In the mid 1940's, "B G" Perkins of Doane Agricultural Service introduced a new pole-frame construction along the Missouri-Illinois border. This idea revolutionized the way barns were built.

With pole-frame construction, Perkins cut building costs in half by:

• Using pressure-treated poles for structural support eliminating concrete foundations;
• Overlapping standard-length lumber, reducing cutting and adding strength;
• Using larger and fewer rafters and roof supports on edge spanning greater distances;
• Building single-story barns with no loft and open on south reducing ventilation problems.

B. G. Perkins' pole-frame barns gave birth to the pole-frame construction industry which builds most farm buildings and many commercial and industrial buildings.