Inglis-Roggensack-Cheram

History

The barn pictured below is the second barn that has stood on this property. The first barn was constructed on the request of John Inglis who first lived on this land. The barn was built using frame construction and balloon framing. In 1947, Glen and Myrtle Roggensack bought the property and the original barn from the Inglis family.

In July of 1951, there was a fire which destroyed the original barn. The afternoon of the fire, all the milk cows were out in the pasture except for the Brown Swiss bull and a family pigs, which were still in the barn. When Glen Roggensack noticed the flames, he had enough time to release the bull and most of the pigs before the fire engulfed the barn. Neighbors from all around came to try to put the blaze out but failed because they did not have sufficient equipment. However, that same year, the Roggensack family had a new barn built with the help of the Groveland District families.

The Roggensack’s neighbours helped seventeen-year-old Noel Guenard, then of Hardisty, build a new barn before the snow hit the ground. There was a grand dance after the raising of the new barn. The family hauled Myrtle’s piano down from the Roggensack’s house for the event. Myrtle played the piano while John Heron played the fiddle, Cliff Ness played the accordion, Conrad Ingvaldson played the drums, and Angus Grieve called the dance.

The Roggensack family used the barn for milk cows and pigs in the time that they owned it. The new barn does not have a hay hood or hay carrier because the family never stored loose hay in the new barn. At the time of construction of the barn, farmers had square balers and bales are much easier to handle than loose hay.

In 1975, Patrica Cherum and Bob Roggensack began living on the property with Glen and Myrtle. Glen and Myrtle moved away in 1979 and currently the property is owned by Pat. Very few animals were kept in the barn in recent years. From 1979-1982 the family had a few pigs and one cow but the livestock were gone by 1982. Since 2004, the barn has been used to store hay for the small bison herd on the property. In August 2006, the barn was repainted red. The barn was built using frame construction and platform framing.

Cheram, Patricia. Personal communication. 13 Jul. 2017

Tanton, Helen. Personal communication. 13 Jul. 2017