Countless contraptions that revolutionized farming in the 19th and early 20th centuries have become contemporary curiosities, or even mysteries. Here are six sent in by readers. Do you know what they are?
Answers to the January 2024 items will appear in the March 2024 issue.
Answers for new items in this issue must be received by Jan. 2, 2024.
A. Tool measures 5 by 5 inches; marked PAT APPLIED FOR.
Handles for lifting or carrying boxes or barrels. Identified by Jim Plantikow, Omaha, Neb. See Patent No. 218,865. Photo submitted by Jim Frank, Springfield, Ill.
B. Each piece measures about 4 feet long.
No positive identification. Photo submitted by Keith Greathouse, Uniontown, Ohio.
C. No description provided.
Device or tool for tightening fence wire: hand-held, screw-type fence wire stretcher/tensioner. Identified by Nick Caldiero, Afton, N.Y., and Jim Plantikow. “Using this invention, the fence wires could be made so taut that one could play them like a guitar,” Nick says. See Patent No. 763,445. Photo submitted by Joe Smith, Ionia, Mich.
D. Piece measures 6 feet long by 6 inches wide. Metal clip on end measures 4-5 inches in length.
Ski runners installed on the front wheels to help a vehicle navigate deep snow. Identified by Joe Peshek. Photo submitted by Dan Hanson, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
E. Cast iron box measures 9 by 4 inches.
Labeler water-activated packaging tape/stamp holder produced by Better Packages, Shelton, Conn. Photo submitted by Forest Watkins, Stoney Ridge, Ohio.
F. Items found in a dairy barn.
No positive identification. Joe Morine, Erie, Ill., believes these to be stakes used to support plastic goose decoys in the field. “The stakes allow the shell to be placed in the ground like a standing goose that the wind won’t blow over,” he says. Photo submitted by Richard and Linda Meitner via email.
Remember this?
Wayne Rogers, Corsicana, Texas, believes the tool to be a pair of battery pliers. “You could grip one of the posts,” he says, “pull it tight with the handle and carry the battery where you wanted it.”
To submit photos:
Send prints to Farm Collector, 1503 SW 42nd St., Topeka, KS 66609. Send digital images to editor@farmcollector.com.
- Photos should be taken in a well-lit area against a plain background. Include dimensions and any markings on the piece. We cannot guarantee every photo will be published, nor can we respond to inquiries regarding when photos will be published. No photos will be returned.
- Digital photos should be sent as .jpgs at a minimum of 300 dpi.
To identify an item:
Send answers (with your name and address) to Farm Collector, 1503 SW 42nd St., Topeka, KS 66609. Email responses may be sent to editor@farmcollector.com.
Answers for new items shown in this issue must be received by Jan. 2, 2024
