1511 Iglehart, St. Paul, Minn. 55104.
The Fourth Annual Egan Steam Threshing Show was held September
16th and 17th of 1972.
Fair fall weather sustained the efforts of the Ohmann families
together with the people who brought machinery to the show.
I did not learn the extent of the show organization other than
that George H. Ohmann, Jr. is the head man or president of the
organization and his wife is secretary.
Mr. Ohmann’s father, George H. Ohmann, Sr. who has farmed
for years on the farm where the show was held, is a very active man
and was busily engaged getting engines belted to a wood-framed
McCormick Deering Thresher, so that the cylinder would run at the
correct speed.
Different makes of tractors, a Steamer and a 12-20 Rumely Oil
Pull were tried. I noticed the Oil Pull stayed as long as any of
them, so it may have been close to producing the right speed for
threshing.
Mr. George H. Ohmann, Sr. owns a 30-60 Aultman-Taylor gas
tractor which he is justly proud of. It was belted to a 36 inch Red
River Special separator and is a fine running engine.
Gilbert Kraft, Route 2, Rosemount, Minnesota owns the 12-20
Rumely Oil Pull mentioned above and others including a 20-35 Eagle
tractor, a 12-30 Minneapolis, a Ten Caterpillar and a Rumely Duall.
All are in fine restored condition.
Lloyd Belden of St. Paul Park was on the scene with three Case
steam traction engines. Painted and polished, they looked like they
had just arrived from the factory. Mr. Belden is the engineer on
his 50 HP Case which he used to operate a 36-inch Minneapolis
separator with wing feeders.
Oney Darson of Inver Grove Heights was the separator man for the
threshing operations.
Gene Roggeman of Minneapolis was the engineer on the second
engine owned by Mr. Belden. It is a 40 HP Case.
Mr. Roggeman was one of the first to build a model engine in
this locality when he built a model traction engine which he showed
at the Minnesota State Fair, and this must be about twenty years
ago. A picture of this fine engine appeared in a recent issue of
the Iron Men Album.
The third engine owned by Mr. Belden is a 30 HP Case. Ted Knack
of St. Paul Park was the engineer.
George Ohmann, Jr. did lumber sawing with his 30 HP Minneapolis.
This is a big, powerful engine in fine condition.
Elsner Machacek of Northfield, Minnesota was there with his
scale model of a 1915 Case traction engine. The engine is about
four feet in length and has all of the working parts of the
full-size Case engines.
Small gas engines, one of which was self-propelled, drew
attention from curious onlookers.
The Egan show is especially good for those who like to see
threshing done as it was in the old days. Several full-size grain
stacks were threshed. This show is growing both in the machinery
exhibit and in attendance. Music always adds a lot to a show and
Jack’s Polka Band was more than equal to the occasion.
The 1972 Show season has passed on but the Ohmann’s will be
looking forward to seeing you in 1973.
