Sometimes history can’t be preserved in its entirety, but can be kept alive in portions.
Texas County resident Joseph Neal has embraced that concept, and has more or less made it his mission to apply it to one integral aspect of local history: Barns.
Neal, who lives in the Bado area west of Cabool, owns a business called “Junkin’ Joe’s & Landscape Pros.” But that name doesn’t indicate what he and his crew spend most of their time doing, because their main objective is dismantling old barns and selling the barn wood to people who repurpose it in the creation of various items and products.
To Neal, the job means far more than making money selling planks.
“When these buildings get pushed over and burned, it breaks my heart,” he said. “By doing this, I feel like I’m helping preserve a piece of this area’s heritage.”
Much of the wood Neal sells goes to Texas County resident Brooke Hamilton, who uses it to create furniture and other items for her Grindstone Design business. Much more is procured by a buyer in South Dakota, while smaller amounts go to various local residents for specific projects and purposes.
After boards are removed one by one by hand, the rest of a given barn is then carefully pulled down using a tractor and chains.
“Once we get down to the nitty-gritty, what’s left falls over like an accordion,” Neal said.
Neal said most of the barns in the area consist primarily of oak and pine. He has already painstakingly taken down several since making them his business’ preeminent focus last year, and last week dismantled an 80-year-old structure on Highway 17 about five miles east of Houston that bore some architectural traits unusual in the region.
A wall inside a barn being dismantled east of Houston bears numerous sets of initials.
Neal said he had had his sights set on that specific barn for a long time and it was Hamilton who helped make his acquisition of it possible.
“I’m so happy I was able to do this,” Neal said. I didn’t want to see it end up like so many others.”
Neal removed three ornate lightning rods from the top of the barn, and a vintage hay trolley that was inside it has been claimed by a local cattle farmer.
“It’s important to me that things like that stay local,” Neal said.
Carvings of many sets of initials and one full name were found on several boards inside the barn. Neal said he had no way of knowing how long ago they were made, but he wanted to give the boards to the people who had carved them, or their relatives.
Individual initials included BW, DO, EH, HW, JW, RM and TP. One couple’s initials were found: CM and GM. The full name was Earle.
Neal is a former Army heavy equipment operator and has a bachelor’s degree in business. He compensates the people whose barns he razes, and sincerely considers his efforts a contribution to societal posterity.
“I don’t just run a business,” Neal said. “It’s a company that’s trying to make a difference. We’re focused on establishing relationships and friendships, all while securing a better tomorrow for the ones we love. If you’re like me, you love this beautiful place in the Ozarks. It’s up to each and every one of us to make a difference and it’s important to me to preserve history and secure a better future for our local youth.
The most recent barn to be dismantled by Texas County resident Joseph Neal and his crew before they began their work. A trio of lightning rods are visible on top.
“I know I won’t earn the business of everyone I give a bid to. But perhaps more importantly, I’ll help to encourage prospective clients to take pride in their properties, their communities and this great country we are all so blessed to live in.”
Neal believes improving the Texas County community begins with steps taken internally.
“True change occurs when we begin to respect ourselves,” he said. “That’s the first step in rooting out the things that have put a stain on this community such as methamphetamine. Together, we can give future generations a home in which they can be proud of.”
Neal said he has 11 barns scheduled to be dismantled.
“I’d be happy if I had 50,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere – this is what I’m going to do.”
To reach Neal about arranging to have a barn dismantled or to discuss the carved initials, call 417-217-8418.
Professional barn dismantler Joseph Neal walks in front of an 80-year-old barn he and his crew dismantled last week on Highway 17 about five miles east of Houston. Neal sells much of the old wood to people who repurpose it in the creation of new items and products.