One of the things I find surprising is how we can so easily overlook what we are looking at. To illustrate this I have shown below a family photo that I know I have looked at hundreds of times. Like most people, I tended to focus on what the photographer was looking at—namely the two individuals examining what appears to be some sort of fowl (pheasant or turkey?).
I recognized of course that the photo was taken outside of the “summer kitchen” at my paternal grandfather’s house in Huffman Indiana (described earlier (=below) in this blog). I knew this because of the barn roof rising above who I assume is my grandmother Anne Antonette (Hess) Huffman, and the “smoke house” to the right. When I tried to clean up the photo (removing scratches and spots), I was forced to examine details that I have never bothered to study before. The first thing I noticed was the strange machine at the left and at the top of the hill going down to the barn (see image below to the right). Knowing the interest several of my family have in old farm equipment, I forwarded the photo to my cousins who were raised on the farm. While they did not immediately recognize the machine one pointed out that this was the only photograph she had ever seen with the “horse barn” in it (the building behind the strange implement).
I confess that it had not even registered with me (I didn’t know they had a separate horse barn, and certainly don’t remember ever seeing it!). She also pointed out something that I certainly do remember, the large circular saw blade on the side of the shed (below, image on the left).
While it is not visible in the image, there is a gate next to the smoke shed that was (according to my father, Millard W Huffman) made from the iron grating that was one of the windows of a local jail! I do remember the birdhouse erected in front of the woodpile—it was always there as far as I remember.
If anyone recognizes the "mystery machine" please contact me. Keep in mind that over the years the Huffman's ran grist and saw mills, and used not only water turbines, but also steam engines.
LATEST UPDATES!
While not trying to start family arguments, I think my older brother is correct in that the building by the barn is not a horse barn, but the corn crib. He and I both remember going down with our dad (Millard W) and seeing snakes who liked to feed on the rats that occasionally feasted there. Also, John Kress seems fairly sure that the machine is a large hit and miss engine. John suggests that it is a "IHC (International Harvester), maybe a Titan, about 1910 era."
Since this photo was taken well after the mill was closed, it may have been brought in by a woodcutter who made the rounds cutting wood. Below is a small image I grabbed from the web which certainly lends credulity to his identity, and finally another photo I found that was undoubtedly taken on the same day, of John Harrison Huffman with the engine visible at the far left.
Based on his appearance, I would guess that this was taken in the late 1930's.
