COMING UP

By Staff
Published on July 1, 1970
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Courtesy of Clarence E. Mitcham, Route 1, Mead, Washington 99021.
Courtesy of Clarence E. Mitcham, Route 1, Mead, Washington 99021.
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Courtesy of Mrs. Leo Turley, Publicity Chairman, Route 4, Mount Pleasant, Iowa 52641 .
Courtesy of Mrs. Leo Turley, Publicity Chairman, Route 4, Mount Pleasant, Iowa 52641 .
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Courtesy of Denis McCormack, 180 John Anderson Drive, Ormond Beach, Florida 32074.
Courtesy of Denis McCormack, 180 John Anderson Drive, Ormond Beach, Florida 32074.

526 West High St. Portland, Indiana 47371

Portland, Ind. – The fifth annual Tri-State Gas Engine and
Tractor Association’s big display of antique tractors and
engines will be held at the Jay County fairgrounds here Friday,
Saturday and Sunday, August 21, 22, 23, 1970, and it promises to
exceed the record breaking event last year. The 1969 show drew
visitors from 18 states and the registration cards listed a total
of 333 cities and towns represented from that area.

The 1970 show will have more than 70 old tractor and steam
engines as well as more than 300 gas engines. Most of these relics
of the yesteryear will be running Saturday and Sunday.

A new feature of the coming show will be an Old Fiddler’s
Contest to be held Sat. Aug. 22 which will feature top fiddlers of
the Ohio-Indiana area. This will be the night attraction on that
date.

In addition to the machinery, there will be a large display of
antique cars as well as antique buggies hitched to horses on
Sunday, Aug. 23. Other features include a showing of more than 500
antique watches owned by O. H. (Doc) Schwanderman, RR 3 Fort
Recovery, O., two complete collections of Indian relics, old-time
threshing and saw mill operation, clover hulling and daily
parades.

About 1918 — John Mitcham, Engineer with Aultman-Taylor Gas
Engine and Pride of Washington Separator on the Rosenoff Farm.

The program for the three days: Fri. Aug. 21 — Arrival of
machinery and setting it up for display. Old-time threshing. Sat.
Aug. 22 — Opening of two day Antique show and Flea market with
more than 40 dealers; 1:00 p.m. most gas engines and tractors in
operation; threshing. 7:00 p.m. — Old Fiddlers’ Contest.

Sun. Aug. 23 — Watch apple butter made by steam tractor.
Finished product on sale about noon. Display of antique cars and
buggies; all antique tractors and most of gas engines in
action.

The ‘old cars’ come out of the exhibit area and parade,
about the Reunion grounds, many carrying passengers dressed in
costumes they might have worn when that model first took to the
road. Nearly 100 of these vintage automobiles are exhibited by
members of the Southeast Iowa Antique Car Club.

Individuals, families and groups find the welcome sign out at
the midwest Old Settlers and Threshers Reunion in Mt. Pleasant,
Iowa. More improvements are being made to the camp grounds this
year to accommodate more campers this fall. Ground trains and buses
operate through the camp area to carry visitors to the main camp
area.

Home cooked dinners will be available Saturday and Sunday by the
Rosary Society of Portland in the modern 4-H building. Drawings for
prizes will be held each day at regular intervals.

One of the featured tractors on display will be a Wallie Bear
which was made in 1912. This tractor weighs more than twelve tons,
was the third of nine made 58 years ago and is the only one now in
existence. Although made more than a half century ago, it has power
steering, individual turn brakes, enclosed 3-speed transmission,
motor with 7?’ bore and 7′ stroke with a 1480 displacement.
The rear wheels have a 7-ft. diameter and 30-inch base. It was
designed to pull eight to ten plow shares.

Other outstanding tractors will be Rumely, Oil Pull, Hart Pull,
Waterloo Boy, John. Deere, Huber, Moline, Titan, Old Fordsons,
McDeering, Plymouth, 2-cylinder Case, Samson and many others.

Officers of the Tri-State group of more than 200 members are
Woody Turner, RR 6, Portland, president, and Morris Titus,
Pendleton, Ind. is secretary-treasurer.

To the members of the Tri-State association, antiquity is the
aristocracy of agricultural history and what time has consecrated
and made gray with age has become a religion to these
antique-tractor and engine devotees.

As usual most of the credit for the very enjoyable days in sun
at Florida’s Royal Steam and Gas Engine Round-up at
Sarasota-Bradenton on 7 & 8th of February, 1970, was due to the
great; personal efforts of Iron-Man Col. Huston Herndon who is seen
here in the thick of the action – starting up the big ones.

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