We thank Heber L. Armstrong, Editor of The Wellston Sentry
newspaper in Wellston, Ohio 45692, for permission to reprint the
following story and pictures. This was sent to us through the
courtesy of Lewis J. Meacham, 2861 Brown Avenue, Chillicothe, Ohio
45601.
The Hard Way
Pictured above is Tim Graves off-bearing in the upper left,
while Grady Twyman, of Ewington, Larry Wilbur of Hamden and Charles
R. Duncan of Jackson get the ‘feel of the fork’ as they
load’er up!! Courtesy of Heber L. Armstrong, Editor of The
Wellston Sentry.
The Golden Grain
Lewis ‘Jr.’ Meacham
Meacham, a Jackson County native, is one of the some 25 members
of the Jackson-Ross County Steam Threshers Association active in
the 200 member-plus club who actually reconstruct engines and
participate in the Steam Shows of the Middle West. Courtesy of
Heber L. Armstrong, Editor of The Wellston Sentry.
Bean Business!
The Host!
The two day event drew a capacity to the many multi-featured
entertainment featuring the use of Steam and the powering of an
ancient Threshing Machine Meacham used to ‘custom work’ in
the Leo-Raysville,-Jackson-Ross County area.
Meacham is atop the ‘separator’ manning the
‘stacking pipe’ used to convey the threshed straw to the
straw stack for baling. Courtesy of Heber L. Armstrong, Editor of
The Wellston Sentry.
Little Loco
McKinney, a machinist for the Wagner Implement Company states
the above ‘creation’ is patterned after the Avery and has a
5 horsepower boiler on a 4 horse engine.
McKinney is a former employee of the former Tim Miller-Bob
Reigel Jackson Implement Co.
Little Loco is the 4th steamer built by McKinney. Courtesy of
Heber L. Armstrong, Editor of The Wellston Sentry.
The Jackson-Ross County Steam Threshers Association held their
6th annual ‘Threshing Bee’ on the Ray Meacham residence at
Leo.
The Tick Ridge Meacham farm hosted an extremely heavy crowd
attending the 1972 festivities which included an old fashioned bean
dinner for both Saturday and Sunday. An old fashioned Square Dance
was the social function of Saturday night.
The Threshers attracted a host of old steam driven engines used
to provide the power for the threshing separators used in the
threshing demonstrations.
Flea markets, refreshment stands, sculpt and art work booths,
old and antique farm implements, old automobiles, and ancient
trucks also added to the interest of the Association outing.
Ray Meacham is president of the Threshers, while Lewis (Jr.)
Meacham of Chillicothe acts as Vice President. Harry Swaney of Leo
is the Associations Secretary while Norman Brohard serves as
Treasurer for the group. Lewis Farley, Gene Tennant, and Joe Parks
serve on the governing board of trustees.
Some 200 people comprise the membership of the ‘Old
Time’ Steam Power people with membership even going to such far
away places as England.
Meacham stated that the local group included some 25 people who
seriously practiced the art of owning and operating the steam
engines popular in the past as power producers.
A large number of antique cars, trucks, tractors, and horse
drawn binders, balers, corn shredders, mowing machines, and plows
were also on display over the weekend festivities.
The group actually threshed wheat stacked from the Meacham farm
with the ‘visiting farmers’ who wanted to get the
‘ole-time-feel’ of the pitchfork or refresh their art at
‘cutting bands’ providing the manpower to augment the
‘steam engine’ power contribution to the threshing
operation.
Some 125 pounds of ‘jowl bacon’ seasoned soup beans
cooked by Gene Tennant, augmented the food and soft drink stand,
along with that of the ‘Cotton Candy Man’ to satisfy the
hunger of the weekend threshers.
But all was not ancient! Bob Rice of Rices Garage, Jackson had
an extensive display of both International and General Electric
Lawn and garden tractors on display.
The field formerly growing the grain and straw used in the
weekend’s threshing demonstrations was used for the parking of
some 500 cars.
The steady drone of the people visiting, the gentle
‘whish’ of escaping steam, and the threshing chatter of the
threshing separator was often punctuated by the shrill steam
whistle on the various steam engines on exhibition.
Just as the kids are attracted to the shrillness of the whistle
so was a multitude of people, chiefly of rural background and
interest, attracted to the dusty domain of bib overalls, sweaty
blue chambrey shirts, pitchforks, with shiny well-worn handles, the
subdued slap of the drive belts and the shacking shuffle of the
separator parts.
A re-activated operation from the era of yesterday!
