Text Box: The following article is from the Central Wisconsin Resorter. (Published by Wautoma Newspaper, Inc.) Resorter, Saturday, July 27, 2002 Page 6 Story and photos by Deb Sadowski The Clausons began their endeavor in 1991 to restore the farm they had bought back to its original state. At that time the house next to the barn had been vacant for quite some time and needed many repairs. The house itself was a Sears and Roebuck home ordered from a catalog around the turn of the century and hauled in by railroad around 1906. The barn was built between 1890 and 1891. "Both of our families thought we were crazy for taking on such a project," said Brent Clauson. "In some places the weeds were taller than the buildings that were still standing. However, that didn't stop them from joining in and helping with the project. We all worked daily to bring the old place back to life." Brent continued, "Grandpa worked hours on the original wood windows and restored the stained glass picture window in the front of the house. In 1997 the house was finally finished and the Clauson's moved in. Restoration of the outer buildings has been an ongoing project since 1991 and the barn was finally finished with the help of many friends in May of 2002. "My Amish friend, Glen Yoder used his woodworking expertise to help the many obstacles that seemed insurmountable when we were trying to get various parts of the barn to look like they did originally but still have a place where an audience could sit comfortably and enjoy our performance. Glen is the mastermind behind our circular stage," said Brent. "Doug Neddo Construction helped incredibly with interior restoration and Mark Butler Construction worked on the restoration of the exterior. We couldn't have done it with out their expertise." "The restoration of the barn started three years ago," said Brent. "There was a poem in Elaine Reetz's Argus column "Along the Highways and Byways" that describes exactly what the barn was like before the restoration. It read: "I saw the old barn, its roof covered with moss and sagging. The windows were dirty and cracked with age. And the door lay on the ground rotting, The inside held a thousand sounds of people And animals from the past. It made me feel sad to see such a majestic building dying." "My wife Cheryl's Uncle Dwayne said years ago when a new barn was put up the first thing they did when the barn was finished was to have a barn dance," said Brent. "So my wife and I decided when the barn was finished we would have a barn dance. It was around Halloween so we made it a costume party as well. For the first time in many, many years the barn came back alive again with the sounds of music and laughter. "At the same time our Clauson Family Music Show was continuing to grow in popularity. That's when we began to think that folks might like to see a show here on the farm in the barn. This is when step two of the renovation began. We began to plan how we could make the barn open and easily accessible to the public for our shows." Now when you visit the barn, the first thing you hear as you are walking up the ramp (no stairs, so the barn is handicapped-accessible) are the strains of a Ragtime piano playing and the smell of popped popcorn. With a circular stage up front and plenty of seating, an enthusiastic crowd can enjoy the ambiance of the rustic wood interior as they listen to good old fashioned fiddle music, accordion playing, and banjo ringing. Sprinkled into the mix for good measure are comedy and a great variety of costumes. "We have tried to create an environment of a time era from the 1900's on up to the present day with the antique tractors, cars, and trucks we have on the farm," said Brent. "We have plenty of parking close to the barn and an added special attraction is a tractor hay ride that shuttles folks right to the door. There are no steps to climb when you get to the barn and the barn itself is insulated and screened in to keep it as cool and comfortable as possible." When the summer barn show begins you are invited to kick off your shoes and stay awhile as they play your favorite music. So come on out and make some memories while you experience great music on the farm.