THE OLD STEAMERS CAME BACK TO THE NEW YORK STATE FAIR

History’ Program, and was a free feature at the big Fair which
is under the direction of Harold L. (‘Cap’) Creal, a
prominent farmer and Agricultural leader, whose farm home is
located near Homer, N. Y.

The area provided by the fair authorities for the pageant was a
paved field 200 x 750 ft. adjacent to the large Farm Machinery
Building. The big show highlighted the machinery developed and used
in the State during the past century. Recognition was given to the
New York state pioneer farmers and small manufacturers who searched
for new farming methods and machines to increase food production
during the westward advance of the frontier. It was in this period,
1830 to 1880, that most of the modern machines were developed in
crude and sometimes hand-made form, within the boundaries of New
York State. Research has proved that the State is the birthplace of
the great Farm Machinery Industry.

Many old timers came to look, stayed a while, then came back
with their families to show them the kind of power that was used on
the farm when they were kids. Nine Steam Traction Engines were in
operation every day. No accurate estimate can be given as to the
number of ‘Old Time’ Engine operators who were welcomed by
the owners of the Historic Engines and who were permitted to pull
the throttle just once more and drive the old Engine of their
choice. A letter received after the fair from one gentleman said:
‘I usually found five or ten former operators of Steamers
around the old Engines and they could not drag themselves away.
Besides them were hundreds who viewed and handled the engines
lovingly. In ever knew anyone who really loved a Gasoline Tractor,
but those old Steamers have been loved by almost everyone who had
anything to do with them.’

Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy were a part of the free
entertainment attractions at the Fair. Edgar spent some of his
spare time visiting with the owners of the old Steamers and driving
them to the delight of the large crowd. He said that his father was
a Steam Engine Thresherman in Michigan when he was a kid. Now his
hobby is an old Steamer ‘like his Daddy’s’ which he
operates on his Sunset Boulevard Ranch, Hollywood, California.

Both Horse-drawn Steam Engines and Traction Engines were
exhibited and demonstrated by their proud owners. Old Case
Horse-drawn Engine No. 1 was sent down by J. I. Case Company from
Racine, Wisconsin. To keep it company the Ames Iron Works, Oswego,
N. Y. sent down their Engine that was built about 1866. George Van
Atta, Tioga Center, furnished a ‘St. Johnsville’ (N.Y.)
Horse-drawn Engine.

The gentlemen who owned the 9 Steam Traction Engines and who
spent their time with them during the period of the Pair were:

Lester Norris, Marcellus, N. Y.
Lang & Buttor 1909
Case               
1914
Case               
1924
Wm. and Geo. Van Atta, Tiaga Center, N. Y. – Westinghouse
188
 Donald Field, Lafayette, N. Y.
Stevens            1907
Charles Denman, Brewerton, N. Y.
Case               
 1915
Robert Marshall, East Bloomfield, N.Y.
Buffalo-Pitt 1912
Case               
 1920
Kenneth McCormack, Jordan, N. Y.
Waterloo           1910
(Water Tenders were provided by
Lester Norris and Charles Denman.)

The development of Farm Power was visualized by the exhibit of
pioneer Gasoline and Kerosene operated Farm Tractors. Among them
were the Titan, Waterloo Boy, International 8-16, Case 3 Wheel
10-20, Case 15-27, Moline Universal, Fordson, and an old Holt
Crawler.

A spectacular and dramatic parade of the Historic Machines was
probably the high point of the pageant. On Thursday, September
10th, Governor Nelson Rockefeller reviewed the parade at Empire
Court. ‘Deacon’ Doubleday, the well known Farm Editor and
announcer of Radio Station WSYR Syracuse, described the event and
advised the thousands of listeners what the Engines and other old
machines were, who owned and were operating them. A visual reminder
of the development of labor-saving Farm Machinery was the
appearance in the parade of a McCormick Horse-drawn Reaper built in
1875 followed by the latest type McCormick-Deering Self propelled
Combine. Other farm machines of the very latest type for different
farm operations were in the parade line.

A ‘Lane’ shingle making machine, owned and operated by
Walter Rumsey, Spencer, N. Y. made shingles each day. One of the
Steamers furnished the power needed to make the thousands of
shingles which were taken home as souvenirs of the event.

On Governor’s Day oats were threshed by an old
‘Brasher’ Thresher built in 1860. The thresher was equipped
with Hand Feed and Straw Carrier attachments. It was made by P. E.
Kennehan, Brasher Falls, St. Lawrence County, N.Y. The Thresher was
also in the parade, having been drawn by the old Westinghouse
Steamer.

Another feature of the event was the ‘Baker’ type fan
furnished by Lester Norris, Marcellus, and driven by the big 80 hp
Case Steamer owned by ‘Bob’ Marshall, East Bloomfield, N.
Y., and operated by Homer Prudon. This outfit in action really made
the old Steamers talk and was music to the ears.

Engines, Machines, and Implements in the display area were
–
Fairbanks-Morse 15 hp Diesel Engine Fairbanks-Morse 6 hp Portable
Kerosene Engine

One horse and a two horse tread power Ground Hog Pioneer
Thresher Cylinder Fanning Mill built in 1825 Westinghouse 7 hp
Electric Motor
built in 1913
Appleton Husker and Shredder built in
1900
Case Steel Thresher built in 1920 New Racine Thresher built in
1918 for
use with the Fordson
Johnston Harvester Co. Reaper and
Binder
1895 McCormick Corn Binder
Kemp Manure Spreader
Crown Grain Drill
Walter A. Wood Mower that was exhibited at Paris World Fair in
1867 and received the ‘Grand Prix’ award.

100 year old Horse drawn reversible
Disk Plow.

On Governor’s Day a luncheon was held at which time Dr. O.
C. French, Head of the Agricultural Engineering Department, Cornell
University, Ithaca, N.Y., in behalf of the State of New York,
thanked the owners of the Historic Machines for their cooperation
and effort in making the Historic Farm Machinery Exhibit such a
successful educational and historical event.

R. C. (Bob) Burnette of Skaneateles, N.Y., who during World War
II worked with the War Food Administration in Washington and later
for several years was the Managing Director of the New York State
Farm Equipment Dealers Association, wrote about the thrill he used
to get out of the Steam Engine and Thresher working on his
father’s farm. The supreme thrill was when the Engineer on the
old Steam Traction Engine said, ‘All right, Bobby, pull the
cord twice.’

After the two healthy toots of the whistle the Engineer pulled a
big lever and the long, swaying belt started to slowly move to the
accompaniment of the slightly labored puffs from the exhaust.
Within seconds there was the shout from old John Ransberger on the
thresher feed table -‘Giff me grain, giff me grain.’

Mr. Burnette closed his letter with this statement:
‘There’s something about America in those memories. Sure,
just a kid pulling a whistle cord. So, what’s the score? Just
this: men and machines have pioneered a new way of life in this
country, a way of

having food in plenty for everybody, leaving many hands to build
the other comforts and necessities of modern living, and most of
this has taken place within the period of your memory and
mine.’