I was at a friends antique/flea market shop and saw something that I think was used on a farm or in the farm house. It was a rectangle wooden box 18"L X 8"H X 8-10" wide. It was a solid piece of wood at one time. Someone had used an axe and chisel La trough approximately 12"L X 6" wide X 6"deep in the top which sloped on both ends to the bottom of the trough. In the middle was a hollow wooden shaft which ran all the way through and stuck up about 3-4" above the top of the block. Really stumped. Any ideas?

I thought you were describing a dough bowl until you got to the part about the thing sticking out. Any chance you can put on a photo?