Revealing History at an Old Red Barn
John Gamble looked as if he might be as full of stories as the old red barn he’s restoring in West Des Moines’ Commerce area, and as if he might be willing to come down from his perch to spin a few of them.
Standing in bright October sunshine chilled by a brisk breeze, he didn’t disappoint. The barn sheltered horses once upon a time, a fact betrayed by the stalls inside and thick walls sturdy enough to withstand a horse’s hoof kicked in excitement.
As he scraped curling, peeling red paint to expose barn board, he revealed bits of himself, too – about serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War, about his work at Deere Engineering, about growing up as a “southern Iowa farm boy.”
As for what he was doing on Thursday, he offered with a glint in his eye, “I’m an almost southern Iowa farm boy painting a barn that’s almost in southern Iowa.”
And then, winking as he returned to his perch, he claimed it was forced labor.
Beth Dalbey/West Des Moines Patch
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When we were launching...Eyes & Ears Tumbr accounts across Iowa, I think I had
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