Barrett

The Barrett Community is located 7 miles straight north of Kellogg. In an earlier day, a family moved to the area with the name of Barrett and settled on the quarter section to the northeast corner of the intersection. The house that was constructed was built with the stage coach in mind. The main stairs in the center of the house opened right out the front door and porch which the stage passengers could get off the coach. The old hitching rails were also in evidence of the early day traffic.

In the northeast corner of the intersection, the rural one room school was built; Barrett No. 6. Across the road south of the Barrett home and a little west, in 1884, the Presbyterian Church was built. It served the community until 1910. Then it was purchased by area people and was called the Barrett Community Church until 1956 when the structure was sold and moved from it's site. One of the last weddings was that of Mr. and Mrs. John Halbloom. It is thought that the last funeral conducted was for Mrs. Charles Robinson in 1938, (mother of Mrs. Harley Benskins). Rev. Nelson Murdock was the minister and played a significant part in the history of the Barrett Church and community.

Another landmark was the huge cottonwood grove that was north of the school on the Barrett farm. The three cottonwoods that stood alone some distance from the main grove were where some weary travelers were buried. In about 1938, Elias Madoll brought in a portable saw mill and sawed up the huge cottonwoods for lumber. In the mid-1960's when the road was last graded by the church yard, it provided proof that there had been some people buried there in unmarked graves.

In the field 1/8 of a mile west of the school there used to be a prairie home where the Sietmann family of Laurel were born. No trace now remains of this home. Across the road south of the Barney Stecher farm house, there is still coke and metal remnants of what was the area's first blacksmith's home and shop. It served the stage coaches and the early settlers. It is believed that the stage coaches traveled both from Iowa City north to Van Cleave and from Tama to Newton after stopping at the Barrett stage house. The blacksmith shop was on the east side of the farm where Bob Johnson now lives. Today you can still see the wheel rut marks made by the stagecoach in a steep pasture hill south towards Newton.

The original Barrett school was removed and a new one constructed in about 1925. The last structure now stands one mile west and was made into a home.

In the 1930's, the Barrett Homemakers Club was organized by Winona Johnson and Mabel Freese. They made quilts for each member as they met in their homes for the monthly meetings. This club is still active (1983) and meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month, the only living reminder of the rich heritage of the Barrett Community.

Kellogg Historical Society - Vol.III - 1983