DeKALB – The story behind Joseph F. Glidden’s life is one many people don’t know. But it’s a story those at the Joseph F. Glidden Homestead love to tell.

Born Jan. 18, 1813, the “Father of Barbed Wire” moved from New England to DeKalb in 1842 with aspirations of becoming a farmer. He built a log cabin on the property that Burger King now occupies at 913 W. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb. In 1861, Glidden built the historic home that now sits at 921 W. Lincoln Highway.

“The fact that this site has been preserved is just short of a miracle,” said Marcia Wilson, the homestead’s executive director.