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Image # A58-022; I captured this image of an old barn located near Emporia, Kansas on the north side of the turnpike. Barns originally served as farm factories, places of business and storehouses for equipment and supplies. Farmers threshed grain on barn floors, stored hay for feeding livestock in the lofts, and sheltered animals in the stalls. The barn was also the heart of the farm and a vital center of community life as well. It was a place for dancing, praying, playing and courting. To farmers, barns were as essential as the houses they lived in. To many, barns represent tradition, hard work and independence. A variety of barn types can be found all over North America. Most barns are the result of a fusion of ideas from different cultures. The barn remains a powerful symbol, even as it disappears from the American landscape.
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