First Things: Lost to Time

Does anyone else think about the amount of history that’s been lost? It’s only natural that not everything would survive the constant march of the times, but there’s still a ton we probably know nothing about today.

For example, Homer’s Iliad and  Odyssey. There are an unknown number of versions of those narratives that never made it to our present day. We even have some small references to different versions in surviving texts. But only Homer’s versions survived in their entirety. How many other things were lost in the same way? How many things we know about could’ve  been lost?

On the brighter side, there are plenty of people out there keeping pieces of history from being lost. Fred Hendricks relays the story of Delbert Miller. He maintains and operates vintage steam traction engines. That art certainly could’ve been lost. However, those skills are still taught and people still want  to learn.

The Fox River Tractor Co. survived recession and economic changes when many of its contemporaries shut down. We still have firsthand stories of the day-to-day for their factories even. You can hear all about what it was like in Bill Vossler’s story.

The Midwest Old Threshers’ Reunion in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, is full of people keeping old traditions alive. This year, the event is featuring gas engines from the Field Brundage Co. Learn about Field Brundage and the featured engines in part 2 of Barry Tuller’s coverage.

Dr. David Cave, the ever-reliable engine expert, also keeps history alive. He provides a ton of advice to help new and experienced engine operators run their machines better. He provides more excellent advice in his article.