Route 1,Box 334, Palmyra, Indiana 57164.
I am still a lover of steam after growing up with it. As long as
I can remember, for over fifty years, my grandfather operated steam
engines.
My father started out threshing, filling silos, shredding corn
and saw milling in winter. A few years later, he added an engine
construction.
The engines that I was familiar with was a Frick 16 hp. that
belonged to my grandfather. Then my father had a Keck-Gonnerman, 16
hp. and one that was 18 hp. with Gould valve and a 16 hp.
Peerless.
Three years ago, I became the proud owner of a 22 hp.
Keck-Gonnerman, No. 1720, built in 1923. It looks and runs like
new. Also have a Keck-Gonnerman water wagon, 10 barrel capacity,
32-56 Huber separator, John Deere Binder all made in 1926 and a
Rosenthal corn shredder built in 1942.
I am a member of the Pioneer Engine Club of Rushville, Indiana
which I try to attend their shows every year and the Antique Steam
and Gas Engine Club of Boonville, Indiana where I take old No. 1720
and the water wagon. This year we threshed 15 acres of wheat,
operated a saw mill and two Baker fans. We had nice weather, a good
show and large crowds.
I had a show here at home threshing with the Huber separator and
a Ground hog thresher built in 1885. We had a wagon for the
children to ride, pulled by two mules and we had
‘rope-making.’