Montezuma, Kansas 67867.
Several years ago, a young doctor from Colby, Kansas, attended
the annual old Threshermen’s reunion at Bird City, Kansas. He
became so enthusiastic that he hurried home to insist that his dad,
Sam Kirby, of Larned, Kansas, begin to assemble and finish
restoration on his large collection of old farm equipment. He
hold the threshing bees. Mr. Kirby held a meeting of his neighbors
and together they began planning a long time program of restoration
and assembling of horse-drawn and outdated machinery and
automobiles.
One is an 80 HP Case. Two Show pictures taken last summer at the
Sam Kirby Farm in Pawnee County, Kansas at their fourth Annual
Threshing Bee.
This past year several hundred people attended the show, which
is larger every time it is put on. The community binds enough wheat
to build two stacks, which they have found out takes just two bales
of binder twine. One stack, on the off belt side is reserved for
those who wish to find out about the glamour of pitching to a
separator and the old timers who wish to bring back memories.
Rollie Click is the engineer of the beautifully restored eighty
horse Case, and Sam Kirby’s Grandson is his helper and
apprentice. John Kline operates the separator. This year the older
pitchers were eighty-one and ninety years respectively. The
youngest, a girl of twelve. As soon as the show was over last year
the Pawnee County Threshing Bee Club began elaborate preparations
for the show next year when it is hoped that many of the machinery
awaiting restoration will be on display. We were privileged to see
some of the display destined to be used in the future, and they are
remarkable: One 1906 Franklin car and a Chrysler with only three
numerals in its serial number.
The Pawnee County Threshing Bee will surely be one of the larger
antique shows, since they have such an enthusiastic group of
backers and such a wealth of machinery. This area of Kansas is
especially blessed; this newer show at Larned, Kansas, the Haviland
show which grows in stature every year, the semi-private show held
by the Slattery Brothers near Spearville, Kansas, and the larger
Bird City Reunion held on the Roy Kite farm at Bird City, the
northwest corner of Kansas. Visitors were treated to a fine display
of shiny, restored horse-drawn implements this year at the Bee
which was held the latter part of August.
