With our community spirit and can-do attitudes, there's nothing Nebraskans can't do when we set our minds to it. The perfect example occurred in the small town of Bruno in 1988. Herman Ostry and his family had a barn that needed to be moved out of the way of floodwaters. After obtaining quotes from various moving companies, the family decided that they simply couldn't afford to have the barn moved the conventional way. So they did what any other Nebraskan family would do: they hatched a seemingly crazy plan and then asked their neighbors to pitch in. This weird story about Nebraska is one you must hear.
The barn in question (not pictured here, but similar) weighed nearly 6,640 pounds.
He reasoned that if a large group of people were band together to physically pick up the barn to move it, the weight each person had to carry would be manageable.
He figured that the steel grid needed to stabilize the barn and give people handholds would add an additional 3,100 pounds, making the total weight just under five tons.
So by his calculations, if 350 people pitched in to pick up the barn and move it, each one would only need to carry about 55 pounds.
So that's what they did.
Because we Nebraskans are such helpful people - and because, let's face it, we love being part of a good story - 344 volunteers stepped up to do the job.
They moved the barn, is what is perhaps the most literal definition of a "barn raising" ever.
The town of Bruno is close-knit and proud, and this epic barn moving is one of their greatest triumphs.
You can watch this incredible feat for yourself:
The town of Bruno incorporated the unconventional barn "raising" into their centennial celebration in July of 1988. It really was a perfect example of the community coming together to support a neighbor. On the day of the move, more than 4,000 spectators turned up to watch the event. News crews even came out to catch the whole event on film. It only took a few minutes to move the barn from its original location to its new foundation on higher ground. But from the looks of it, the barn movers had a great time taking part in this memorable project.
This weird story about Nebraska is actually pretty heartwarming and epitomizes the heart of the people in our state. In fact, Nebraska small towns really are the best places to live; here are 10 shining examples of small-town life at its finest.
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