Discovering an art studio in an ancient milk barn was certainly serendipitous on my part. While artist incognito, Guy Wann, took me on a tour around his barn; he flung open the milk parlor door and proudly stated, “And here’s my studio!” I’m sure I looked at him entirely stupefied. I had been wandering around the valley snooping out barns for last fall’s article: Barns of Heber Valley. I arrived entirely unannounced and knocked on his door. After no answer, I proceeded to leave the property — slowly — rubbernecking as I went. I was thrilled when Guy startled me by calling out and asking if I was interested in the barn.
As his four resident kittens affectionately meandered around my pant leg, I took in the unforeseen, yet exciting, situation. I couldn’t believe I had landed in an artist’s nook! The spontaneous nature of this encounter hinted at the aleatory story of the man before me and his art.
In 2008, during the heat of the recession, Guy Wann, a plumbing contractor by trade for 18 years, had been to the doctor six times. His doctor told him, “You have got to get a hobby or you’re going to have a heart attack.” So, he packed his bags and went to visit his mom just north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Wann’s mother is an artist; painting with watercolors and acrylics. As Guy and his mother were strolling around an art show he asked if she thought he could make art.
She assured him it was genetic, his grandmother had also been an artist; an oil painter to be exact. He went home inspired and began to paint. The medium of choice for his distinct style is…wait for it…exterior house paint and beach sand! I know! Right? Who does that? Well, if you live in Heber, one of your neighbors.
Guy didn’t have the financial means to take professional lessons of any kind, so he started watching YouTube videos. He’s been told since what a blessing that was. Often, professionally trained painters are influenced so heavily by their education that it is more difficult to break through and create their own style. Things tended to just fall together for Guy and his quirky technique that developed in a most original way.
Inevitably, when you visit the beach you bring a little souvenir home…every time…sand. While living in California, after a day at the beach, his wife and kids accidentally scattered sand where he was painting. Guy loved the accidental outcome! Wann came up with this wild idea to lay down paint and add beach sand — and voilà, Guy Wann’s unique style of painting was created! Guy shared the process: as the paint dries the sand adheres, then he paints over it and adds more sand to create a one-of-a-kind relief. Wann chuckled telling me how he goes through brushes like crazy! He’s literally painting sandpaper! When Guy moved from California to Heber, he brought 400 pounds of sand with him. “Every time I go back, I get a bucket to bring home.” Now, the sand spillage is quite intentional.
All that sand on the artwork gets heavy. Thank goodness Guy is handy – and admittedly thrifty. He builds his own framework to stretch his canvases. The frames of his canvases are much sturdier than the run-of-the-mill found at an art supply store. Not only does this provide a sturdier base for his incredible artwork, but it also makes for some pretty dramatic shapes and sizes for his paintings. The long, tall paintings are my personal favorite! They add such drama and maximize otherwise difficult spots to display fine art. Another cool aspect of Guy’s art is that it’s tactile. Wann has had clients purchase his relief-laden pieces for the blind to enjoy fine art through touch. His art really is a feast for the senses.
As an Ojai, California native, Guy began painting oranges at the onset of his artistic adventures. He was invited to sell his art on Saturdays at the 5 Diamond Resort, Ojai Valley Inn and Spa. Oranges and high-end California clientele were a magical combination, and Guy’s art sold like hotcakes. He’s been through spurts of quite a range of artistic subject matters. There was a stent of pomegranates that sold well in Saudi Arabia and Dubai. Swiss-inspired paintings followed a Viking cruise and a week in Switzerland. After moving from the beach to the heart of the mountains, his focus shifted to aspens, barns, sunflowers, and birds. The vibrant, rich colors hop scenes with him. Wann’s paintings are in 20 different countries.
His life is as eclectic as his paintings. He wheels and deals in crypto, and is currently building a website to mint coins. He also travels the world fishing. His most recent adventure was a 15-day trip to the Philippines, fishing off the shores of the islands. If you’re an artist, a crypto dealer, and a globe-traveling fisherman, why wouldn’t you be an author too? He has self-published a handful of painting books he sells on Amazon.
Guys’s art literally brings pieces of a faraway beach to our mountain valley; each grain of sand combining with the paint to create a visual delight. So, go and and take a random tour of Old McDonald’s Farm, learn about the history of the barn, and peruse Guy’s amazing art! He has a stockpile in the studio where you’re sure to find the right piece for your space.
The traditional country barn stands as an iconic figure of yesteryear. If you were “raised in a barn” like I was, you’ll remember how dust filters through rafters and dances in the sunlight, the soothing rhythms of rain as it pitter-patters on a tin roof during a summer shower, and the sweet, permeating smell of new hay. If not, you may be able to imagine.
As time slips by, a vast majority of those, now, old barns in the valley have fallen into disrepair and quietly crumbled to the ground; slipping away with the people of their time. However, lucky for us, there are a few choice specimens and existing landmark buildings left around the valley. Join me on a tour as we visit a few exemplar classics.
Let’s start north of town at Old McDonald’s Farm…I’m not kidding! It’s the real deal!
McDonald Barn
In May of 1859 a Mormon pioneer party arrived north of where Heber would be established at a natural spring. They named the spring London in honor of their home country. Prior to World War II, Storm McDonald was a car salesman in Heber.
Photo credit: Guy Wann
During the war he was unable to get inventory, and determined there was more money to be made in dairy cows than cars. He sold his automobile business and built a big red barn at the mouth of London Spring and began milking. McDonald had one of the largest dairies in the valley. He skimmed his cream and sent it by train to Cherry Hill Dairy in Provo. Today, the barn is being restored by artist, Guy Wann and his wife Jane. The couple has invested over $100,000 jacking the barn up and reinforcing it, securing and shoring up portions for modern use. Guy rummages at yard sales finding antiques to add to the property. The barn is now home to four barn kittens, a small herd of goats, and Guy’s art studio. Just to the side of the barn is the original ‘Caretaker’s Cottage’ now an Airbnb. You can watch the happenings on the farm at their YouTube channel, Life on our Mini Farm.
Old McDonald’s Farm: Contact Guy & Jane Wann 805-220-8181 guywann.com | 2500 N Highway 40 Heber City
Kohler’s Dairy Barn
For almost 100 years, generations of the Kohler family have continued to work their family’s dairy farm. Russel Kohler’s great-great grandfather made cheese in Switzerland; his great-grandfather worked in the original Midway Creamery; and now, Russel works the dairy that has been in the family since 1929. In 2011, the family built a new creamery and began using their farm’s milk to handcraft and age artisan cheese. We are all very blessed to still have this working dairy in the valley. Stop by the barn for a tour, and enjoy some delicious, rich and creamy milk, a slice or two of their award winning chesses, and some yummy ice cream.
This large red and white barn was originally built in 1875 by Swiss Immigrant (and my common relative), Andreas Burgener, using mortise and tenon style construction – no nails are used in the build. Seven generations later it has been lovingly restored, by his posterity and current owner, Rick Tatton. Rick has gone to great lengths to maintain and renovate the property; staying true to the fundamental craftsmanship. Tatton named the barn after his grandfather Conrad Boss. This quaint, yet pristine property now includes much more than just the original barn. It’s the whole shebang! The barnyard is complete with a henhouse, outdoor stone kitchen, smokehouse, outhouse, garage, cellar, granary, spring, and home. The original Burgener family lived in the top of the granary until construction of the house was completed. Rick and Connie Tatton’s preservation and attention to detail shows in everything they have done. In 1995, the barn was recognized nationally by the Barn Again! Program. It has received multiple Civic Beautification awards and is designated as a State of Utah Century Farm. The Tattons enjoy sharing their story with those interested and are always up for offering a little hometown hospitality.
The Tate Barn stands proud on the west side of the valley. The one story hay barn, built by English immigrant, Francis Tate, at the turn of the 20th century is built on local pot rock, and was used on the Tate’s cattle and horse ranch. Ironically, the Southern Pacific Railroad, Ogden-Lucin Cutoff Trestle was also constructed in the same year – 1902-1904 to be exact. The trestle bridge spanned the Great Salt Lake. In 1961 Wasatch State Park acquired the Tate Barn, and unfortunately, in 1996 the barn collapsed due to heavy snow loads. In preparation for the 2002 Olympic Games, and to offer a symbol of the American West to the Soldier Hollow venue, the barn was restored using the wood from the Ogden-Lucin Cutoff trestle. Today, the reconstructed barn is used for storage by the state park.
Fun Fact: There is a geocache near the Tate Barn! Check it out at geocaching.com and happy hunting!
Tate Barn: midwaycityut.org/visit For more info visit the Midway Visitor Center | 1281 Warm Springs Road Midway
Rustling Aspen Farm Barn
The old Probst Dairy Barn was built in 1948 as a hay and dairy barn. Back in its glory days, hay would be stacked to the very top. There are large iron grapple hooks hanging from the rafters that were used to move the hay to the top floor and wooden slat ladders creep up the walls. The old dairy cow stanchions are still in the traditional milk parlor, where cows are milked, on the north end of the barn. A stanchion is a contraption used to hold cattle in place as they’re milked. It runs the length of the parlor and catches each cow’s neck to hold them steady and allow them to feed as they’re milked. Afterwards, they return either outdoors or to a loafing area. Current owners, Rodger and Sue Pyper purchased the old barn and surrounding barnyard in 1983 from Joe Probst. Today, the Pypers use the barn to store hay for their horses, produce organic compost materials, and to hang garlic as it cures for their son and farmer, Chris. Chris’s organic vegetable and flower farm, Rustling Aspen Farm, is currently housed on the property. Behind the barn are three greenhouses and land used for production of organic vegetables and flowers. Chris is the founder of the Midway Farmers Market. Stop by on a Saturday June through October from 10-2 and grab some veggies and a bouquet grown in the company of this majestic old barn.
84 year old Midway resident, Martin Bollschweiler was raised on this property. His mother, Norma Martin, moved with her parents and siblings to the little farmstead in 1929 when her family sold their original farm to the Kohlers (where Kohler Dairy is now). Originally, there was a large milk barn and hay shed behind the old granary. The cellar was built using local pot rock, it is cool and musty, the perfect place to store bottled fruit and root vegetables. There are small, aged doors in the top of the granary and chutes for the grain to flow through the top portion of the build. Martin tells stories of his mother in an old rock building out behind the granary and the house where she did her wash and hung it to dry in the country air. That crisp wash would bring a little sunshine to the home. His father, Henry Bollschweiler, hauled milk to the surrounding areas. As the years passed, Martin’s brother Reed and sister Rosann moved away, but Martin kept the old home and ran a small engine repair from the old garage and cellar. I caught up with Martin just days before he left for Spring Gardens Senior Living Community in Heber. If you’d like more tales of Midway and Heber Valley go by and visit him. He’d sure appreciate the company, and you’ll be blessed with learning about a little piece of our history.
Batty Barn at the Old Fort Wallsburg and Spring Creek
Joe and Marcia Young took me around the old dairy barn tucked back off the road on the old Batty Family Dairy. Young grew up on the property and lives there today. Joe was able to take a cabin from the old fort built in 1865 and restore it on his current property adjoining the barnyard. Looking closely at both the barn and the fort cabin you can see the joints carefully carved to interlock the red pine logs. Red Pine was used specifically to prevent rot. Over 150 years later it has proved to be a wise choice.
Smack dab in the middle of town sits the 1869 homestead of James Stacy Murdock. His great-granddaughter, Joyce Bailey, now holds down the fort. Stop by and admire the two beautiful hay barns, the loafing sheds, two granaries, a handful of sheds, a chicken coop, and a pot-rock root cellar. The big board barn on the south started out two blocks away on a neighboring farm. In the time of Joyce’s father, the family pulled it with teams of horses, rolling over logs, and brought it to the homestead. Joyce remorsefully tells of a little blacksmith shop that once sat on the property. She donated it to the 2002 Olympics, and it now sits in Midway. She’d love to have the original billows return home. The property is smattered with pot rock hauled from Midway and sandstone from James Stacy Murdock’s quarry.
The Calvin and Amber Giles family lived on the east side of Heber, but their dairy was on the west side of town. Cal and his boys would get up early to milk each morning. George Giles, Cal’s cousin, was a policeman in town and would regularly come by at 5:00 am to haul all of them to milk in the morning. If the car wouldn’t start, they’d have to hoof it across town. The boys consistently missed their first period. Things clearly weren’t working. Calvin and Amber determined something had to be done. In 1950, after the banker called Cal’s neighbors to verify his strong work ethic, he was granted a $50,000 loan to build his big hay barn, a milk barn, and his house where the cows were. Their son, Lew, worked for the Forest Service and was able to secure timber to build their barn.
Calvin, now 98, reminisces about a time when there were no grocery stores, and families had to produce their own food. “There were barns on every corner of Heber Valley. Every family had 7-8 cows, 2-3 pigs, 3-4 sheep, and a dozen or two chickens, and that is how everyone survived. Big gardens were a necessity, and food was bottled and canned. They were thrifty people.” Calvin milked 40 cows, and butter was 2¢ a pound! Now that butter is $5 a pound, the cows are all gone, and Calvin’s granddaughter and her husband own the barns and are making plans to restore the big hay barn.
While visiting each of these historic barns, I had the privilege of meeting some extraordinary people who were happy to share their stories. I invite you to take time out of your busy schedules and go for a ride around town. Imagine a simpler time, talk to the ‘old timers,’ and get to know them and their stories. If we are to value our future, we must treasure our Heber Valley’s past.
