secretary
The nineteenth annual Reunion of the National Threshers
Association, was held at the Williams County Fair Grounds,
Montpelier, Ohio, during a heat wave when the temperature reached
95 degrees for seven consecutive day, breaking records. In spite of
this, the crowds at times equalled or exceeded those of other
years, and much activity by the fine engineers provided a splendid
program of events of all kinds.
As it is the custom at the NTA Reunions, the program opened
Thurs. with the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, flag-raising,
invocation by Rev. Elmer Ritzman, welcome by president of the
Chamber of Commerce, Eugene Kimmel, response by president LeRoy
Blaker. On Thursday evening the annual meeting and Memorial service
were conducted from the cement area in front of the grandstand,
instead of in the Administration Building.
Rain, just enough to muddy the track and cool the temperature
for the time being, prevented having the Friday night parade.
Instead, the famed Bud Widmer Rube Band of Defiance gave a most
enjoyable hour-long concert before the cr, wds in the grandstand
and on the field. The regular Saturday parade was held, with the
Montpelier High School Band leading the parade, followed by many
floats, steam models, steam engines, gas tractors, oil pulls,
antique cars. Moving with clocklike precision, the parade lasted
exactly one hour.
Space does not permit the enumeration of all the features of the
1963 NTA Reunion, but mention must be made of the sawmill purchased
last fall; in spite of the nearly 100 degree temperature, and with
the use of many different engines, Percy Sherman sawed nearly 8000
feet of lumber during the Reunion. John Limmer directed the
threshing of the fine crop of winter barley raised for this
exclusive purpose on the Blaker farm, and Frank McGuffin was well
pleased with the platform and steps built by Harry Mitchell
according to Frank’s instructions and placed behind the NTA-TNT
owned Port Huron, to facilitate inspection by the public of the
workings of a steam traction engine.
The program for the ladies was carried out as printed, with Mrs.
Val Connolly speaking Thursday afternoon on ‘Life in Spain’
and Dick Pressler repeating his gift-wrapping demonstration that
made such a hit last year. Teas were held Thursday and Friday
afternoons, and the locomotive owned by Frank Paul pulled John
Maxwell’s Joy Wagon downtown for the convenience of women
shoppers. The Joy Wagon was again used in the parade, filled with
70 year old threshers. Kramer’s calliope was an important
feature of the Reunion also.
Almost a last-minute decision to extend the Reunion through
Sunday led to an impromptu Sunday chapel service, conducted by
Chaplain Ritzman with special music by Guy Laubis of Kenton, Mr.
and Mrs. Ivan Kramer of Eaton, and the Gospel Harmonaires of Radio
Station WBNO, Bryan, which station had been conducting broadcasts
several times a day.
Tremendous interest, especially by the engineers, was shown at
the appearance of Eve Stefan, a honey blonde of Youngstown, who was
chosen at Atlantic City as MISS PHOTOGRAPHY of 1963 and who posed
for innumerable snapshots.
The third annual NTA-sponsored excursion to Greenfield Village,
Ford Museum, Detroit and Windsor, included some 35 men and women,
not quite as large a group as in the past, but plenty large for
interest and enjoyment, which the returning travelers certainly
manifested. Without question this popular feature will precede the
1964 Reunion, since many have already indicated a desire to
participate, and mention will be made in the Album in plenty of
time to obtain information.
TRENT, SOUTH DAKOTA, 1962
This Thresh Meet was held Oct. 20, 21, 1962 about 5 miles north
and west of Trent, South Dakota on Cy Halversen’s farm land.
The Case engine was from South Dakota and a two cylinder N&S
engine was also used. The N&S is owned by Jack Kedinger of
Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The 14 HP single cylinder Case engine is
owned by Paul Mausbech, Huron, South Dakota.
The weather was ideal, it could not have been nicer. Three days
after the meet, on October 24, 1962, snow fell enough to make the
ground white but it did not last long. It was gone by sundown.
The crowd was small on the first day but was much larger on the
last day. This field was about 1 mile away from the farm buildings
so a small building was taken to the field to serve refreshments. A
John Deere farm tractor was hooked up to a power take-off generator
to create electricity to be used in lunch building.
There also was a small steam engine on the grounds from Sioux
Falls, South Dakota and a 18-36 Hart-Pan which belonged to Obed
Sellum, Sherman, South Dakota and a 1 cylinder John Deere engine
mounted on a chassis to make a self propelled car which the boys
ran around.
The small steam engine model is owned by C. A. Dubbe, Sioux
Falls, South Dakota and was made by Jenkins of Griswold, Iowa.
Wm. Gayer, Rock Valley, Iowa
