This barn, built around 1860, was once part of a stagecoach stop on the trail from Waterloo to Eldora. In the days of the stagecoach, there was a scale to weigh grain and horses were fed, watered and bedded down in this barn. Originally, the structure was about 100 feet longer than the present structure, but a tornado in 1949 ripped off the side portion.

Travelers were taken across the road to the Cottrell House, which had 21 to 27 rooms for sleeping and dining and was used as a stopover site. The home was destroyed by fire, and a private residence now stands in its place.