Shawano County adds 409th barn quilt

Earlier this year, the 409th barn quilt was added to the Shawano County barn quilt trail, the largest trail of 8-foot by 8-foot barn quilts in the United States. The quilt, named Bridge Over Quiet Waters, is on display at Iron Bridge Farm, N3776 County Road C, near Pulaski, and is owned by Eugene and Lucille Przybylski. It was sponsored by their children, Brian, Bruce, Brent and Brenda, and their spouses, Tina Przybylski and Jeff Tebon, and grandchildren, Dylan, Dawson and Madysen Przybylski and Chloe and Carter Tebon. The quilt was painted and designed by the Shawano County barn quilt committee and was put on display by Leroy and Keenan Raddant, who work for Raddant Electric in Shawano. The iron bridge, built in 1893 by Milwaukee Iron Works, was used to cross the Pensaukee River. Loren Wilson owned the 87-acre farm when County Road C was widened to two lanes. Wilson purchased the bridge and moved it to make a driveway to the farm. Wilson sold the farm to a Thiel family, who sold it to Albert Reinke in 1956. Eugene Przybylski, who was working at Proctor and Gamble, purchased the farm from Reinke in 1971 and initially purchased calves and a few hogs from local farmers to keep the barn warm. Eugene and Lucille Przybylski decided to begin milking cows in addition to Eugene Przybylski continuing to work at the mill. The milk was originally transported in milk cans to Krakow Cheese Factory. Eventually the cheese factory stopped accepting milk in cans and decided to go to milk haulers, which forced the Przybylskis to remodel the milk house by adding a bulk tank and increasing their milking herd. Eugene and Lucille Przybylski decided to stop milking cows and transitioned to raising springing heifers and steers, which they continue to do today. Through the years, many changes occurred on the farm, including removing a pig barn, adding a machine shed, installing tin on the barn, adding a 16-foot 60-foot silo and Quonset shed. Iron Bridge Farm still continues to grow crops and raise animals.