THE SCOTT- CARVER SHOW

bother activity, or to keep people from coming. In fact, most shows
in Minnesota this year were held during what has been stated as the
worst drought in the history of the state. It began in early April
and lasted throughout the growing season.

I saw the show on Saturday, but Sunday is always the biggest day
at all of the shows as more people attend. However, Saturday’s
crowd was average, and activity was very progressive.

Willard Bill Olander’s 22 HP Advance engine and his 32 x 54
Case separator with wing feeder were in operation. Jim Molenhauer
was the engineer and Bill Sobiech was the separator man.

Ermin Morrell’s 16 HP Advance engine operated by Florian C.
Karl was belted to a Gopher thresher, doing perfect work threshing
oats.

It is interesting to note that this well constructed threshing
machine was built by a company formed and located at New Prague,
Minnesota during the 1920’s. Even thought the machines
performed satisfactorily, competition with the big companies was
too great, and the company decided to discontinue the project.

Lumber sawing with Frank Boehne in charge was in operation most
of the time assisted by Rudy Adams.

Engineers who participated, taking turns on the lumber saw and
threshing machines, were Florian C. Karl with Ermin Morrell’s
16 HP Advance; Jim Mollenhauer with Bill Olander’s 22 HP
Advance; Joe Sully with his 22 HP Advance; and John Shoening
operating his 50 HP Case.

John Shoening of Mound, Minnesota with his 35-70 Minneapolis gas
tractor, and Marvin Boettcher with his 30-60 Aultman and Taylor
took turns on an eight bottom plow.

I was fortunate in meeting Ermin Morrell and Willard (Bill)
Olander when they happened to be together.

Mr. Morrell related the purchase of his 22 HP Advance that was
owned at Pollock, South Dakota, where it was used extensively for
plowing in the first decade of the century. Mr. Morrell brought it
to Jordan in 1920 where he used it to operate his 1914, 36 inch
Buffalo Pitts Niagara second separator. However, the engine now is
no longer in use, and was placed on exhibition at the show this
year along with the separator.

Mr. Olander purchased his 1910 model 22 HP Advance engine from
Casper Richter of Jordan in 1936, ‘forty years ago’. It is
still in fine condition under the care of engineer, Jim
Mollenhauer. His 32 x 64 Case separator with wing feeder, was
purchased new by him in 1916. It is still in top condition. Hillard
Berg told me he has ‘tended’ this separator for the last
eighteen years.

Both Ermin Morrell and Bill Olander are justly proud of the fact
that they promoted and held the first steam threshing show at
Jordan in 1964 which later became the Scott-Carver Old
Thresher’s Association.

One interesting exhibit at this show year is the Jordan Fire
department antique steam pump. It is built with a fancy trimmed
upright steam boiler mounted on a neat running gear. Instead of an
engine it is equipped with a powerful steam pump which throws a
large steam of water. Being equipped with a pump instead of an
engine classes it unique, in that respect only. Otherwise it is
exactly like other city fire engines that raced through the streets
to the fires in the cities in the old days. I have seen pictures of
them being pulled by three horses hitched abreast, running.

The Jordan Fire Department did not own horses so they depended
upon local horsemen to rush to the fire station with a team when
the alarm sounded. The owner of the first team to arrive to be
hitched to the pump and rush to the scene of the fire would receive
five dollars. Sometimes trains coming through town would scare the
horses into a runaway. The livery stable was about a block from the
fire station and they kept a close alert on fire alarms; having a
team ready to go.

Ted Smith, operator of the Old Steam Pump at the show, said it
was built by the Waterous Engine Company of St. Paul, Minnesota. It
was purchased by the city of Jordan in the 1880’s. Mr. Smith
was with the steam pump the last time it was used at a fire in
1925.

In the exhibit building, Ray Lins and Jack Strand had their
usual commendable display of stationary steam engines. Most of the
engines were either running or could be on steam piped from a wood
burning stationary boiler installed just outside of the pole-type
galvanized building.

Dennis Krill and Jack Strand own a 52 HP Howell stationary
engine with 11 ‘ bore and a 14 inch stroke. Also in the
building is a 36 HP Atlas, a 110 RPM engine with a 10.5′ bore
and a 16′ stroke. It was originally owned by the Gluck Brewing
Company of Minneapolis. Another engine, owned by Ray Lins, is a
James Leffel 42 HP 165 RPM, bore 10.5′ and stroke 12’.

These engines have all been fully restored by these men, and
they run beautifully.

Another engine inside of the building is a 7′ x 7′
upright owned by Ray Lins. Outside of the building is a 4′ x
5′ upright owned by Ray Lins and Jack Strand. Back inside we
find two small steam engines, one is a center crank upright made in
Germany. The other is a 2 by 3 side crank upright formerly used in
a Stillwater, Minnesota creamery. There is also a little Corliss
engine 2′ bore and 5′ stroke. It came out of a Stillwater
creamery.

And while we’re talking about engines, Dick Lindquist of
5149 39th Avenue South, Minneapolis had a fine exhibit of six
miniature steam engines which he built during the winter of
1975-76. All have 1′ x 2′ stroke; otherwise they are not
alike.

In the blacksmith shop, Ralph Harvey, a building contractor in
Wayzata, Minnetonka area, made and sold souvenir horseshoes. He was
assisted by his wife, Mary Jane, who answered questions for curious
people regarding Mr. Harvey’s hobby.

Across from the blacksmith shop in the building, Barb Majerus
and Janice Tieben were busy spinning wool.

Russ and Barbara Johnson demonstrated soap making. Barbara
weaves rugs at home and plans to bring her loom to the show next
year.

Mrs. George H. Ohmann Jr. of Eagan, sold magazines and catalogs.
She was assisted by Pam Pitcher of Lakeland, Minnesota.

Just outside of the building, Alois Vonbank of Jordan, had a
wishing well; a lazy susan and a large display of articles all made
from cedar. His dragsaw, which he claims is one of the first ones
ever to be manufactured, was powered by Herman Pieper’s upright
steam engine. Another drag saw powered by a small gas engine just
outside of the building, owned by Jack Strand, was operated by his
brother, Larry. Jerry Siegel of Chaska, a member of the
Scott-Carver Association, was in charge of six small gas engines
from 1 HP to 3  HP which are owned by the Association. Roman
Kaline showed seven small gas engines.

Elsner Machacek of Northfield was on hand with his scale model
of a 65 HP Case belted to a small woodsaw. It is a perfect model,
requiring 5,000 hours to build.

Heading the parade this year was a small bi-centennial wagon
containing a miniature breaking plow, a broad axe and other antique
hand tools. This dressed up little outfit with flags waving, was
the creative work of Elsner Machacek along with the small gas
tractor that pulled it. Elsner’s grandson, John Machacek, was
the driver.

Included in the parade each day which included practically every
rolling unit of the show bringing out the steam traction engines,
gas tractors, miniature tractors and antique cars and trucks, were
some that I feel deserve special mention.

Ray Pearson has brought his 1924, 20-42 HP, 1924 Nichols and
Shepard tractor to every Scott-Carver Show since the show started.
It is a two cylinder tractor, complete with a cab built heavy
throughout; mounted on steel wheels; it ranks high among the gas
tractors built fifty years ago. Mr. Pearson used it many years
operating a threshing machine doing custom work.

The gas powered heavy road roller owned by John Schoening was a
new attraction. Another new attraction was a heavy caterpillar gas
tractor owned by George H. Ohmann, Jr.

Frank Boehne was on hand with his big Allis Chalmers tractor, as
he has been other years. We missed Mike Kovich’s Lawson tractor
which he left at home on the repair list. Other years it has been
driven in parades by Mrs. Kovich.

The parade each day at 1:30 PM was announced by Marvin
Boettcher.

I saw Francis Johnson of Darwin, Minnesota. He has the largest
ball of string in the world. It weighs between five and six tons
and adorns the front yard at his home. He told me it was the only
picture from Minnesota published in ‘Guiness Book of World
Records’ published in 1975. Mr. Johnson makes twenty-seven
pairs of pliers from one solid piece of basswood lumber. He is a
son of the late Magnus Johnson who was a United States Senator from
Minnesota.

I met Mr. and Mrs. Bill Sobiech and Mrs. Sobiech’s sister
Agnes Meyer of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Bill helps with the grain
stacking and supervises the threshing at the show. Mrs. Sobiech
helps in the food stand. I met Betty Lins at the food stand.

Music always adds life to a show and Harold Koerner of
Minneapolis drew attention both days as he played a Lowry organ.
Mike and George Kovich were on hand as usual at the show.

The Stage Coach Fast Draw Club of Shakopee, Minnesota staged
shoot-outs each day. They carry six-guns on cartridge belts at
their hips and do the most fast drawing and shooting at one another
since Gunsmoke. Fortunately the shells they fire are blanks, so no
one has to go to the Fast Draw Club in the sky; that’s if there
is one.

This year the Fast Draw Club brought their cannon which is of
Civil War vintage. It is no toy, being full-size, it is mounted on
two high wooden wheels. It is loaded from the muzzle by tamping the
load in place with a huge ram rod. When it was loaded, they
politely asked the crowd to stand back. No one objected to that, so
one of the crew with a flame lit the fuse on the breech. The result
was a terrific boom! with a flash of fire about the size of a door
on a telephone booth. Fragments of paper used for wadding flew out
of the muzzle like a flock of birds. There was a cloud of black
smoke blending with paper fragments. Someone said they thought they
might have used more powder than necessary that time as the cannon
danced a shimmy when ordinarily it never moves when it is fired.
Anyway, there was no harm done and everyone enjoyed the efforts of
the Shakopee Stage Coach Fast Draw Club.

The Scott-Carver Show site is located near Jordan, Minnesota in
Scott County. It is named in honor of Scott and adjoining Carver
counties.

As we have mentioned, the Scott-Carver show is really the
outcome of the efforts of Willard ‘Bill’ Olander, his
brother Carl, now deceased, and Irwin Morrell, when in 1964 they
staged the first steam threshing show at Jordan.

Officers of the Scott-Carver Old Thresher’s Association are
Ronald Scott, president; Ralph Kerkow, secretary; and Reuben
Boettcher, treasurer.

The Scott-Carver Association consider the 1976 show to be a
success.