Historic ‘rock farm’ started by Civil War veteran to be topic of March 29 program at the Oregon Depot

OREGON – Jon Barnhart will talk about his rock farm located 3 miles southeast of Oregon that he and his wife, Cindy have owned since 2005, at the Oregon Depot’s “Those Were The Days” March 29 program.

The program will begin at 10 a.m. at the Oregon Depot Museum, 400 Collins St., Oregon.

As a boy, Jon would go fishing with his dad on the Kyte Creek and he was fascinated with the unusual and unique rock farm on the corner of Honey Creek and S. Watertown Roads.

At this farm, there was a stone fence and rocks of every size, shape and color. He learned that Civil War veteran Virgil Reed had owned the home and the farm and had started this unusual collection following the Civil War. It was a lifetime dream of Jon’s to someday own this farm and that opportunity came to him in 2005.

Virgil Reed was born in nearby Daysville, Illinois in 1841 to Lyman and Mehitable Clark Reed. Reed served in Company F, Thirty Fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry as a regimental drummer.

He became a prisoner of war, taken at the Battle of Stone River and for six months was confined in Libby Prison and at Castle Thunder. Abraham Lincoln arranged a prisoner exchange and Virgil was released. Upon release, he immediately reenlisted again as a drummer with his same regiment.

The Thirty Fourth regiment was in active service until the close of the war, engaging in many battles and skirmishes. They were in Sherman’s historic march to the sea, in the grand review in Washington and Reed continued with his regiment until the final muster out at the close of the war.

On receiving his discharge, he returned to his home of Daysville and attended the Mt. Morris Seminary. He was united in marriage on April 3, 1866 to Harriet Carpenter, daughter of John and Louise Chamberlin Carpenter.

The couple had four sons, Leon, Elmer, Ernest and Oscar. It was in about 1867 that Reed began collecting rocks of all sizes from every state in the union, bringing them back to his home.

According to his grandson, Delos Reed, he would dig and pry many of the larger stones from surrounding hillsides, lifting them with levers into a reinforced wagon.

Some of the stones were so large, they had to come in by rail. Reed would move them a little way at a time. One large rock took a whole summer’s spare time to get from the railroad siding near the old Etnyre factory on First Street to his home.

They ranged in size from pebbles to a slab that is estimated to weigh seven tons. Reed would make themed rock formations and carve/chisel the names of the people who gave them to him and the places he found them.

One rock, Reed chiseled the words “Henry Nuppenau, 2nd, 111th Cav., 1901.” Nuppenau is said to have served with Reed in the Civil War.

Frequently, he would carve his own initials, V.E.R into the rocks. When the Model T came into vogue in the early 1900s, anywhere from two to 20 weekend visitors would come around to see this oddity, this collection of rocks of every size, color, shape and other unique items such as an 181 pound blackened charred chain from the Great Chicago fire of 1871. People would send him rocks to add to his collection following their visits.

“Jon has continued Reed’s legacy and greatly expanded upon it. He loves history and enjoys sharing stories of Virgil Reed and this special homestead. You won’t want to miss this presentation,” said Michal Burnett, Oregon Depot volunteer.

For more information about this program or other other Oregon Depot topics, please contact Roger Cain 815-757-9715, Chris Martin 815-742-8471 or Otto Dick 815-440-0639.