threshing photos

My neighbor put on a neighborhood threshing day last weekend. Here are some of the photos that my wife took. These are pictures of the first load of the day, so we weren't in full production mode yet. We had 4 tractors pulling wagons with crews of 4 plus the driver so all told there were around 20 workers and we were feeding oats from both sides as fast as the thresher would eat them. I think there was around 50 people there at one point. It was a whole lot of fun. I sure hope someone snapped a photo of the straw pile when we were done, but I know we forgot to get a group photo.


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Love to watch the old steamers working, thanks for the pictures.

Looks like real pretty scenery around you, besides the threshing. What part of the country are you in?

> What part of the country are you in?

SE Minnesota.

Great pictures.
I recently found a farm paper in the attic from 1912 and it had an article in it warning about crowding the thresher, how to feed it smooth and check to be sure grain wasn't being lost because of too much straw on the sieves or walkers from over feeding.

Good pictures. Bet it was a boat load of fun. Thanks for sharing.

Been there, done that.

There's nothing like the smell of coal smoke from a steamer, although it looks like they're firing this one with wood.

You must be in the Mabel/Decorah area. I live near Preston,MN. I recognize the steam engine as belonging to Greg Wennes. I think it has been at Mabel-Hesper Steam Engine days.

Yeah, he said he brings it to Mabel, MN every year for Steam Engine days. He hauled it the other direction for this though. We are near to New Albin, IA.

I think this Case threshing machine was made in the 1920's. They may have made some improvements by that time. We didn't seem to need to worry about waiting on the machine at all. I sure did welcome a break whenever they had to power town the steam engine to add water though.

Oh that brings back memories! I was a skinny 15 year old kid with my own bundle rack and SC Case trying to keep up with the older men bringing in loads. Unloading from both sides, except with the Case I chose the side without the grain wagon so I could get the rig in close enough. Nothing finer than climbing the front wagon standard(ladder), getting on top of a well loaded rack (there is skill in loading or you will lose the top of the load), slipping the three tine fork in the bundle just so...so that you can flip or drop the bundle HEAD FIRST into the feeder. Pacing yourself, also watching the pace of the guy on the other side. Listening to the steady clicking of the feeder housing drive chain......listening to the bellowing of an unmuffled Case L or a John Deere D under load...watching the poor guy(s) wading hip deep in the straw stack with their bandanas around their necks, forks rearranging the straw and avoiding the direct blast of straw blower. Aahh, that cold drink of water in the shotgun can with long handled dipper sitting in the shade of the thresher's tractor. Washing up under the oak tree with water set out since morning to warm up. The grand home cooked lunches with pie! Good old days, glad they are gone! Leonard