About the
Historic John Lane Farm
Our History
Preserving Local Farming History
*Native Americans
*Yankee Settlement
*I&M Canal
*John Lane Farm
*Reed Farm
*Zielke Farm : 1948-Present
Land History
The first Steel plow was built in 1833 by John Lane Sr., a village blacksmith. He conceived the plow out of necessity. Prairie soil was heavy and sticky, so cutting through it with a wooden plow was hard work, made especially hard when the heavy soil continuously clogged the plow and required cleaning. Lane thought a steel blade would allow the soil to slide off easily. Unfortunately, no steel was being manufactured in the United States at the time. However, he obtained a saw blade and cut the blade into strips. He then forged, hammered and polished the pieces, until they were in proper working shape. After several trials, John Lane SUCCEEDED.
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He was told many times to patent his invention, but always refused. He said his only desire was to benefit others and wanted no special recognition for his achievement. A Monument still stands on the property as a reminder, to anyone who may come upon it in their travels, of this wonderful invention that shaped farming as we know it.
The main barn which stood on the property was built in the 1920s, using wooden beams from the original John Lane barn ( approx. 1830s). The goal of the farm was to renovate the barn and have it serve as an Event Center; to share the history of farming, along with a museum dedicated to the history of John Lane's "groundbreaking" invention.
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In December 2015, a group of local people started the Historic John Lane Farm, Inc. (NFP) 501c3. Their first project was to raise money to renovate the barn. Sadly, it did not come to be.
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In April 2017, restoration of the barn began. Large portions of the roof were rotting away and had to be repaired before work could continue, as it was deemed unsafe. Over this time, the roof sustained 80% more damage than it originally had, due to the elements. Work was never restarted. In August 2020, we were hit by a particularly large storm. The unsteady roof could not handle this and it collapsed. Due to lack of funds, we were not able to save the barn and it was fully demolished later that month. Leaving behind nothing but the years of History.
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