1511 Iglehart St. Paul, Minn. 55104.
On August 5th and 6th, 1972, the Scott-Carver Old Thresher’s
Association held its 9th Annual ‘Steam and Gas Engine
Festival’ at Jordan, Minnesota.
Although the weather was cool, cloudy and threatening rain, the
program of events seemed to move along real well.
Stacks of winter wheat bundles were threshed, lumber sawing was
in progress, and an eight-bottom plow tested the power of the
steamers in a stubble field. Gas tractors also did some plowing.
Tractors belted to a fan drew curious on-lookers. Most of the
types, or makes, of farm tractors used on Minnesota farms for the
last forty years were on display.
Portable gasoline engines along with small single cylinder gas
engines made up quite a display. Some of these small engines were
running feed grinders and giving other belt power
demonstrations.
As usual the steam fire engine which is really a steam pump was
on exhibit as it has been at former shows at Jordan. It is an 1889
model. Six steam traction engines were on hand including a
half-size case owned by Tom Zahratka of Montgomery who with his
helper, Donald Bicek are showing at several reunions this
season.
Mr. Zahratka was a long time associate of the late Joseph T.
Rynda, ‘Steam Engine Joe’.
Elsner Machacek was there with his 1/3 scale model of a 1915
Case 65 HP. Elsner is a native of Northfield and a long time
hobbyist in the steam field.
Joe Selly of St. Peter was on hand with his 22 HP Advance.
Other steam engines were a 12 HP Russell owned by Arthur Krueger
of Belle Plain, a 22 HP Advance owned by Erwin Morrell of Jordan,
and a 16 HP Advance owned by him and operated by Florian C. Karl.
Also in the steam exhibit was Willard Olander of Jordan with his 22
HP Advance.
I am sorry I failed to get the name of another man who was
running a fully restored Advance engine. I also want to apologize
to other people who had important items at the show, but whom I did
not get to talk to, so I’m unable to mention them.
In the gas tractor exhibit, Mike Kovich with his Lawson, and an
Allis Chalmers that I saw running a test fan, were probably two of
the largest in what I would say was the four plow class used for
field work in the 1930’s.
In the big tractor class, the ones that began replacing steam
engines in the second decade of the century, two were on
exhibition. One was a Nichols and Shepard built in 1922. Its rating
is 20-42 HP and the motor is of the two cylinder parallel type.
Ray Pearson of Shakopee is the owner. It is a beautiful
well-kept engine. It’s exhaust sounds something like that of a
steam engine, and it had plenty of power operating a case thresher
with wing feeders.
The other big one is a 30-60 Aultman-Taylor owned and operated
by Marvin Boettcher of Jordan who is president of the Scott-Carver
show. Mr. Boettcher purchased the tractor in 1967. The motor was
rusted tight, but it is now fully restored.
I met Erich Schuft of Brownton, Minnesota who owns a GMC truck,
which he purchased 30 years ago. He did extensive hauling with it;
hauling grain to elevators and livestock to South St. Paul.
Mr. Erwin Morrell who lives near Jordan on a farm homesteaded by
his grandfather in 1854, told me the first threshing show at Jordan
which became the Scott-Carver Old Threshing Bee, was held in 1964.
It was when he and Mr. Willard Olander used their two Advance steam
engines and the separator, a Buffalo Pitts which had recently been
shipped in from Polak, South Dakota, was used for threshing.
From the efforts of these two men who are active in the show
today, the Scott-Carver show has grown to be one of the best.
Marvin Boettcher, President, together with his associates, and
Arlen Peterson, secretary, are all to be commended for their
efforts in putting on a great show.
