1511 Iglehart Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55104
The Scott-Carver Show was held at the regular show site about
two miles out of Jordan, Minnesota a short distance off Highway
169, on August 10th and 11th, 1974. The weather on Saturday, August
10th, was rainy but Sunday was a clear bright day allowing most of
the activity to be carried on.
A parade was held each day with Marvin Boettcher announcing.
Lumber sawing was an attraction as usual. Threshing was in
progress, being done by two steam rigs on Sunday afternoon.
John Schoening of Mound, Minnesota had his 50 HP Case belted to
a 32-inch Minneapolis thresher that belongs to the Scott Carver
Association. John had his 35-70 Minneapolis gas tractor at the
show. He is also engaged in the restoration of a 70 HP Minneapolis
steam engine.
Florian C. Karl was the engineer on Erwin Morrell’s 15 HP
Advance engine, as he has been other years. The engine is used on
the lumber saw and for threshing. Joe Sully of St. Peter, Minnesota
was on hand as usual with his 22 HP Advance.
Engineer Jim Mollenhauer was running Bill Olander’s 22 HP
Advance engine. Ralph Kerkow’s steel Rosenthal corn shredder
was in operation. Although the corn stalks were green and tough,
the ears of corn were husked and the shredded fodder was blown in a
pile.
Some of the big tractors and steamers did plowing demonstrations
with an 8-bottom plow.
John Schoening brought his 35-70 Minneapolis gas tractor. There
was Ray Harris’ 8-16 International gas tractor and several John
Deeres, Allis-Chalmers and Farmalls. Ralph Altenweg of Dayton with
his 14-28 Advance Rumely, Marvin Boettcher’s 30-60 Aultman and
Taylor, Mike Kovich’s 1928 Lauson, Frank Boehne’s 1937
Allis-Chalmers, Ray Pearson’s 1924 Nichols and Shepard and
Ralph Kerkow’s McCormick Deering 10-20 and Bill Sebiech with
his F-14 Farmall comprised most of the gas tractors.
The Jordan Steam Fire engine was on exhibition. Eisner Machacek
of Northfield was there with his scale model of a 1915 65 HP Case.
W. F. Vouk of St. Stephen, Minnesota called my attention to his
upcoming show, and pointed out one of his steam engines at the
show. I believe it was an Advance.
The galvanized iron exhibition building was well stocked with
items of interest to everyone.
As we walked through the entrance, we came to a blacksmith shop.
Demonstrating the art of blacksmithing was Ralph Harvey of Wayzata,
Minnesota. In the other end of the building were exhibits of quilt
making and soap making.
Ray Lins and Jack Strand were the steam engineers in charge of
the stationary engines in the building. Steam for the collection
comes from a 30 HP boiler installed just outside of the exhibit
building. Engines in the building are two 1930 Troy 12 HP engines,
a 5 HP James Leffel, an Atlas 1875 36 HP, 110 RPM, obtained from
Gluck brewery. If 1875 is the year it was manufactured, that’s
a long time ago. It must be the serial number. Another big one is a
James Leffel 42 HP 165 RPM and the owner of this one is Reuben
Boettcher.
On the other side of the building, a 25 HP upright engine was
belted to a line shaft running to the blacksmith shop. Dennis Krill
fully restored this engine getting it done in the ‘nick of
time’ for the Jordan show.
Some of the fellows I talked with were Florian C. Karl and
Reuben Boettcher, Jim Mollenhour, John Schoening, George and Mike
Kovich, Marvin Boettcher and others. I met Melvin Snow of
Ellsworth, Wisconsin. He is a friend of Gilmar Johnson whom I met
at the Magnuson Museum.
By coincidence, I happened to talk with Mrs. Helmeth Boettcher
of Altoona, Wisconsin. She said that in my writings of the
Scott-Carver Shows in other years, she and her husband, seeing the
name Boettcher, wondered if they were related. However, after
meeting with Marvin Boettcher, they found there was no
relationship.
Several antique cars and trucks were exhibited, one of the
oldest was the 1928 Mack truck owned by Erick Schuft of Brownton.
Bill Schoening brought his 1930 Model A Ford Pickup. Lee Bundy had
a nicely restored 1951 two-ton GMC truck.
During show time, a cannon was fired at intervals. It was
supervised by men in Civil War uniforms. The loud reports shook up
the countryside.
The Stage Coach organization from Shakopee, Minnesota, staged
shoot-outs during the show. Fortunately the shells fired were all
blanks, so no one was injured.
So another good show passed into history and we can look forward
to another year.
