Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-04-06
BARLOW RANCH WITH ITS ENG
LIsH MANSION PASSES FROM
OWNER.
SALE MARKS ANOTHER
INCIDENT IN UNIQUE TALE
Captain Barlow Sought to Establish
System of Tenantry in Woodbury.
County, lowa-BuiIt Ten Tenement
Houses, and Thirty Room Mansion
For Himself and Family.

Sioux City, April 6.-Most Iowa peo-
pie have known more or less of the
Barlow ranch, located ten miles east
of Sioux City, in Woodbury. and Floyd
townships. Its sale by Capt. A K. Bar
low of Essex, Eng, to c. L. Voss of
Denison, Iowa, for consideration OF
about $4,000 is just being completed.
Negotiations had been going on for
several weeks.
The tract sold to Mr. Voss comprises
1,75S acres, being the balance of the
3.000-acre ranch Captain Barlow pur-
chased thru John Pierce in 1880. 1t
was raw prairie land when Captain
Barlow came into possession of il, and
the consideration was about $4,000. In
the last twenty years 1859 acres have
been sold in small tracts of eighty and
100 acres, and altogether the prices at
which the various sales have realized
totals close o the 100000 mark
Uniue History of Land.
Mr.. Noss, the new owner, intends to
cut the ranch up into small traucs and
dispose of them. 1t means several more
families are TO be added to the eoun-
TVS population, while the land itself
will receive better cultivation and con-
sequently better yield of products.
In 1873 a few Engiishmen came di-
rect to Sioux City from Great Britain.
They We're men OF means and more or
less experienced in agriculture under
British methods. Captains Bayley and
birmingham, both of whom, with Cap
tain Barlow, had won titles in the
British army, were among the num-
Der Others from Great Britain follow
ed in the seven succeeding years, until
in 1850 the English colony in Wood
bury and Plymouth county numbered
about 80
To Establish English Estate.
Bayley and birmingham We're capti-
waited with their new surroundings and
were responsible for the arrival in 1880
of Captain Barlow and family. 1t had
been the purpose of Captain Barlow,
before he left England, to establish here
an English estate on the system pre-
vailing at home, with himself as the
duke-lord of the manor.
On the large purchase made thru
John Pierce he built ten tenement
houses. and at the same time Barlow
hall, a thirty-room solid brick struc-
lure with slate roof, was constructed.
In the ten years the landlord lived
there many of the best people OF Sioux
City, as we'll as acquaintances from
abroad were entertained. The large
house, with its spacious dance hall. was
seldom without invited guests, and the
host and hostess were tireless in their
efforts at making every guest feel the
cordial welcome It was the genuine
English hospitality. and captivated the
lucky visitors.
System of Tenantry.
Captain Barlow began his English
system of tenantry as soon as he was
established at Barlow ranch. The ten
ants. retainers and servants were sub
jected to the rigid rules of landlord SUI
pervision prevailing in England. and it
did not work. The young Englishmen,
whom he secured from abroad, were
speedily AmericaniZed and could not
be held to farm labor The captain
finally tried American tenants but even
they did not take kindly TO the English
was of ma naging a ranch and after ten
wears of an earnest effort to introduce
British landlordism in the United
States he gave up in disgust and re-
turned to his old home at Essex, where
he now lives and where he is officially
known as the esquire of his village.
Soon after the captain located at
Barlow hall a sensation was created by
the theft Of the family silver plate and
furs. 1t was estimated at the time the
loss figured $4,000. and the best de-
tectives in the country worked on the
case for some time, but without sue
cess. Twenty years later the present
tenant, Mr. Brunck, had occasion to
repair the flooring of the barn, where
he uncovered the lost articles between
the rafters. The valuable furs had been
completely destroyed by rats and
moths, but the silver plate was care
fully packed by Thorpe e. Foberg,
jewelers.. and shipped to Captain Bar
lows home in England.
English Manor Style.
Barlow hall occupies a slightly posi-
ton on hill and faces little east Of
south. It Is built in English manor
style and is L shape, 100 by 40 feet in
size. The highest part of the roof
which is of slate, is fifty feet from the
ground. There are twenty-eight rooms
in the house. The first room entered
from the front door is a spacious dance
hall, heated by large fireplace, over
which is a mirror about seven feet
from the floor. The rooms are large
and many of the connecting doors are
arched The stained glass, of which
there is considerable in different parts
of the mansion, and much of the orna-
mental woodwork, were imported from
England The keystone in the arch
over the main entrance bears the Eng
Iisfl coat of arms and also the date OF
the erection of the hall, 1880. The en-
laoatad la1r 6renlanaS and