Midwest Ole Threshers, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.
In 1950, several men had a dream a Reunion of Old Threshers in
Mt. Pleasant . . . and the Association was born. Their hope was to
record and preserve much of the early history of the midwest
territory and especially southeast Iowa and leave an authentic
record that will remain of interest and profit to future
generations.
The first Reunion had 15 steam engines and eight separators and
several thousand people attended. Sideshows were banned, con games,
carnival and commercialism and advertising were taboo except for
sale of good food and soft drinks. These policies have continued to
be the rule through the Association’s 28-year history.
Yesterdays in rural America are relived here in the land of the
steam powered threshers, vintage trolleys, antique autos, gas
tractors and gas engines, and a narrow-gauge railroad. All are part
of the hundreds of working exhibits.
Early last fall following the 1976 Reunion, the Board of
Directors named a 6 horsepower, 1888 Russell steam engine, owned by
Charles and Alden Fricke, Mt. Union, Iowa as the steam engine of
the year for 1977. The brothers had acquired the engine in the
summer of 1976 from an owner in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It had earlier
belonged to the late J. J. Hingtgen of LaMotte, Iowa. It has been
featured in many ways during the year and will be the star of this
year’s show.
The Fricke Brothers own and exhibit three other engines at the
Reunion. They include a 6 horsepower Nichols and Shepard, a 16
horsepower Russell, and a 25 horsepower Russell. They also own. and
exhibit other vintage equipment at the Mt. Pleasant show.
The couple chose the platform of the Midwest Central Railroad
caboose at the Old Threshers grounds as the setting for their
wedding. The groom has a special interest in railroading and plans
a career in that field after college graduation. The bride has been
a volunteer worker with Old Threshers through Iowa Wesleyan’s
Responsible Social Involvement Program.
The engine of the year was one of the steam engines in a
historic segment on American agriculture filmed last fall at Old
Threshers for Farmland Industries, Inc. and later shown on national
television.
In early July the oats were cut with a binder, shocked and later
placed on wagons to await threshing days at the Reunion, both with
steam power and horsepower. Sorghum is also growing on the Old
Thresher grounds for cutting and processing when festival time is
at hand.
Many volunteers give assistance taking place at Old Threshers
with school tours, hosting visitors to the museums, assisting with
the Bluegrass Festival and camping activities but this number will
reach 4000 as the giant Reunion gets under way.
The Heritage Museum, with new addition, and now covering
approximately 3 acres, has been under construction and
reorganization since last year’s Reunion. It was opened
officially on Memorial Day week-end when nearly 400 people attended
open-house activities that week-end. Displays are arranged with a
seasonal usage of equipment, such as spring, summer, fall, and
winter. The ‘new’ country kitchen has also been relocated
in the new addition.
The original museum building is the location of the steam
engines, along with the Corliss engines, the Page engine, gas
tractors and gas engines. These displays all become a ‘part of
the action’ at Reunion. Those that move out of the building
will be replaced by historical exhibits now being developed for
this area.
Efforts have been made to further develop the log settlement.
The stagecoach barn, leveled during an early May windstorm, has
been reconstructed. One of the log cabins destroyed during the same
storm will not be reconstructed. A log school-house moved to the
grounds this summer from nearby Lee County is taking shape.
Volunteers at the Midwest Central Railroad engine shop have been
busily building another passenger coach, which will greatly assist
in handling the peak loads on hand. Last year 40,000 passengers
took rides on the Midwest Central.
