Northern Indiana Historical Power Association Show Report

9374 Roosevelt St. Crown Point, Indiana 46307

The Northern Indiana Historical Power Association, held its
sixteenth annual ‘Harvest Festival and Steam Show’
September 18, 19, 20, 1992, at Sunset Hill Farm Park, just a few
miles north of Valparaiso, Indiana. The weekend started off with a
visit from local school kids that were guests of NIHPA over the
Friday afternoon. For those who were never on a farm before, it
became an adventure.

This year the fields were covered in ‘green’ with John
Deere, the feature company of this year’s show. This is the
first year that NIHPA featured equipment of a single company. Early
after entering the show grounds visitors could watch a 50 HP J. I.
Case traction engine providing power to a 1937 John Deere thresher.
Frank Hansen of Rolling stone, Minnesota stopped at the show over
the weekend with his John Deere, ‘old 79’. Visitors were
also drawn into gasoline alley by the rhythmic charm of the
hit-and-miss engines.

A variety of power was used on the sawmill over the weekend
including John Ross’s 1929 25-50 Baker and the LaPorte County
Historical Steam Society’s 50 HP Case steam traction engine.
The mill was Lyon Iron Works with a 52 inch blade, four blocks, 20
foot carriage, owned and operated by Jack and Mark Corson, both of
Crown Point, Indiana.

The LaPorte County Historical Steam Society’s 50 HP Case;
take note of the four rows of rivets on the butt strap. Photo by M.
A. Corson.

Eight teams of horses visited our show this year as NIHPA
members paid tribute to the early American farm horse and the
duties and tasks they performed before being retired to the fields
by more modern machines and equipment. The preferred method of
travel, at this year’s show, was once again drawn wagons that
were touring the grounds. Out in the fields plowing was being done
with horses, steam traction engine and gas tractors.