The Ballad of Ellwood House

Here's another video from the cassette tape I purchased in Texas last month. This song is "The Ballad of Ellwood House." Words and music by Francis Stroup, and performed by Dave Parker with Paul Nelson.

If you've ever visited the Ellwood House Museum, you need to hear this song, posted below.


To hear "The Barbed Wire National Anthem," click here.

The Barbed Wire National Anthem

While in Texas at the Devil's Rope Museum this year for their annual swap meet and reunion, I purchased a cassette tape that features songs and stories about barbed wire. I'll be sharing the videos on YouTube/this blog. 

This is a fun one: "The Barbed Wire National Anthem," written and performed by Charlie Dalton.

Jacob Haish at the DeKalb County History Center

DeKalb County History Center in Sycamore, IL | Photo by Jessi LaRue

I visited the DeKalb County History Center to view the Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibit. I was pleasantly surprised to see Jacob Haish represented within the museum, as well.

The barbed wire display included wire samples, a Haish barbed wire cane, and images and background information on Haish, Isaac Ellwood and Joseph Glidden.

Barbed wire display at DCHC | Photo by Jessi LaRue 

Barbed wire display at DCHC | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Displays tell the story of the three men seeing the Henry Rose exhibit in DeKalb, and pondering how to improve Rose's creation of "a thin wooden rail with nails driven into fence wire:" 

"One source relates that Glidden, seeing the fence, said out loud, 'The barbs should be on the wire.' Over the next few months, all three worked to perfect the idea."

The display also details Haish's other contributions to the agricultural world, including gas engines, fencing tools, and more.

Barbed wire display at DCHC | Photo by Jessi LaRue 

Barbed wire plaque at DCHC | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The exhibit also features other legendary local stories, such as the Sandwich Fair, Pumpkin Festival, the Egyptian Theatre, Kishwaukee College history, and much, much more.

Haish School & Haish Library postcards

I recently visited the Kane County Flea Market and was lucky to stumble across these wonderful Jacob Haish related postcards. (And for a bargain!) They depict the former Haish School, and the Haish Memorial Library (now known as the DeKalb Public Library.) Both sides of the postcards are below.

Haish School postcard

The back of the Haish School postcard

Haish Memorial Library postcard, dated 1981

The back of the Haish Memorial Library postcard

Yard gate from Haish's home

Jacob Haish gate on display at the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum in LaCrosse, KS | Photo by Jessi LaRue

This gate, described as a "yard gate from Jacob Haish's home in DeKalb, Illinois," is on display at the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum. 

This is the text that is displayed next to the gate:

"Mr. Jacob Haish was born in Colsue, Baden, Germany in 1826 and came to America as a child. Haish had been granted three patents for barbed wire before Joseph Glidden invented the Glidden 'winner.' 

Over the entrance of the Haish home, a placard was placed reading, 'Jacob Haish, Inventor of Barbed Wire.' 

Note the cast iron trim and braces are cast with acorns and the letter 'H' is centered in each corner. In the top center of the gate is a brass plate inscribed with the company name and patent dates. 

In addition to mesh wire patents, Mr. Haish patented eight additional barbed wires and a wire stretcher. The stretcher is on display in the museum.

Presented by Marion and Val Ferrin
Bucklin, Kansas"

Detail of the Haish gate | Photo by Jessi LaRue