REUNION REPORTS
Fourth Annual Exhibition of The Tri-State Steam Engine Association, Inc.
More than three thousand persons from the tri-state area were treated to another unusual demonstration when they gathered at the M. Dean Fullerton farm, Burgettstown, R.D.3, Pennsylvania, on September 23 and 24 to witness the annual exhibition of the Tri-State Historical Steam Engine Association, Inc.
During the two days that provided ideal weather conditions for the occasion, they saw enacted, the various farm operations - much as they had been performed forty and more years ago.
Steam was king during these two days. The present day tractor, combine and pick-up baler were left in the shed and steam and its accompanying machines took over. Thirteen steam traction engines and three portables were put through their paces, much as they had done many years before. First, there was steam threshing and baling; then sawing. Another engine then made short work of a load of green corn by cutting and blowing it into a 40 foot silo. In a few minutes another engine produced wheat flour and corn meal with a Buhr stone mill. At other times, an engine could be seen demonstrating its power on the fan. Twice daily, these brightly painted giants of yesterday were paraded around the barn yard so that all might have an opportunity to see and hear them.
The old gas tractor was not forgotten. Included in the show were a 1921 Oil Pull 20-40, a 1935 Minneapolis 27-42, a 1914 IHC 8-16 Mogul, a 1915 IHC 10-20 Titan and a 1914 Allis-Chalmers 10-18. All were in excellent repair and beautifully refurbished.
Attracting much attention was a well-kept horse power baler, made by the Panama Hay Press Co., Kansas City, Missouri, in 1904. This machine was in daily operation, being operated by a beautiful team of horses.
Engines shown were: Peerless, Frick, Huber, Scheidler, Keck Gonnerman, Advance-Rumley, Port Huron, Case, Baker, Russell and Aultman-Taylor. Other machines included Frick, Huber and Aultman-Taylor threshers; Ann Arbor Baler and a Buhr Stone feed grinder.
Threshing and baling at the same time. Frick double on the Frick thresher and IHC Mogul on the Ann Arbor Baler.
Membership rolls in the association continue to increase and an entirely new form of entertainment is being provided for the people of the area. The officers and directors feel that their work and efforts expended in presenting this annual show are appreciated by the public. Plans are already being prepared for a bigger and better event for next year.
PAUL F. CROW, Charleroi, Pennsylvania
The Richland County Steam Threshers Club Reunion
The men and officers of The Richland Co. Steam Threshers Assn, Inc. would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks and appreciation for your advertising in the ALBUM. We know that it takes a lot of time and effort on your part to make this possible.
The 1960 show was the biggest and best of our shows so far! This was only possible by the cooperation of men like Mr. Earl Logan, our chairman; Mr. Sam Yeater, Vice-Chairman; Mr. Marion Lutz, treasurer; Mr. Harry Moomaw of Dover, Ohio, Mr. Walter Luke, Baltic, Ohio, Mr. S. J. Hoagland of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, Mr. Fred Ammeter, Mansfield, Ohio and a host of others including the ladies of our organization whom we all owe for their part in it a big thanks.
The show which featured 21 Steam Engines and several large old Gas Tractors, Saw Mill, 2 Pans, 4 Threshers, Shingle Mill, old Flint Mill, Prony Brake, Ladies Tent, Steam Roller, etc, all in operation, was a success.
We would like to express our thanks to Mr. Geo. Edinger, Mr. L. H. Little and the other men of the Miami Valley Threshers group for their help and cooperation this year in making our show a success.
This year we featured an Antique Auto Show which we think was appreciated by a lot of people both young and old. There were some 30 old cars of all makes and in very fine condition.
In a meeting Oct. 9, 1960 we elected the following officers for the coming year: Chairman, Mr. Earl Logan, 1392 Beechdale Dr., Mansfield, O.; Vice-Chairman, Mr. Sam Yeater, 220 Rhein Ave., Mansfield, O.; Ass't Vice-chairman, Mr. Fred Ammeter, 620 Lex. Ave., Mansfield, O.; Sec'y, Mr. Thomas J. Woodard, Rt. 3, Bellville, O.; Ass't Sec'y, Mr. Ralph Weidman, Rt. 2, Wooster, O.; Ass't Sec'y, Mr. John Boner, 397 N.Trimble Rd., Mansfield, O.; Treasurer, Mr. Marion Lutz, Rt. 5, Mansfield, O.
The 1961 show will be held at the same location the first Saturday and Sunday of August unless something unforeseen should come up which would change our plans.
In closing, we once again want to thank you and your staff for their fine cooperation and hope that you are repaid in health and happiness.
Secretary, THOMAS J. WOODARD, Rt. 3, Bellville, Ohio
The Miami Valley Steam Threshers Reunion
Although it is pretty late to be reporting on last year's show, there may be some of your readers who would like to have a run-down of events.
20 hp Leader engine owned by Schwilk Bros., Lancaster, Ohio. Fred Steadman, Lancaster, on deck. Taken at the Miami Steam Threshers Show in 1960. See the report on that Reunion.
Our 1960 show was the biggest in our history and when it closed on Sunday evening everyone was pretty well worn out. The gate keepers were going in circles and our fine sheriff's deputies kept traffic moving nicely.
Friday was a nice warm day but not too big a crowd. Saturday was quite windy, so much so that it was hard to get messages over the public address system. Then on Saturday afternoon one of the boys was working his Baker a little hard on one of the fans and before you could say "Jack Robinson" a load of wheat that had been pulled up on the leeward side caught on fire. As in most cases, the fire truck was at the opposite end of the park and before it could get back the wheat was a total loss. The wagon was upset but it suffered considerable damage.
About an hour after this excitement the wind storm hit and three of our large tents went down. No injuries reported except for one child that was struck on the head by a falling tent pole. It was just one of those days!
Getting ready for the parade at the Miami Valley Steam Threshers Show, Mechanicsburg, Ohio, July 1960. Note the ox team of Roy Craig, Portland, Indiana, at left. There should be 23 engines in this picture you will have to take our word for it - I know you can't count them. See account of this Reunion.
We had quite a nice assortment of large engines, about twenty-three in all, two 6 hp portable engines, and quite a number of models of various types, mostly three and four inch scale. An item that drew a lot of attention was an old burr flint mill owned by Ralph Amstutz of Richwood, Ohio. Lee Gaeke of Bucyrus hooked his 6 hp Fleming traction engine to the flint mill and they ground wheat meal and corn meal for our visitors.
We also want to extend a special welcome to those who participated in our show for the first time. They were: Earl Logan of Mansfield with his 12 hp Aultman Taylor; Bun and John Boner of Mansfield with a 20 hp Peerless; Schwilk Bros. of Lancaster with their 20 hp Leader; Rufus Shockey, Marysville, with a 40 hp Case; Harvey Roszman of Upper Sandusky with a 16 hp Huber; Rinehart and Long, Marysville, with a 19-65 Baker; Charles R. Strain of Fairborn with his 21-75 Baker; V. E. Mulherin of Columbus with a 60 Caterpillar tractor and Arthur Hartzler of West Liberty with a 25-50 Baker tractor.
Fred and Sam Paul of Frankfort, Indiana, added a lot to the show this year with their road locomotive. They did a wonderful job entertaining the "small fry" and hardly got time for a coffee break.
The opening day of the show was declared by our president, George Edinger, as "Tustin Day" in recognition of their faithfulness over the years: they are J. Russell, George, Paul, Ira C. and W. Lewis Tustin.
The Shawnee Antique Auto Club gave us a nice parade and drag race on Sunday afternoon and brass plaques were awarded the owners of the cars. After serving the Miami Valley Steam Threshers for the past several years the president, George Edinger, and the secretary, L. H. Little, asked to be relieved of their duties and to elect other members to office. At our regular membership meeting on December 4th the following were elected to serve for the coming year:
President, Lawrence Apgar, Rt. 1, Bellefontaine, Ohio; Vice-President, Chester King, 252 Northwestern Ave., Springfield, Ohio; Secretary, John E. Logan, Rt. 4, Urbana, Ohio; Treasurer, Byron Beatty, Windsor Ave., Urbana, Ohio; Chaplain, Dane King, Springfield, Ohio.
The show this coming year will be held in Goshen Memorial Park, Mechanicsburg, Ohio, and the dates will be July 28, 29 and 30, 1961.
We hope that those of you who have not yet visited our show will make an effort to come this next year. You can find plenty of old engineers (and some young ones) to talk "shop". Especially we want to thank the steam engine magazines for their publicity and fine advertising given us through the years. Enclosed are some pictures you might want to use at some later date.
L. H. LITTLE, Secretary, Urbana, Ohio