This old barn lantern was made by C. T. Ham Mfg.

For more than a hundred years farmers have carried lanterns like this out in the wee hours of the morning as they go to bring in the cows for milking, or in the winter when the sun sets early and they have milking and other chores to do in the barn.
The lantern was set on a shelf or hung on a hook to brighten the dim interior of the straw strewn barn. There was always a risk that the lantern might fall or get knocked over and start a fire.
The warm glow that they emit cannot be compared to the stark brightness of the florescent fixtures of today but from a safety point of view we are so fortunate.

Today lanterns like these remind us of the “good old days.”

It reminds me of days spent on my uncle and grandfather’s farms. What about you?  - Jenny