Corydon, Iowa 50060
There is an old saying: ‘Big Oaks From Little Acorns
Grow.’ If this saying is true, the Decatur County Historical
Society at Leon, Iowa will be hunting for more room in a few years.
On August 14 and 15, 1976, they staged their 3rd annual show. Rainy
weather held down attendance but the exhibits were larger than last
year.
Four full size steam engines were on hand. Jim Smith from Garden
Grove, Iowa brought his Case engine. Everett Anderson from
Humeston, Iowa brought his Aultman Taylor engine. The Maxwell
brothers from Ridgeway, Missouri came with their Nichols and
Shepard engine. A newcomer to the show was Jerry D’Attilio from
near Humeston, Iowa. Jerry brought his Russell engine which he
purchased last year. The engine at one time belonged to Ed Vogel of
Buhl, Idaho. All of these engines had turns at threshing. At times,
the Maxwell brothers put their engine on a stone burr mill, also
owned by them. This burr mill was manufactured by Nordyke and
Marmon Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, patent date August 1871.
This mill had 18′ stone burrs and the Maxwells were selling
fresh ground cornmeal and wheat flour.
Everett Anderson belted up to a saw mill owned and restored by
Glenn Dyer of near Lucas, Iowa. I guess this was the second time
the mill had been in use since Glenn had restored it. I understand
Glenn’s farm is operated on 32 volt electricity, supplied by
light plant and wind chargers both.
The Decatur Historical Society last year built a large new tin
building for storing items connected with this show. In this
building were many common items of farm equipment such as corn
planters, cultivators, etc. One item of interest in here was a
McCormick Deering Combine made in 1926, owned by Rollie Fight of
Garden Grove, Iowa. Another interesting item owned and displayed by
Rollie was a farm wagon made in Derby, Iowa in 1918 by some of
Rollie’s relatives. This wagon was number 157 so it shows that
the A. Fight Company made several wagons. I think Rollie also has
many of the tools used in this shop. Other items of interest in
this building were a horse drawn hearse and a horse drawn mail
buggy. Some of antique cars that came to the show were also in this
building, also some nice model A Fords shown by Basil Dale of
Humeston, Iowa. There was a nice Chevrolet 490 hack wagon owned by
Wilbur Ries of Murray, Iowa and a beautiful 1925 Dodge touring car.
I didn’t learn the owner’s name. Another car of the show
which is seldom seen today was a nicely restored 1928 Whippet Coupe
owned by Warner and June Rouse of Albia, Iowa.
There were a number of antique tractors on hand. The old Moline
Universal with drive wheels in front; a Thieman, an Iowa product
which was made by using Model A Ford motor and other parts; several
McCormick Deering, an Allis Chalmer, Case, John Deere and old
Farmall tractors. Russell Moss of Hamilton, Missouri brought up his
model of a Mogul 45 tractor. This is a nice model. He belted up to
a buzz saw several times and the wood was used by some of the steam
engines.
A corn sheller powered by a John Deere tractor was shelling
corn. Also, a Model D John Deere tractor was running a baler and
was baling straw from the stacks behind the separators.
Also, I watched Calvin Wineland of Garden Grove, Iowa working
the Baker fan with an old Allis Chalmers tractor owned by Harry
Olson of Garden Grove, Iowa. I understand this tractor also won the
antique tractor pull.
Joe Dent, of Humeston had his McCormick Deering W30 tractor
belted to his neighbor, Gary Arnold’s McCormick Deering
separator. Joe said they had quite a time as they had no experience
with the separator and put a belt on wrong. He said some old timers
such as Jim Smith of Garden Grove helped them get straightened
out.
The Baker fan used at this show was made by Rosco Doolittle of
Davis City. This was the first time for the show to have a Baker
fan. Another first for the show was a Rumley Oilpull tractor shown
my Tom Borrall of Indianola, Iowa. Rumley’s are scarce down
here in Lapland. O. C. West of Garden Grove, Iowa showed two model
steam locomotive engines and a model Case steam engine.
During this show I met Marion and Kathy Thompson of Aledo,
Illinois. Marion showed me an unusual hot air engine and I saw some
ladies antique purses Kathy has collected. Kathy has 204 of these
and, of course, is looking for more. During the threshing show,
there was a horse show going on the grounds, too. As I said in the
beginning, this show is a growing show.
‘I wish my automobile engines would run that long,’
Orville A. Sobie said as he looked fondly at the 275 HP steam
engine that has kept a rope and twine plant here in operation for
many years.
The steam engine, which powers about 100 machines, lights and
heats the Badger Cordage Mills, 3035 W. Hadley Street, is to be
replaced by two modern electric motors.
Sobie, 60, manages the plant, which employs about 35 persons and
produces rope and twine from imported manila and sisal. He has
worked there 45 years.
The steam engine, made by Vilter Manufacturing Corporation, 2217
South 1st Street has been working at the plant nearly 70 years.
‘That engine has been running since 1908 when they built the
building,’ Sobie noted. ‘It has been reliable all these
years but, after all, things do wear out.
‘There aren’t any replacement parts available. The
manufacturer could still make parts for it but that takes time and
costs a lot.
‘It’s the time element mostly, more than the cost. No
company could afford to shut down for three or four
months.’
Sobie pointed out that a big leather belt that drives the many
ropes which turn the many machines also dates back to 1908.
‘The belt is wearing out, too,’ he said. ‘It slips
in hot humid weather.’
The engine is fueled by high pressure steam from gas fired
boilers, and Sobie explained that ‘we heat the building with
the exhaust steam.’
He and Harry J. Haltner; 64, plant engineer, had a hard time
recalling when the smooth running steam engine last broke down.
‘Once a bearing went to pieces,’ Haltner said, ‘That
must have been 25 years or more ago.’
Haltner, who has worked at the plant 49 years, recalled that he
shoveled coal into the boilers before they were converted to gas.
The boilers used two tons of coal each day.
‘We have these steam engine fans who come in here,’
Haltner said with a tinge of pride in the machine he has oiled and
helped keep running so many years. ‘They take pictures of it
from every angle you can think of.’
‘It’s a museum piece,’ said W. E. Buesing, president
of John Rauschenberger Company, 193 North Broadway, which owns
Badger Cordage Mills. ‘We are going to keep it on standby in
case the electric power system should ever fail.’
As a post note, the electric motors have failed to operate
properly and when this letter was written, the old steam engine was
still going strong while the contractor pulled hair. And also,
before all the museums come-a-running to try and get the engines,
our club at Sussex has first nibs.
