Wagon Bed Grounded

Check out this mystery implement and a story of a wagon losing the bed and spilling hay bales on the ground.

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by Milton Storm

Recognize this piece?

Does anyone know anything about this piece? It reads Ford Buick Hudson F 2D Chrysler Prod.

Milton Storm, 20631 141st,
Meadow, SD 57744


It wasn’t bolted down

At 72 now, I remember it like it was yesterday. I believe I was about 14 at the time; that would have been around 1964. Grandpa did custom baling for some local farmers, and I – being the youngest boy on the farm and too small to throw bales of hay – was the official baler driver, using an Oliver 77 wide front and Oliver baler.

Brother Jim and helper Rodney were on the wagon. This time I was pulling Mr. Jones’ wagon and, like usual, everything was going fine (I thought) until I looked back from the windrow and saw I was just pulling the wagon frame, and spitting bales on the ground.

Looking back further, there was the bed on the ground, a stack of hay on the ground and Jim and Rodney getting up off the ground. The bed wasn’t bolted to the frame. All it took was that one bale carried to the back to tip the bed back, catching the ground, breaking off the back rack, and me pulling out from under it all. It was a miracle the bed stayed on the frame as long as it did.

Luckily, no one got hurt. We had a good laugh until Grandpa showed up. He didn’t think it was funny. After that, every wagon was checked before it went to the field.

Larry Bensheimer, Shelbyville, Indiana

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