ALBANY PIONEER DAYS

By Staff
1 / 4
24 HP Minneapolis steam engine.
24 HP Minneapolis steam engine.
2 / 4
40-65 Twin City tractor and one of the eighteen different sired Oil Pulls.
40-65 Twin City tractor and one of the eighteen different sired Oil Pulls.
3 / 4
Old wooden windmill.
Old wooden windmill.
4 / 4
Witherill Corliss steam engine.
Witherill Corliss steam engine.

Director Stearns County Pioneer Club 35747 County Road 10
Albany, MN 56307

The Albany Pioneer Days Threshing Show offers something for
everyone. There is a big variety of activities going on all three
days of the show.

Several stationary and traction steam engines take turns running
the club sawmill and steam power is also used to run the wing
feeder separator as club members pitch bundles out of the
stacks.

The club’s huge Witherill Corliss steam engine with its 16
foot flywheel now has a new 42 x 120 foot building over it to
shelter it from the elements.

Gas tractors and gas engines make up an important part of our
show. There are over 200 tractors including names like Minneapolis,
Twin City, Flour City, A very, Hart Parr, Townsend, Case, Aultman
Taylor, Wisconsin, Happy Farmer, a collection of 18 different sized
Rumely Oil Pulls, John Deeres, Internationals and the list goes on
and on. Most of the tractors run in the 1:30 parade on Saturday and
Sunday of the show.

Our gas engine department draws exhibitors from near and far who
display 300-400 engines each year. The engines do a lot of sawing,
shelling, grinding, etc. The club really appreciates seeing all of
these exhibitors from across the country with their nicely restored
engines coming back year after year.

In the area of horse power we have a number of things going on.
We are also fortunate to have a club member with a team of oxen.
This team powers a sweep that grinds and shells corn.

Wind power is provided by a steel Aermotor windmill and a
101-year-old all wood Holladay Standard Mill built by the U.S. Wind
Engine and Pump Company of Batavia, Illinois.

Water power is demonstrated by an overshot water wheel and mill
building. The exhibit was built by one of the club members and his
family in 1986. This water wheel powers several engines in the mill
that do shelling, grading, and grinding. Bird seed is ground and
mixed in the mill.

I’ve talked about the many different kinds of power that you
can see at Albany Pioneer Days but we can’t forget the most
important one- ‘people power.’ The 250 plus members, the
many exhibitors, helpers, and friends who pitch in each year to
help make the show a success are the most important power of any
show. We also thank all the visitors who come to see our show each
year and invite them to join us every year on the second weekend
after Labor Day in September.

  • Published on Oct 1, 1988
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