Historic barn pictures sought

Whitman County’s WSU extension agent Steven Van Vleet is looking to add a touch of history to his annual calendar spotlighting barns in Whitman County.

For three years, Van Vleet’s calendars have been popular fixtures in homes and offices around the county.

The $5 calendar is a top seller, with proceeds benefitting the county’s rural library district.

Each month features a different shot of a barn in that month’s weather. Van Vleet regularly takes pictures of barns as he drives the farm-barn-dotted expanse of the Palouse for his job. He first published a calendar of county barns in 2009 and sold 250.

This year, Van Vleet is asking anyone with pictures of long standing barns which were taken when the barns were newly built to bring them by either his office in the Public Service Building or the Whitman County library to be scanned and included in the calendar.

“We just thought it would be nice to celebrate the history of these old barns,” he said.

Ideally, the debut pictures could be paired with present views to provide a “then-and-now” feel to each month’s display.

Pictures are needed by the first of October, as the calendar will be designed by the middle of the month for a release around Halloween for the Christmas shopping season.