“A difficult circumstance doesn’t produce character…it reveals it.”
~Reverend Josiah Crawford, in an address to the Members
of the Alabama Southern Baptist Convention, 1931.
For some, hard times bring out the very worst of what’s inside of them. For others, challenging circumstances and overwhelming odds somehow serve as inspiration to rise above adversity and accomplish extraordinary things.
Elijah Filley, a Nebraska farmer, belongs in the latter category.
In the midst of the great grasshopper plague of 1874, many of those who farmed the State’s southeastern plains were making plans to return to their former lives and occupations back east. All but done in, Nebraska’s cruel demeanor had crushed the hopes and dreams of even the most stalwart farmer.
Realizing that the defection of the area’s new families meant certain disaster for all, Elijah Filley hired on those who had been hit hardest by the plague and put them to work building a community stone barn–the very first of its kind in Nebraska.
By erecting the building out of stone, it ensured that every family’s crops would remain safe as the structure would be largely impenetrable to insects and inclement weather.
Through the courage demonstrated by Filley, area farmers regained their confidence and became more self-reliant as the years passed–and they became inseparable as neighbors and friends.
For his courage and ability to unite others, Elijah Filley is still remembered today.
The Filley Stone Barn remains a treasured landmark in southeastern Nebraska. It was placed on the National Historic Registry in 1977. It stands as a reminder of all that’s good and decent and right about the fortitude of small farming communities.
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