Wayback Wednesday: What's with the Red Barn?

Parkland’s architecture is pretty consistent throughout, but there are two structures that just don't fit in. So, what’s the story behind the red barn?

Undated photo of the McMillan-Ehler barn and corn crib. From Parkland Archives.

First, a little background: the barn, along with a farmhouse, was built in 1909 by Fremont and Laura McMillan. The corn crib was built in 1950 by their daughter Lois' husband, William H. Ehler.  Widowed by 1967, Lois Ehler owned or held in trust the bulk of the land identified as the building site for Parkland College -- nearly 122 acres of the 140 acre tract selected by the college. As you can imagine, it was no easy task to sell the land that had belonged to her family for more than a century.

Aerial photo circa 1967 of Ehler residence, barn and corn crib. From Parkland Archives.

The Parkland College board had identified this tract of land, called the Seeber-Mattis tract, as the best site for Parkland’s permanent campus. It had the easiest access and was most centrally located in District 505. A cooperative agreement made with the Champaign Park District made the land even more attractive. Offers were made to all parties to purchase the land. Yet, Mrs. Ehler protested to the Illinois Junior College Board.

Dr. Staerkel, by all accounts a genuinely warm and kind man, invited her to stay in the house for the remainder of her life, and promised her that, as long as he was connected to the college, the barn would remain a landmark at Parkland. Mrs. Ehler chose to accept the offer and relocate, but not before removing various flowering plants from around the homestead. An excerpt from a letter sent around that time, humorously indicates relief that the conflict was resolved:

“Also, Mrs. Ehler has some flowers and flowering shrubs around the house which she desires to remove. She will do this in the early fall, or sooner if possible. Her grandson also carries a very large shotgun.”

July 8, 1968, from Parkland’s legal counsel, Donald R. Aldeen, to Oscar Lanphar, Parkland College Business manager.

Upon later reflection, Mrs. Ehler had come to terms with the agreement, indicating that she was pleased that since she had to give up her home, it was “going for a college,” and that those she had worked with from the college itself had been “very lovely” to her.  According to William Froom, Parkland’s first board chairman, Mrs. Ehler had related to him and Dr. Staerkel that, while she was displeased at first, she felt that they had arrived at the happiest solution. (From Parkland Works: a 1966-2001 History, by Sally Foster Wallace)