Hay Carrier and Hay Tool Collectors Meet for Annual Show

By James N. Boblenz
Published on August 23, 2011
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One of the oldest carriers displayed at the show: the Hicks Hay Elevator, manufactured in Fultonville, N.Y., with a patent date of 1867. The piece is owned by Rudy Beachy, Reedstown, Wis.
One of the oldest carriers displayed at the show: the Hicks Hay Elevator, manufactured in Fultonville, N.Y., with a patent date of 1867. The piece is owned by Rudy Beachy, Reedstown, Wis.
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Steve Weeber, Iowa City, Iowa, displayed this Porter carrier designed for use in round barns. Note the way in which the upper saddles swivel to follow the track around the barn.
Steve Weeber, Iowa City, Iowa, displayed this Porter carrier designed for use in round barns. Note the way in which the upper saddles swivel to follow the track around the barn.
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A big Goshen cross-draft carrier from the collection of John Snyder, Wadsworth, Ohio.
A big Goshen cross-draft carrier from the collection of John Snyder, Wadsworth, Ohio.
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This Ney hay knife was marketed under the Blue Grass label for Belknap Hardware, Louisville, Ky. The NOS piece shows no sign of ever having been used.
This Ney hay knife was marketed under the Blue Grass label for Belknap Hardware, Louisville, Ky. The NOS piece shows no sign of ever having been used.
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Corkscrew-type two-prong hayfork from the collection of Gideon Troyer, Baltic, Ohio.
Corkscrew-type two-prong hayfork from the collection of Gideon Troyer, Baltic, Ohio.
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Close-up of the Ney label and the tag for the Belknap Blue Grass knife.
Close-up of the Ney label and the tag for the Belknap Blue Grass knife.
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A display of a rare F.A. Bolte and Ney carriers and a fork for hay pitching apparatus from the collection of Steve Weeber. Steve showed carriers used on both wood and metal track.
A display of a rare F.A. Bolte and Ney carriers and a fork for hay pitching apparatus from the collection of Steve Weeber. Steve showed carriers used on both wood and metal track.
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An American Hay Car Co. Universal cross-draft locking and anti-reversing carrier made in Hicksville, Ohio.
An American Hay Car Co. Universal cross-draft locking and anti-reversing carrier made in Hicksville, Ohio.
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A Canadian-made metal slider from the collection of Gideon Troyer.
A Canadian-made metal slider from the collection of Gideon Troyer.
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Gideon Troyer’s display shows a Ney carrier for a wood beam track and another Ney for a cable or rod track. Both are non-reversible carriers.
Gideon Troyer’s display shows a Ney carrier for a wood beam track and another Ney for a cable or rod track. Both are non-reversible carriers.
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Close-up of Steve Weeber’s display attribution.
Close-up of Steve Weeber’s display attribution.
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A Ney store display rack with removable carrier and track arrangements allowing display of varied carriers. From the collection of Jim Gray, Lenox, Mich.
A Ney store display rack with removable carrier and track arrangements allowing display of varied carriers. From the collection of Jim Gray, Lenox, Mich.
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This carrier, made by A.J. Cross, Long Island, N.Y., is similar to the Hicks Hay Elevator. The piece is owned by Jerry Kamp, Ashland, Ohio.
This carrier, made by A.J. Cross, Long Island, N.Y., is similar to the Hicks Hay Elevator. The piece is owned by Jerry Kamp, Ashland, Ohio.
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A Sprout Wood Slider from the collection of Gideon Troyer. Farmers were said to spread lard on the track to make the carrier slide more easily.
A Sprout Wood Slider from the collection of Gideon Troyer. Farmers were said to spread lard on the track to make the carrier slide more easily.
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A very fine original sign for Myers Pumps Sales & Service from the collection of Dale Smithhisler, Ashland, Ohio.
A very fine original sign for Myers Pumps Sales & Service from the collection of Dale Smithhisler, Ashland, Ohio.
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F.E. Myers store display rack with a Cloverleaf carrier from the collection of Dale Smithhisler.
F.E. Myers store display rack with a Cloverleaf carrier from the collection of Dale Smithhisler.
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A short section of track shown in place in the U.S. Wind Pump Engine Co. carrier.
A short section of track shown in place in the U.S. Wind Pump Engine Co. carrier.
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The top selling hay carrier at the NAHTCA auction was this U.S. Wind Engine & Pump Co. carrier manufactured in Batavia, Ill. Patented April 4, 1878, it runs on a 2-by-4-inch wood track positioned vertically and topped with a cast iron rail. The carrier has a set of three rollers on each top side to roll on the track and an idler wheel under the track to keep it in position. It was purchased by Dennis McGrew, Lawrence, Mich.
The top selling hay carrier at the NAHTCA auction was this U.S. Wind Engine & Pump Co. carrier manufactured in Batavia, Ill. Patented April 4, 1878, it runs on a 2-by-4-inch wood track positioned vertically and topped with a cast iron rail. The carrier has a set of three rollers on each top side to roll on the track and an idler wheel under the track to keep it in position. It was purchased by Dennis McGrew, Lawrence, Mich.

Hay tool collectors search high and low to find their pride and joy. High in the peaks of old barns, many of these priceless jewels hide for decades, but since most have been indoors for their entire lives, hay carriers remain in reasonably good condition. Low at barn floor level are carefully designed wooden and metal rope pulleys. Today, many old barns are in a perpetual state of disrepair, and going after those hay carriers can be dangerous work. Collectors need a buddy to help hold the rope, a lightweight 40-foot extension ladder, a battery-powered cutoff saw and nerves of steel: Climbing a good ladder propped tightly against the roof of a barn near the hay trolley takes a lot of nerve.

Most hay tools, though, are not found in barns, although some of the best carriers come from there. Collectors continually look to farm auctions, antique shops, flea markets and fellow enthusiasts for hay tools. They collect anything and everything related to putting up loose hay: hand and wood rakes, hay carriers, hayforks, hay pulleys, rope, track and all the hardware to hold it in place.

Members of the North American Hay Tool Collectors Assn. (NAHTCA) held their sixth annual show in April at the Ashland County Fairgrounds in Ashland, Ohio. Those attending were treated to a wonderful display of some one-of-a-kind hay carriers and hayforks. One example was Jim Gray’s new old stock (NOS) hay knife with the Ney name intact. A separate label identified it as the Blue Grass from the Belknap Hardware Co., Louisville, Ky.

Show feature: Ney Mfg. Co.

Ney hay tools were the show’s featured line. Ney had an unusual history. Two manufacturers were making hay tools in Canton, Ohio, by the early 1880s. Jacob Ney’s little carrier came out first. Soon after, V.L. Ney brought out a hay carrier. The result was a lawsuit. It is unclear who won the lawsuit or even if the two Neys were related. However, soon after filing the lawsuit, one company emerged to form Ney Mfg. Co.

Ney produced a complete line of barn items including hay carriers, hay carrier steel track and all the attaching hardware items, hayforks and pulleys, hay slings and attachments, merchandise carriers, Canton hoists, wire stretchers, hay knives, lawn mowers, automatic lawn rakes, barn door hangers and rails, and other hardware. In Ney catalog No. 19, the company lists hay carriers from No. 10 to No. 140. The company also manufactured hay carriers labeled with the names of their vendors, notably Bluegrass (Belknap Hardware, Louisville, Ky.) and Superior (Superior Drill Co., Springfield, Ohio).

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