Barn raising was always a big event in the community. Most often it was a busy time with a good outcome. There were barn raisings that turned tragic. The Gazette story that follows is no relation to the barn in the photo but serves to tell of the dangers of construction in the olden days.

July 21, 1898
Two Accidents
The raising of Mr. Robert Murray's large new barn at his farm on the I3th Concession, East Zorra, near this village, occurred yesterday and was the occasion of two accidents, both of which narrowly escaped being fatal. About ten o’clock in the forenoon while one of the bents was being raised a pike-pole became loose and fell, striking Mr. Murray upon his head. He fell unconscious to the floor, and it was at first thought he was dead. Dr. Steele was at once sent for and found the skull was not broken and he left the patient much improved. Half an hour afterwards Louis Roi lost his balance while working at the top, and fell a distance of 16 feet to the floor. In his passage down his head struck a beam and he fell on his head on the floor. He also was picked up for dead and carried outside of the barn to the grass where the Doctor attended to his injuries, and he was taken home in the afternoon. At this time of writing (3 p.m.) he is still unconscious although there is every reason to hope he will recover. There was no racing of “sides” at this raising, both mishaps being the result of accidents.