A barn, some wire and a man with a vision sparked DeKalb’s “Barb City” legacy.

DeKalb’s place in American history can be attributed to Joseph Farwell Glidden’s invention of “The Winner” barbed wire, patented in 1874. Two other contributors to Glidden’s success were Isaac Ellwood and Jacob Haish.

“Their foresight helped pave the way for development of the American West and helped expand DeKalb as a place to call home,” said Kathy Vance Siebrasse, board president of the Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center, 921 W. Lincoln Highway.

“The patent office recognizes it as one of the top ten patents,” said Richard Glidden, great-great nephew to Joseph Glidden.

Working out of his barn, Joseph Glidden discovered a way to attach the tangs, or barbs, at intervals along smooth wires. The wires were twisted together so the tangs would not slide down the wire.

“Just that simple twisting was what made his wire superior,” Vance Siebrasse said.

Richard Glidden grew up in the Glidden Homestead and now lives in Kankakee.

“It’s important to see how it all came about,” he said. “And to understand what it took to get where we are today.”

The Glidden Homestead has been restored since 1995 as a living-history museum site. Although more than 100 years have passed since their construction in the 1860s, both the house and barn have survived the test of time, Vance Siebrasse said.

Vance Siebrasse said she hopes visitors leave the Glidden Homestead and Historical Center with more than just an educational glimpse into city history.

“Glidden was a very inspirational person for his time,” she said. “We want to keep that spark of enthusiasm alive.”

Plans for future expansion for the museum are still pending. The Glidden family offered the Homestead board the option to purchase property adjacent to the house where The Glidden Campus Florist, 917 W. Lincoln Highway, is currently located.

Vance Siebrasse said Glidden Florist would not go out of business if the board buys the lot.

“It would make the museum campus more contiguous,” Vance Siebrasse said. “We’re in the process of raising money to buy the property. We’ve got until the year 2010 to acquire the building.”

If purchased, the building would be converted into the museum’s welcome center.