The Saturday Evening Post, 1948 Highlights

We came across this gem from August 14, 1948 from Post magazine last week while cleaning out an old building on the Axel Johnson homestead.

It Reads: 

This year brings much turmoil in U.S. Labor.  President Walter Reuther of the U.A.W. is shot at his home and is seriously injured.  The assailant is never found.  John L. Lewis of the United Mine Workers Union is fined heavily for ignoring an injunction against the strike.

“The Bambino,” George Herman Ruth, passes away from cancer.  His last public appearance is at the debut screening of The Babe Ruth Story.

Continuing tensions between the U.S. and U.S.S.R over various issues foreshadow the coming “Cold War.”  Negotiations on a German peace treaty and international control of atomic weapons are key issues. 

The McDonald brothers open a hamburger stand in California with the idea to serve precooked food to speed up service. 

1948 Hit Songs:

“Nature Boy” by Nat “King” Cole;  “Buttons and Bows” by Dinah Shore;  “All I want for Christmas is my Two front Teeth” by Spike Jones & his City Slickers

1948 Hit Movies:

“Key Largo” with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall;  “Fort Apache” with John Wayne;  “Easter Parade” with Fred Astaire and Judy Garland.

1948 Sports:

The Cleveland Indians beat the Boston Red Sox in a special American League play-off game and go on to beat the Boston Braves in the World Series.

Vintage Records, 1903

We found an old box, opened it up and came across 20 or so old records dating all the way back to 1903.

We will take some more photos and gather the information about each record and upload to our blog soon. 

Here is one from the box. 

It reads:

Dated September 22, 1903 - January 5, 1904 – January 3, 1905 – August 11, 1908

Victor

Comedian with orchestra

“Oh Gee! Say Gee! You Ought to See My Gee Gee from the Fiji Isle”

(Lew Brown – Albert Von Tilzer)

Billy Murray

Victor Talking Machine Company

Camden, New Jersey

1943 Aeronautical knowledge

As we clean out all the old buildings we are reclaiming here at Old Barn Woods we always come across little treasures like this.  This is a Certificate of Aeronautical knowledge we came across from 1943. 

It says “This is to certify that the below named individual has demonstrated by his performance on the PRIVATE PILOT WRITTEN EXAMINATION that he posses the minimum aeronautical knowledge legally required of a PRIVATE PILOT, as provided in section 20.125 of the Civil Air Regulators.  In those sections of the Private Pilot Written Examination for which approval (a) in indicated”.

Reclaimed Wood

We have been very busy working on our new shop and starting to clean up around all the old barns and buildings that we are reclaiming.



This is just a small video showing a few of the barns we are working on right now and should have finished by the end of Feb 2015. On top of reclaiming all these old woods we will be documenting on film the story of each building to tell the story about each.

If you see any wood that catches your eye contact us on our forum and we will get back with you ASAP.

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Tell the Story (Video)

Our team has also worked produced some amazing video productions over the last few years.  Our plan with Old Barn Woods is not only to reclaim and salvage old buildings, but to tell the story with video and professional photography as well.

This way when people purchase these woods and designs they will have a video/photo and full story to go along with each purchase.

As we work to restore the old woods, build furniture in our wood shop and much more, we will be documenting and producing video episodes that will be available online for free as well as tutorials and much more.

The video below is just a small tease we shared on instagram.  Follow us on any of our social networks to keep up to date with the newest woods and such we will have available.

Original Homesteaders, Charles Skoglund

Original homesteader Charles Skoglund lived on the Axel Johnson homestead for a brief time while he was in Canada.  When Axel moved back the the U.S. Charles Skoglund started a new homestead just half a mile away.   

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Skoglund were married in 1901 at Wheaton, Minn., both having arrived from Sweden several years before.  Charles was born in Vestergotland in 1864 and came to Minnesota with his parents when he was seven.

His wife was born in Varmland in 1877 and came to Wheaton, Minnesota, in 1886 with her father and brother.

This young couple first came to Bottineau County where they proved up her homestead in the Turtle Mts.  They moved to Souris in 1906 where he managed an elevator and was rural mail carrier.  They came to McKenzie County in 1910 and filed on a  homestead in Garden Township.  While they lived on the Axel Johnson farm in the summer of 1912, a tornado destroyed all the buildings on the place.  The granary in which they were sleeping left the ground just as Mrs. Skoglund woke up and called to her husband to grab the children.   They managed to escape but with possessions scattered all over the prairies.  Mr. Skoglund scantily clad went to a neighbor, P. G. Anrstrad for help.

They had 5 children. 

Original Homesteaders, Axel S. Johnson

We are digging into the history of each property we are reclaiming old buildings here at Old Barn Woods to tell a little bit about the original homesteaders and as much information as we can find.  We have found old photos and video from the first property which was homesteaded by Axel Johnson that we will be sorting and adding as well over time.  Below is a brief history about the original old homesteader for property number 1.  

Axel S. Johnson was born on Sept. 27, 1878, at Skara, VAstor-Gootland, Sweden.  He emigrated to the U.S. in 1899 and came to Buffalo, Minn.  Shortly thereafter he went to Galesburg, North Dakota, where he worked on farms.

In 1905, he and his brothers Otto and Algot came to Mckenzie County and each filed on a homestead in Tobacco Garden Township.  In 1911 he leased his homestead to Mr. Charles Skoglund and went to Canada and filed on a homestead in Alberta.  He made his home there for three years.

While he was in Canada, a tornado struck the buildings on his homestead in Tobacco Garden and destroyed the house, barn and granary.  Only the Sod House was undamaged.

In 1914 he moved back to the U.S. and was employed as a carpenter in Minneapolis for two years. 

On August 22, 1916, he married Clara M. Anderson who was born on March 28, 1890, at Ettebra, Blekinge: Sweden and came to the U.S. in 1909

In 1917 they moved to his original homestead in Garden Township where they lived until Mrs. Johnson died in July 1954.  Mr Johnson died in February of 1962.

They were blessed with four sons and three daughters.