Before there was an Iroquois County Fair, there was a horse show every year in Milford, Iroquois County, Illinois. No one seems to know much about the old horse show since records of it are scarce. The barn served as the amphitheater for the horse show that was held in the late 1800's in Milford. No one seems to know the exact location of the horse barn when it was in Milford, nor does anyone know the exact date the barn was moved and how old it is.

It was moved 8 miles NE of Milford in Stockland Township, Iroquois County, Illinois. Abraham Black purchased the farm in 1885. The barn was moved shortly after that to its present location. The red painted barn was used until the 1960's to harbor the livestock of the Black and Briscoe family.

Abraham Black farmed the land when the barn was dragged there behind horses. The barn was reassembled by Abraham and his sons, Samuel Allen, William Lighttle, Abraham S. (Clell), George Alexander. They scraped Gravel from the near by Coon Creek to make a firm foundation for the building.

The barn measures 24 x 60 feet. It was cut into sections for the move from town. Joining the barn back together was accomplished by installing three 2 x 4 beams close to each other where the sections fit together. The barn housed horses and cattle for many years. Squared pegs make tight fitting joints in the old barn. Many of the pegs are missing. William Briscoe speculates that when the barn was cut apart and moved, some of the pegs were not replaced.
Light in the hayloft earned William Briscoe several prizes in Photography.

Additional note: Abraham Black died in May of 1896. Therefore the barn was moved before that date. Also, his granddaughter, Jennie Black Flemming, (daug. of Abraham (Clell) Black) was born in 1888. When she was still living she told that she could remember them moving the barn and the horses and sleds dragging it past the house where they lived. She said she was small. They lived on that road that goes east off of hwy #1 just north of where Martin Hankey lived. It must have been moved up that road and then around to the farm

This barn is on the farm where I was born and raised. My father owns this land. The barn is still standing but is in some disrepair. Mom just had the roof repaired on it the other day.

Lucy D. Briscoe Green