Threshers have been operated by the Hollingsworth’s of
Barren Plains since the first ones were built. My grandfather, Sam
Hollingsworth, and my father, lley Hollingsworth, operated
Keck-Gonnerman thresher and engine until my grandfather’s death
in 1937. Then my father and I operated until 1948. I am only 40
years young, but I still believe this the only way to save a wheat
The Hollingsworths mentioned own and farm about 1500 acres of
land and have some 350 acres of wheat.
I thought I would make this contribution to your Album that I
enjoy so very much. I have never sent in pictures before, but I
have many of all type steam rigs, including railroad and railroad
wrecks and threshing rigs.
Courtesy of Robert L. Johnson, The Steam Engine Museum, Route 1,
Box 265A, Rossville, Georgia 30741. Smith and Porter portable
engine, photographed at the Maddox Foundry in Archer, Florida
before moving to the Steam Engine Museum, Rossville, Georgia.
Notice the hand-worked appearance of the various parts of the
engine. The lack of a crank disc, the long stroke, the case steam
dome and fittings, the short-travel flat slide valve and other
features of this engine seem to indicate that it was built between
1860-1870. There is no definite information available on it at
present; though the owners of the engine at Florida felt that it
was made before the Civil war.
Notice the front wheels lying un-ended in the background behind
the engine.
Courtesy of Robert L. Johnson, The Steam Engine Museum, Route 1,
Box 265A, Rossville, Georgia 30741. Very early Smith and Porter
portable engine, built in Charleston, South Carolina, probably
around 1860-1870. Found in a swamp in Mississippi or Louisiana in
1909 and brought to the Maddox Foundry in Archer, Florida, where it
has been sitting outdoors to the present day. It was purchased
early 1967 for restoration at the Steam Engine Museum; and to date
the engine has been unfrozen and operated (under steam from another
boiler) while the Smith & Porter’s boiler is presently
getting a set of flues. We believe this to be the only one of this
make in existence, but would be very interested in having any
information on it as all we know about its history is the name and
city of manufacture given on the nameplate over the firebox
door.