STEAM ENGINE JIM

306 W. Anthony, Corydon, Iowa 50060

Garden Grove, Iowa is a friendly little country town about 70
miles south of Des Moines, Iowa. This little town was one of the
spots along the Morman trail to Utah where the bands of Mormons put
out crops for the next band of Mormons to harvest as they made
their long trip from Navoo, Illinois to a new location.

Sometime in the early 60’s, I was out for a Sunday afternoon
drive and drove through Garden Grove. While browsing around I
spotted a yard with 2 model trucks, a Model T sedan and a T coupe.
I knew here was someone I had to meet. In a short time I met Jim
Smith. In later years, Jim and I were to have a good cry over this
meeting. I don’t remember what Jim priced these Model T’s
to me for but I cry because I didn’t buy them and Jim cries
because he sold them. It didn’t take much time in visiting with
him to find out he was a steam engine man without a steam
engine.

A few years later Jim came into the store where I work and said
he had at last got a steam engine, a Case that had been sitting in
one spot for 22 years. It was a 60 HP, serial number 30301. It
didn’t take Jim long to get this engine in shape with new water
tank, coal bunker, etc. Jim has been very generous in helping out
celebrations around the neighboring towns by bringing his engine
and threshing or just driving in parades.

On Labor Day 1975, I heard Garden Grove was having a celebration
and Jim was using his engine for the celebration. I drove up to get
a few pictures and a write-up for the Iron-Men Album. The day was
hot and I found Jim sitting in the shade taking it easy while son,
Bob, and grandson, Lyle, were getting the engine ready. Later I did
get a picture of Jim and a log cabin he had built within the last
year or so. This little one-room cabin is equipped with old time
stove, bed and items you would expect to see in such a cabin. Then
Jim took me out to a shed to see a gas engine he had bought. It had
originally been on an orchard sprayer. Jim thinks the engine is a
‘Rin Tin!’ Anyway, he needs a magneto for it and says the
magneto runs anti-clockwise.

Jim said he started his steam career when a small boy firing an
old Northwest steam engine. During his lifetime he has owned 5
steam engines, all Case, two 12 HP, one 50 HP, one 65 HP and the
present 60 HP. He said that one of the 12 HP he owned, he never
run. Back in the depression 30’s he had a sawmill and said a
farmer came to him one day and wanted some logs sawed. Jim said the
farmer had no money but told him he would swap an old 12 HP Case
engine he had on the farm for the log sawing, so Jim traded. He
said he went over to the man’s place and he took the steering
chain because he could make it into a log cabin and a steam gauge.
He didn’t even think about the whistle and finally a junk man
came along and offered him $4.00 for the engine and Jim laughed and
said the junk man couldn’t even pay the $4.00 until he had
wrecked the engine and sold the iron.