Probably the most often heard of residence of Carl Barks' is the one containing his chicken farm, which has been referred to numerous times (see more HERE). Still, it is a strangely elusive subject, because there are virtually no graphic renderings showing what it looked like! At first, this may seem very strange, because one of Barks' greatest hobbies was photography, and there can be no doubt at all that he must have photographed the house and its surroundings numerous times. But the absence of this sort of documentation is easily explained; when he moved into the residence in 1942 he was married to Clara, whom he divorced a decade later, and this event was so painful to Barks that he, by his own admission, destroyed all photos depicting her. It must be assumed that he - at the same time or later - also destroyed all other photos from the residence in order not to be reminded of that part of his troubled, married life. Thus there are no surviving photos by Barks of the so often mentioned farm residence...
Or maybe there are! When Barks died he left hundreds of slides behind, and it would seem that he had forgotten all about some of these - namely the ones photographed during his marriage with Clara. In the late 1940s Barks went on an annual trip in small sightseeing airplanes piloted by a friend, and of course he brought his camera with him. During those years he took dozens of aerial photos of the San Jacinto valley, where his residence was situated. And it is more than likely that one or more photos contain the farm!

We shall probably never know for certain, because the images mostly depict built-up areas that do not all exist anymore! Most of the valley has been built and rebuilt several times, and Barks' home has been long gone. Recently, one of his friends tried to find out its former whereabouts, but neither the City of Hemet (in the valley area) nor the County offices were able to help. It is speculated that a shopping center sits where the residence once stood, but nothing is certain.
Despite this, you, the reader, might be able to help! This website is releasing a few of the - for this endeavour - most relevant aerial shots that Barks made over the valley, in the hope that you might be able to spot a plausible location. You should know that the photos were taken when crisscrossing the valley meaning that there is no telling where North is on the photos. Furthermore, we have only one ironclad clue; according to Barks himself the residence was situated near the San Jacinto mountain range. As for the commonly known photo of the main house (see the aforementioned link), you should probably neglect that, because there is some doubt if it was in fact Barks' home. Instead you should be looking for a location containing one or two main houses and a number of buildings suitable for chicken farming.

The chosen images are presented as thumbnails below, but by clicking them you will see a full-sized copy making it easier for you to study details and maybe pinpoint the location of Barks' most famous, but highly elusive, residence...

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