Better Than by Hand: Midget No. 2 Seeder

By Leslie C. McManus
Updated on March 5, 2024
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by Leslie C. McManus
Keith McElhinney and his grandson, Tate Dean, Crawfordsville, Iowa, with Keith’s Midget No. 2 seeder/planter.

When Keith McElhinney, Morning Sun, Iowa, came across a seeder/planter at an auction, he was immediately hooked. The piece – a Midget No. 2 – was manufactured by American Fork & Hoe Co., Montrose, Iowa.

Morning Sun and Montrose are only about 50 miles apart, but Keith had never heard of American Fork & Hoe Co. That was understandable. Although the company was once prominent, it left Iowa more than a century ago.

For a man who has collected gas engines (mostly Massey-Harris Type 1 engines) for more than 50 years, the seeder was an unusual piece produced by an unfamiliar manufacturer.

An early start-up

American’s roots go back to Standard Garden Tool Co., which was established in 1907 in Iowa. By 1917, Standard had been sold to American Fork & Hoe Co., Cleveland, manufacturer of True-Temper Tools.

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