About the Old Barn The fame of the Old Barn began when the founder of the Allis Chalmers Manufacturing Co. (modern day AGCO) purchased the farmland where the Old Barn now stands. When Milwaukee farm equipment manufacturer Edward Allis, founder of the Allis Chalmers Machinery Co., decided that his playboy son Jere should settle down, he purchased a tract of land on the Root River between Preston and Lanesboro. The farm sat on a hill above the decaying milling town of Clear Grit, which had thrived for a few years in the late 1860’s and 1870’s. The mill at Clear Grit was an expansion site for Preston founder and miller John Kaercher. The town had a barrel factory that made containers for the flour and a narrow guage railway connecting it to the Southern Minnesota line. There were a dozen houses and a dance hall that was said to be very busy on Saturday nights! By the end of the 1870’s, however, a grain disease called “wheat smut” damaged much of the crop, and many farmers began to move farther west. John Kaercher found himself overextended financially, and Edward Allis, who had a mechanic’s lien against the mill, became the sole proprietor of the mill in January 1882. His son Jere came to manage the mill and stayed to farm, raising, in turn, Poland China hogs, purebred Holstein cattle and finally race horses. When Jere decided to milk Holsteins he built a barn 50 by 100 feet, four stories high, with all the modern improvements and stall room for 75 cattle. Later Jere became interested in race horses and is supposed to have had 20 trotters in his stable that he entered in competition at county and state fairs. The farm had two private race tracks, and the barn was then fitted with a tack room and living quarters for stable hands. Emma Allis, Jere’s wife, cultivated a variety of flowers, and the farm became a center for social activities, drawing people from miles around for dances, basket socials, ball games and ice skating and skiing in the winter. The socializing must have gotten out of hand because Jere and Emma were divorced in 1889, the same year his father died. Edward had not trusted his son’s management skills, so on his death left the farm in trust for Jere and his offspring. Jere and a second wife, Gladys, eventually gained control of the farm but were forced to sell it in 1906 to a local land speculator for a mere $15,000, making it one of the biggest land bargains in Fillmore County history! Vernon Michel purchased the farm with its immense barn in 1988, just before the official opening of the Root River State Trail, intending to restore the barn to its former glory and develop a campground. Two years later, following extensive remodeling, repairs and new construction, the barn and farm were transformed into The Old Barn Resort, offering a full range of services to passing hikers and bikers as well as to overnight guests. Doug Brenna and Shirley Endres, originally from small towns around the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, purchased the property in late 1996 and have continued to take the business to a more complete “resort” feel. They have added the 18-hole golf course facilities, remodeled the restaurant and bar, made changes to the pool patio area, added a large playset and as always continue to make improvements to the physical facilities to update guest amenities. They work closely with their incredible staff to assure that you feel at home and enjoy your stay. So please feel free to comment or make suggestions to any staff member about the resort and amenities. Our staff are more like friends than employees. We would like you to think so, too! The Old Barn Resort | 24461 Heron Rd, Preston, MN 55965 | (507) 467-2512  (800) 552-2512 | Privacy | © 2011 Prestige Media   Kaercher Mill See “Resurrecting the Old Barn” slide show. For more history you'll just have to come see it for yourself!