Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2023 i Farm Collector

When one of my daughters had to move me from Bryan, Texas, to Houston, she came across these gems that I had not seen in years. The smaller photo shows the log cabin my maternal grandfather was born in. He told me he remembered snow coming in through the chinks. His home was near Capron, Illinois. The larger photo was staged for some publication but was never used. It shows me on the homemade sulky used to move the hay carrier into the hay mows. Actually, I never drove this. By the time this photo was taken, I had graduated to setting the fork for the hay carrier or working the hay field. My Aunt Stella usually drove this cart. She never rode it but instead walked along the side.…

When Melinda Huisinga attended the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion for the first time, she was not yet a year old. But something clearly clicked, because with the exception of the year when she was just days away from giving birth to her daughter, she hasn’t missed a reunion since. For more than seven decades, Melinda has been both a tireless volunteer and an unofficial ambassador for the reunion. Working with family members, she fires up her 65hp Case steam engine every day during the annual event, starting early, ending late. She helps out at the show’s steam-powered carousel and answers visitors’ questions. She pitches in at her church’s food stand; sometimes she’s involved in the steam engine spark show. “I sleep well at night,” she admits. She doesn’t limit her volunteer…

Ivan Miller has earned an enviable reputation for building high-quality scale-model Rumely tractors that are fully operational – and it all came from a shared dream. “I admired scale-model Rumelys that were displayed at tractor shows,” he says. “When I was about 14 years old, Dad and I dreamed of building our own version. Eventually, years later, we set to work and scaled one from a 16-30 Rumely that Dad owned.” By then, Ivan had gained considerable steel fabricating experience and that helped the dream become a reality. Over the past five years, he’s scratch-built four copies of the same model, adding more detail with each build. Skills gained on the job transfer to a hobby and a sideline Ivan grew up in Holmes County, Ohio. He and his wife,…

Arkansas Sept. 8th 9th 10th, 2023: Gentry, AR. Branch 37, 31st Annual Tired Iron of the Ozarks Fall Show. Antique tractors, numerous oil field engines, gas engine, operating sawmill and home appliance demonstrations, antique cars and trucks on Saturday, Parade of Power and much more! Featuring: Farmall Tractors and Oil Field Engines. Also in conjunction with the Blacksmith Organization of Arkansas at Tired Iron of the Ozarks. RV Hook-Ups. FREE ADMISSION! 13344 Taylor Orchard Road. Contact: Call or Text Matt Hyde, 479-685-9623 Connecticut Goshen Flywheel & Tractor, Inc. Antique Tractor Show. September 15-17, 2023. Goshen Agricultural Society Fairgrounds, Goshen, CT. Displays and Vendors wanted. Hands on demos, family friendly, cider press, pick your own pumpkins, Saturday tractor pull. Antique construction equipment, heavy duty truck show, slowest truck race, food truck…

Some people believe that Jeep invented four-wheel drive. Not so, not by a long shot! According to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, English inventor Bramah Joseph Diplock patented a four-wheel drive steam-powered traction engine in 1893. Diplock’s patent also featured four-wheel steering and front, back and center differentials. It was subsequently built and proved functional. The world’s first four-wheel drive vehicle directly powered by an internal-combustion engine was the Dutch-built Spyker of 1903. The 60hp two-seat sports car featured permanent four-wheel drive and was also the first car with four-wheel brakes. American designs for four-wheel drive first came from Twyford Motor Car Co., producer of a one-seat Twyford roadster beginning in 1904. Because Twyford Roadsters sold for about $1,000, compared to Henry Ford’s Model T, which was priced at $250, only…

The history of the world would look far different if it weren’t for the blacksmith industry, which historians say began in the Iron Age, about 1200 B.C. In that era, iron began replacing bronze in implements and weapons. Blacksmith skills survive today among those who craft useful, durable items with an artistic flair. And some communities, like southeast South Dakota’s Viborg, are doing what they can to preserve the legacy of their own local blacksmiths. Viborg’s roots were established in the small Dakota territorial settlement of Daneville, just south of present-day Viborg. Farmsteading there in 1864, Peter Larsen Christiansen was the first Dane to settle in the area. Few white settlers had as yet come to the area. By 1871, several Danish families had settled near Daneville. Mads Rasmussen began…

Unlock expert advice on how to navigate the world of antique machines in the pages of Farm Collector! We explore the unique origins of the tools, tractors, and mechanical devices that shaped the trajectory of the international scene – its industry, landscape, and culture. In addition to our exclusive content, we also bring together thousands of collectors to buy, sell, and trade. Don’t miss out on your next deal – connect with our thriving network today! SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND SAVE! Simply mail in your discount voucher below! It’s faster to order online!…

Kenny Walthes, Breese, Illinois, recently shared photos of a fire wagon he restored over the winter. “It was in very poor condition,” he says. “We traveled to Tennessee to pick it up and I did not think it would make it home. The metal water tank was incorrect, 75 percent of the lumber was in bad shape and the main frame runners were terribly bowed from all the weight. “In the enclosed area in the back, there’s a dual-stage pump with a 4-1/2-inch bore. Myron Hoerchler helped disassemble the pump. It was definitely a challenge as it was frozen,” Kenny says. “After we got everything cleaned and painted, he helped me completely reassemble it.” Today, the pump is in full working order and pumps water.…

The genius of pioneer inventors can confound us. Countless contraptions that revolutionized farming in the 19th and early 20th centuries have become contemporary curiosities, or even mysteries. Here are six sent in by readers. Do you know what they are? Answers to the August 2023 items will appear in the October 2023 issue. Answers for new items in this issue must be received by August 4, 2023. To submit photos: Send prints to Farm Collector, 1503 SW 42nd St., Topeka, KS 66609. Send digital images to editor@farmcollector.com. Photos should be taken in a well-lit area against a plain background. Include dimensions and any markings on the piece. We cannot guarantee every photo will be published, nor can we respond to inquiries regarding when photos will be published. No photos will…

Some antique tractor and engine clubs meet in a variety of venues, including restaurants, private homes, museums and purpose-built facilities. Other such organizations meet only online. However, few have as opulent quarters as the Historic Agricultural Technology Organization of Austria (HLTO), whose members gather in a 12th century castle perched on a cliff overlooking the Danube River. Leiben Castle (Schloss Leiben) was constructed in about 1113 by the Knight of Leiben, whose family occupied the castle until 1332. In 1617, the castle was sold to Hans Christian Geyer von Ostlerburg, who had the building restored to its present form. In 1796, the castle became the property of the imperial royal family, supported with funding by Emperor Franz I. With collapse of the monarchy, management of the castle was turned over to…