3832 N. W. 18th, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73107.
The 17th annual Waukomis steam Threshing Bee and Engine show was
held on July 23rd, 24th, and 25th 1971 near Waukomis, Okla. which
is 8 mi. so. of Enid, Okla. on the Landwehr farm.
The large crowds representing several states enjoyed warm days
and a cool breeze as they walked over the grounds viewing the
exhibits or sat in the large building or the open tent and watched
the parade of engines, the grain threshing, log sawing, shingle
making, the slow race, incline climb, plowing, balancing on the
tetter-totter and other interesting events. The times for these
events were listed on a souvenir program given at the gate.
Demonstrations were in progress every half hour all three days and
announced on a sound system by one of the members. The Oklahoma
Gentlemen Blue Grass band played at various intervals on
Saturday.
On exhibit over the grounds were 25 gas engines, large and small
which were well restored, freshly painted and running. In operation
was a shingle mill which made cedar shingles that were sold at the
show, and was pulled by various engines such as Ivan Burns’ 10
H.P. Advance, Lyman Knapp’s 6 h.p. Russell and John
Younkman’s 18 h.p. Case portable. Also a Witte drag saw cutting
cedar slabs was on display by its owner, Walt Meyer of
Hennesey, Okla. A Southwest hand-fed slat stacker separator owned
by Fred Bailey of Yukon, Okla. was pulled by a 1915 18 h. p. Case
portable steam engine owned by John Younkman, North Newton, Kans.
Threshing was done at 10 a. m. and 2 p. m. with a 40′ Case
separator pulled by a 28 h. p. Minneapolis engine and a 50 h. p.
Case engine, also a 20 h. p. Huber and a 16 h. p. M. Rumely. The
Baker fan was used by several engines and another attraction was a
plowing demonstration by a 28 h. p. Minneapolis engine and a 50 h.
p. Case engine pulling an 8 bottom John Deere plow.
Each afternoon the grand parade was held and announced by John
Younkman. The parade was led by the scale model engines beginning
with scale model of a 1915 Case built by J. D. Story, Bethany,
Okla. and son Joe Story, Bethany, Okla.
3′ scale model of a 65 h. p. Case owned by Marvin Padgett,
Claremore, Okla. and an Advance scale model by Larry Hedrick,
Arkansas City, Kans. and a scale model of an Undermounted Avery by
Paul Kunufsky of Florence, Kans.
This was followed by the scale models which were a model of a
1905 Star Undermounted by Floyd Masson of Kismet, Kans. and a scale
Case owned by Russell Hofman of Hinton, Okla.
Then came the large engines. A 10 h. p. M. Rumely owned by Pete
Rose and son, Gerald of Garber, Okla. and operated by grandson
Merle Rogers of Enid, Okla. An 80 h. p. Case owned by Kenneth
Fiegel, Loyal, Okla. and Henry Martens, Fairview, Okla. A 20 h. p.
Huber, return flue owned by Henry Martens and sons of Fairview,
Okla. A 10 h. p. Advance pulling a 1908 12 h. p. Farquhar Portable
owned by Ivan Burns, Edmond, Okla. A 6 h. p. Russell owned by Lyman
Knapp of Black-well, Okla. A 16 h. p. M. Rumely owned by Art Kosted
of Oklahoma City. A 28 h. p. Minneapolis owned by H. G. Bomhoff of
Calumet, Okla. and Art Kosted, Okla. City. A 50 h. p. Case owned by
Art Kosted, Okla. City and H. B. Bomhoff, Calumet, Okla.
The gas tractors were a 1915 10-20 International Mogul owned by
Harold Ottaway of Wichita, Kans. A1921 16-30 Rumely Oil Pull owned
by Pete and Gerald Rose, Garber, Okla. A 1917 12-25 Avery gas
tractor owned by Henry Martens, Fairview, Okla. A 1926 Fordson gas
tractor owned by H. G. Bomhoff Calumet, Okla. A model D. John Deere
gas tractor owned by Walt Meyer, Hennesey, Okla.
Separators were a 40 x 62 Case separator, a 32 x 54 Case
separator, a 28 x 50 Case separator, a 22′ Case separator and a
Birdsell Clover huller. Then came a team of mules and bundle wagon
owned by Bob Roads, Waukomis, Okla., a 1915 White truck owned by
Henry Martens, Fairview, Okla. and a water wagon and Ford tractor
owned by David Landwehr, Waukomis, Okla.
The building which houses most of the equipment during the
winter is used to serve food and drinks during the show and to hold
the antique exhibits of interest to the ladies.
The Waukomis steam threshers association consists of 22 members
and is dedicated to restoring, preserving and exhibiting antique
agricultural equipment. Some of the members are three generations
with fathers, sons and grandsons all helping to produce a good
show.
There are 13 of the young men and boys who are sons and
grandsons of the members who help restore the engines as a hobby
and also have learned to operate steam engines and do all types of
work during the show each year.
Meetings are held all year with some of these including the
whole families for parties and picnics as the organization plans
and looks forward to a bigger and better show each July.
