Reunion Reports

In the afternoon the peak of attendance invaded the grounds to
study the machines and view an entertaining program as nearly 100
pieces of machinery went through their paces.

An old time and modern dance was held in the Arena Saturday
night, with music provided by Bill Long and his Jamboree Band.

Although nothing except the antique cars were in action on
Sunday, a couple of thousand visitors roamed the grounds to see the
iron monsters and take pictures.

By 8 A.M. on Monday the grounds were starting to fill up again
and by mid-afternoon an estimated 12,000 were in attendance.

Among the relics were, the first horse drawn grader ever used in
Esquesing township, the first gas driven grader used by the County
of Halton, a locomotive built by Johnson and Holt, Burford, which
took passengers for rides, 28 steam engines, 25 gas tractors, 10
gas engines, 4 separators, including an old time hand fed mill, a
saw mill, 4 baker fans, hammer mill and cutting box in action.
There was also a very interesting display of steam model engines of
all types in action. One big attraction of the show, which added a
carnival touch, was the band organ powered by a portable steam
engine, owned and operated by Captain Lennerd of St. Catherines.
There was also a large display of Farm antique equipment, besides a
hall full of smaller articles. For the young fry there were pony
rides, a double-decker bus from Britain.

Vince Mount ford was the Master of Ceremonies, and also provided
an entertainment program in front of the grandstand for the three
days.

There were prizes for the oldest thresher on the grounds each
day, and for the one who came the farthest. Mr. Stapley, of
Stirling, 83, won the oldest thresher on Saturday and Mr. Robert
Weir, 95, Schombery was the oldest thresher present on Monday. Mrs.
E. Corney of Ryde-Isle of Wight, England was the one who came the
farthest distance.

A trophy, donated by Allen Byers, Atherley for the best female
driver of a steam engine, was presented to Heather Devlin, 14 of
Ottawa; Hugh Clark of Hagersville presented his trophy for the best
restored gas tractor to Bob Clark of Milton and Louie Holt
presented the Johnson Holt trophy for the best restored steam
engine to Francis Fox, Pickering.

Many thanks are extended by our executive to the Milton Boy
Scouts, Coachman Club, St. John’s Ambulance, local police and
Ontario Provincial Police, all who helped to make the mammoth show
a success.

LORNA M. ROGERS

RICHLAND COUNTY, OHIO 8TH ANNUAL STEAM THRESHERS REUNION

August 4 – 5, 1962, 15,000 Attending

It was like leafing through the pages of early American a
attending the 8th Annual Richland County Steam Threshers, located
on the spacious farm of that Christian gentleman, Mr. Earl Logan,
farmer, blacksmith and old-time thesher, near Mansfield, Ohio.

It was a change for us leaving the western Ohio stronghold of
Baker, Gaar-Scott, Case and Port Huron engines and entering into
that strange new territory where the great Aultman-Taylor steam
traction engine is king of steam reciprocation. At least looking
over the old-time 12 H.P. Aultman-Taylor of host Earl Logan’s
led one to believe the A.-T. could account for itself in the
well-developed countryside of Richland County throughout the years
when America was growing, quite as well as the best of some 30
other engines all huffing and puffing over hill and dale.

Reminded one of the good old days out on Uncle John’s farm –
reaching for straight-edge and shaving soap to suddenly feel old
Bossy’s long tongue reaching across the line fence to lick off
the chin lather fasten a sleepy-eyed traveler could brush it
on.

But, once the chin was ‘beautified’ and a good breakfast
o’ bacon, eggs, no flannel cakes were stuck under the ribs – to
help stoke the fires till noon – there was plenty in store from one
and to there of the Richland County Threshers ground to keep any
two-legged man busy, from morn till night.

As far as eye could scan across the huge fields and woods on the
Earl Logan farm, there were engines, engines and still more – you
guessed it -engines popping off, barking their stacks, blowing
their whistles and/or pulling for their very lives on the three
fans all placed at strategic spots throughout the grounds,

‘Whenever we have men fetch in their engines here at
Richland County, we aim to see that everyone is doing something –
for after all that’s why they bring them, and that’s why
people come’, explained secretary of Richland County Threshers,
John Boner, that his red-and-white polka-dot cap.

Besides the usual roster of ‘Old Smokiest’ which always
read like a Threshermen’s Who’s Who of America-Advance
Rumely, Peerless, Greyhound, Frick, Keck-Gonnerman, Russell,
Reeves, Minneapolis and others-some of the outstanding steam
engines were the quaint-looking old 10 H. P. Huber owned by H. A.
Lenner of Carey, Ohio, a Buffalo-Springfield steam roller, owned by
George and Lewis Edinger of Urbana, Ohio, and the ancient 13 H. P.
Gaar-Scott fired by 78 year old Karl Newton of Dover, Ohio – the
oldest engineer on the grounds.

‘In addition to our regular list of engines and engineers
and officers who have worked so tirelessly to make this show a
success, I want to thank Hugh Hartzell of Union City, Indiana for
bringing his mighty 21-75 Baker engine and Jake Heidi of Sandusky,
Ohio, who brought his 9 HP Case which Lee Gaeke of Bucyrus fired
and throttled on the belt,’ pointed out secretary, John
Boner.

Not only could the Richland County Threshers Reunion be rightly
called a ‘steam engine Heaven’ of reciprocating pistons,
barking stacks and popping safety valves, but it also exhibited
plenty of ‘Sparks from Old Plugs ‘ in the way of early
American farm gas tractors and engines long passed from the scene
of American agriculture, Aultman Taylors, Bakers, Rumelys, Averys,
Eagles, Cases no, not the steam engines, but that evolutionary
stage of American agricultural mechanization known as the advent of
the internal-combustion tractor which began experimentation to
replace coal and steam on the farms throughout America.

Then there was the array of stationary gas engines the kind you
used to like hear echoing out over fields and valleys when Uncle
John was pumping water and doing his evening chores, long, long
ago.

The big wind and rainstorm which came the night of August 4th
did not dampen spirits, but it did lay the dust of the day before.
While movies were shown on the ground floor of the big bank barn,
the strains of ‘Walk Your Lady’ wafted to the rhythm of
Dancing feet on the big wooden floor overhead.

Next morning, Sunday, August 5th, religious services began the
day’s program, and thousands streamed over the big Logan farm
to witness the afternoon pageantry of engines threshing, pulling
fans and parading while Stanley Steamers, Model T Fords, old-time
school busses and other early American gas jitneys drove hither and
thither among the crowds.

It was my privilege to make a recording of the venerable
gentleman farm host, Earl Logan, explaining some of the early
American tools in his old farm blacksmith shop. Old bits and
augers, barn-jacks, even an ancient adjustable wood drill were
lined up on the old blacksmith tables. One unusual piece of
equipment was a crude homemade electric welder which the
self-sufficient Mr. Logan had made out of an old box and some scrap
wiring. ‘I had to go along with the times, so I just made my
own electric welder in those days,’ explained Logan. ‘I
can’t thank the Lord Jesus Christ enough for all He’s done
for me,’ said he, surveying his wonderful and spacious American
farm with engines smoking all over the place.

Here was the typical farmstead that fashioned out of virgin soil
and forest of our land by the outstanding Christian gentlemen that
have made America great.

‘Our show has outgrown the Logan farm,’ said Boner
-‘Next year we plan to hold our Reunion at the
Fairgrounds.’

JOE FAHNESTOCK, Union City, Indiana

The Early American Steam Engine and Old Equipment Society of
Southern York County, Pennsylvania, celebrated their 1962
‘STEAM-O-RAMA’ by giving a banquet October 13th in the
Winters town Volunteer Fire Department Fire House, Winterstown,
Pa.

Over 200 friendly folks attended, representing the National
Threshers Association, The Williams Grove Steam Engine Association,
The Maryland Steam Historical Society, The Early American Steam
Engine and Old Equipment Society, The Steam Automobile Club of
America, The National Railway Historical Society, and the
‘Steam Oafs Brotherhood’ (SOB’s).

After getting the inner-man taken care of with the Turkey
dinner, the group enjoyed the fine program of speeches and songs
and everyone called the banquet a success.

With 1962 now history, the Early American group are quite busy
preparing for the 1963 ‘Steam-O-Rama’ which promises to be
better if not larger than 1962. We wish them success.

The photo shows only a small portion of the attendance as it was
impossible to get a view showing the whole group due to lack of
space.

FRANK L. McGUFFIN