BILLIE CREEK VILLAGE SHOW 1974

Box 165, Rockville, Indiana 47872

Steam Harvest Days were slated for July 19, 20, 21 and a
complete threshing show was planned, including the chaff. Steam
power, horsepower and even man power activated this harvesting
pageant at the Billie Creek Village farmstead area.

The visitors were offered an opportunity to witness the colorful
scene of old-time wheat threshing. The heavy powerful chugging of
the traction steam engine laboring to drive the grain separator
claimed center stage. A huge stack of straw continued to encroach
upon the setting as additional bundles of wheat were threshed
through the two types of separators.

A completely different set of sounds were to be found associated
with the two old-time methods of baling. The hard pounding and
continuous plunging of the stationary baler produced a fascinating
demonstration and testified to the capabilities of the early day
‘modern’ mechanical engineer. Teamed with this labor saving
machine was an early version of a farm tractor complete with the
steel wheels.

In sharp contrast to this tractor powered baler was the horse
powered counterpart. The commands from the team driver, the
slapping of the harness against the horses, the noise of a
recoiling plunger all combined to dip even deeper into the
nostalgic past.

Wheat used during Steam Harvest Days was readied weeks earlier.
A binder cut the wheat and tied together the number of bundles
necessary for the job. ‘Field hands’ followed the binder,
picked up the bundles, placed the bundles into the picturesque
wheat shocks for curing and about two weeks later scheduled a
return to this same field to load up the bundle wagons.