1022 North Elm Luverne, Minnesota 56156
Sporting its new paint job, new flues, new stack and some new
gears, fittings, valves and bearings, the big Case proudly circled
the parade route with the same commanding air a battleship has when
it steams up the channel heading for port. This took place at the
Butter-field Threshermen’s Association’s 19th annual engine
This is the steamer that Neil Miller of Alden Iowa was
rebuilding when ill health forced him and Thelma to have an auction
sale on June 12, 13, 14, 1980. Jim Tow, Fairmont, Minnesota, bought
the big job, trucked it home and stored it for the past five years.
This year largely through the efforts of Ed Lammers, Butter-field,
Minnesota an agreement was reached which gave BTA the right to show
and keep the engine at Butter-field, providing they would finish
rebuilding it. I wish the late Mr. Miller could see this beauty
now, for it certainly must have looked different when he found the
engine and some of the other needed parts scattered around
Montana!
BTA has three other belt and plow steam engines; a 65 HP Case
owned by Wayne Kispert, and Dave Fenske owns another Case which has
a steer able two wheel tender trailing on the back. The tender
wheels are steered by a cable and chain arrangement which attaches
to the front wheels. The Nichols & Shepard 25-85, double
simple, is owned by Lamont Ewy.
Dave Borchert owns and runs a 1/8 scale
Mogul train steam engine fired by propane gas which pulls two
cars.
These cars are usually filled with kids who purchase the 50
tickets which must be presented in order to get on board. He also
owns the first stationary engine shown at BTA. This is a Vilter and
was used in a New Ulm Brewery for many years, for it was new in
1901. In the future they plan on using this engine to run the
machinery in the blacksmith shop.
The Tuberg mill is a replica of the wind powered mill Andrew
Tuberg used to custom grind flour and corn-meal for 15 a hundred
pounds and feed for 8 a hundred. He ran this mill from 1877 to
1905. The operator by using a crank and cable arrangement can turn
the entire top of the mill in order to keep the four eighteen-foot
vanes headed into the wind. A 5 ft. 61-tooth gear mounted on the
vane shaft meshes with an 18′ gear attached to the mill stone
shaft which gives the grinding stone the desired rotation. All
gears are made of wood.
On the 17th I saw them thresh one of the stacks with a
Minneapolis thresh machine belted to the 65 HP steamer. Since they
were stack threshing the wing feeders on the 36′ machines came
in mighty handy. Other thresh machines were set up and ready to
operate so I suppose before the show ended they all got a chance to
‘strut their stuff.’
This year they featured International tractors and are fortunate
enough to have a 1908 friction drive on exhibit and running every
year.
The large ash grove gives much desired shade to the many small
engine and other exhibitors. The remaining shade area gives comfort
and protection to the large number of campers who flock into the
show grounds every year. The small lake, the big grove, the neat,
trim show grounds and exhibits give the BTA show an eye catching
and pleasing appearance.
On August 16-17,1986, the Butter-field Threshermen’s
Association will have their 20th anniversary show. How about
spending at least one of those two days with them?
