The Dry Creek Historical Society holds its biggest fundraiser of the year on Sunday from noon to five at the Schick-Ostolasa Farmstead in Hidden Springs, just north of Boise.
The event brings history to life with so many activities for children and their families to enjoy while teaching people what life was like in this area in the 1800s.
"We are going to have wood carvings, hand weavers, blacksmiths, a cream separator demonstration, butter-making activities for children, and music," said Cindi Elliot, the President of the Dry Creek Historical Society. "We are going to have everything, as well as food, a silent auction, a bake sale, a flower sale, and all of the money we raise goes towards this Farmstead and helping us maintain it."
Front and center in that effort is the Barn Whisperer, Frank Eld, who began a restoration project on the historic barn at the Schick-Ostolasa Farmstead four years ago.
"You are looking at the oldest barn in Ada County, built somewhere around 1865, it could be the oldest barn in Idaho that is still standing," said Eld. "I listened to this barn and I said, 'There is a story here.'"
Eld used clues to figure out the history of this barn. Square nails told him it was built before 1890 when round nails were invented. The huge beams and posts told him this style of barn was not how people built barns in Idaho. And he found something else inside the barn.
"The coup de grace was I found his axe," said Eld. "A broad axe only has one purpose, and that is to hew beams. He put it up on the beam and it stayed there for 150 years until yours truly, the Barn Whisperer, said 'Hey, there is the story here.'"
Eld determined that this barn was built New England style, and learned that Phillip Schick came to Idaho from New York and was the first settler in the Hidden Springs area.
"There's no doubt that's where his inspiration came from because that's what he knew," said Eld.
Frank Eld restores buildings, but he first learned about this historic barn while attending graduate school at Boise State. Frank graduated last year with a Master's in Applied Historical Research at the age of 78.
"It was fun, everybody talks about my graduation party," laughed Eld.
The barn whisperer shows us that it's never too late to learn something new while following your passion, and that's just one of the stories people can find on Sunday at Old Time Farm Day.
"My whole life has been involved with doing restoration of buildings, it is what I enjoy," said Eld. "I love it, I love buildings. That is all I can say, I love buildings."
Tickets for Old Time Farm Day cost $30 per family or eight dollars per person with children three and under getting in free.
