Tri-County Antique Club 1991 Show Report

By Staff
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Club members at the baling demonstration.
Club members at the baling demonstration.
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Homer Barrett's Ottawa drag saw.
Homer Barrett's Ottawa drag saw.

Rt. 2, Box 2 Carrollton, Illinois 62016

The last weekend of August 1991 has come and gone but the Club
had a wonder full 5th year show! This year we made a move to the
grounds of a Civil War era mansion, Hazel Dell. The mansion, built
in 1866, has been opened as a lovely spot to eat and is now opening
some rooms as a Bed and Breakfast Inn. The grounds there are
partially shaded and there is direct access to Illinois Highway
267. We have had some good shows in the past but this year’s
show was phenomenal. The weather was beautiful even though it was
warm. Our volunteer help was plentiful, from the Future Farmers of
America local club who manned the gate and parked cars, to the
ladies who prepared lunch and kept the cold drinks coming. The flea
market people were happy with the shady spots of our new location
and from all reports did well.

Many of the members took the opportunity to display some of
their collections of old engines from a wide variety of early
Maytags and Elgins on one trailer to large Galloways, Alamos,
Wiscona Pep, Famous, Stover, Aeromotor, 7 HP New Way, 1? HP
Economy, John Deere of many different sizes, Duro and many others.
All in all the engines numbered a third more than were displayed
the year before. Although the tractors on display weren’t as
numerous as desired, over a hundred took part in the antique and
standard tractor pulls. Several of the club members took advantage
of the chance to display some of their antique automobiles and
people passing on the highway were drawn into the grounds by the
display.

One section of the grounds was set aside for the demonstration
of plowing with horses and the threshing of wheat. It never ceases
to amaze you to see the strength of the horses pulling the plow
through the ground. You don’t find many people these days who
can handle those horses the way Dan Bizaillion of Hardin, Illinois
can, and he really put on a great show with his horses. Also in
this section the members of the club were busy putting the wheat
through the separator which is owned by the club. Still other men
were busy baling the straw with the stationary baler. No matter how
this job is done, it is still a hot one and the men did a marvelous
job with their demonstrations with this equipment. In this day and
age it is always amazing to see this equipment operate and even
more amazing to see the enormous steam engines float gracefully and
noiselessly around the grounds like a grand old lady at a ball!
There were even more demonstrations, though. Herb Graham of
Jerseyville was at his forge doing some blacksmithing. Fortunately
he had found a nice shady spot to wield his hammer on the anvil
working at one project or another during the warm afternoon. Homer
Barrett, club president, of Jerseyville, had his fully restored
Ottawa drag saw set up to saw some logs.

The children had plenty to see and do. If they tired of the
machinery demonstrations, the crafts and flea markets, the Future
Farmers of America Club had a petting zoo set up for them to enjoy.
On Saturday afternoon there were games for them as well as a
tractor pull of their own, pedal-style of course. The major
activity on Sunday afternoon was the tractor pull, which lasted
until dusk. Many of the adults retired to the bleachers and watched
the well organized and attended tractor pull. The others spent the
rest of the afternoon enjoying the flea markets, demonstrations and
some even toured the Hazel Dell mansion and enjoyed one of their
delectable meals.

I know that the ladies who made the pies and iced tea,
sandwiches, and ham and beans were tired after this long weekend
but, all in all, everyone who participated in any way at the show
agreed that it had been a marvelous weekend.

There are so many new plans for the coming year that I am sure
we are eager to see what happens on the last weekend of August in
1992.

  • Published on Aug 1, 1992
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