

Those that built this barn — hewing mammoth beams and securing them with wooden pegs — would be pleased to see it still structurally sound with little help over the years. However, Weitzel’s farm has been blessed with other changes throughout the years.

“I enjoy operating the machinery and seeing the technology change,” said Weitzel. “The modernization of the machinery makes the job of harvesting easier. Years ago, we changed from ear corn to shelling and that was impressive. Just the sheer amount of information we can glean today from harvest to harvest is amazing.”

Also, in a fitting tribute to the farm’s legacy, Gene’s initials were added to the corncrib this past July.