John Fisher, Campbellsport, Wis., brought this nice 8 HP Heavy
Pattern horizontal to the show. Bill Nicholson, Stoughton, Wis.,
built the beautiful 1/3-scale, 4 HP Monitor
shown on the opposite page from a casting set produced by Pacific
Model Design.
The Dodge County Antique Power Show at Burnett, Wis., featured
Monitor gas engines as part of its 33rd annual show held Aug. 4-5,
2001, and the Monitor feature turned out bigger and better than any
of the organizers ever imagined it would. Perhaps the last time
there was this much Monitor iron in one place was back when Baker
Manufacturing in Evansville, Wis., was still building them.
We wound up with a total of 54 Monitor engines, plus several
feed grinders, saw rigs, pumps and pump jacks. We knew we’d
have a good head start with Walter Thomas’ collection of
Monitors. Wally, from Hartford, Wis., always brings a nice bunch of
Monitors to the Dodge County Show, and he was, in fact, the
inspiration for the Monitor feature.
Wally brought everything he had, amounting to several trailer
loads and including 12 engines plus several feed grinders, a saw
rig, pump jacks and even a garden tractor powered with a Monitor VJ
pump engine.
A Family Affair: Walter Thomas, Hartford, Wis., oils the main
bearings on his 6 HP vertical while his wife Joyce.
Tends to one of the many engines they displayed. True fans of
Monitor engines, the Thomas’ brought a total of 12 Monitors to
the show.
Dan Moss, from Watertown, Wis., brought a complete set of
Monitor upright engines, and Dan and Russ Sponem, Jefferson, Wis.,
put together a working pump jack setup with a Monitor VJ mounted on
a cart, which was offered as a raffle prize. Henry Nehls, Beaver
Dam, Wis., was the lucky winner.
Darrell Brubaker rolled in from Kokomo, Ind., bringing along a
very rare 2 HP Little Baker engine. The license plates on
Darrell’s truck read MONITOR, so you know where his loyalties
are. Don and Carol Horack, Lake Mills, Wis., exhibited a 6 HP
upright and two pump engines, and Dennis Genger, Hartford, Wis.,
brought a 5 HP horizontal and a pump jack set.
Bill and Carol Nicholson, Stoughton, Wis., displayed two model
Monitors, a 4 HP upright and a pump jack set. LaVerne Hintzman,
Brodhead, Wis., also brought a trailer load of Monitors, including
a 2 HP and a 4 HP upright, and a 3 HP horizontal. John Fischer,
Campbellsport, Wis., displayed a nice running 8 HP Heavy Pattern
horizontal.
As noted, 54 Monitor engines were present, and of these 12 were
horizontals, including two 8 HP heavy pattern, one 8 HP with saw
rig, three 5 HP, two 5 HP with saw rigs, and four 3 HP. There were
12 upright engines, including two 7 HP, two 6 HP, five 4 HP, one 2
HP, one 2 HP Baker with brass tag, and one 2 HP Little Baker. And
there were 30 1-1/4 HP pump jacks engines,
some standing alone and some with pump sets.
The 2002 show will be Aug. 3-4 and will feature Fuller &
Johnson gas engines. After our success featuring Monitor, we hope
to do just as well, if not better, next year.
Contact engine enthusiast Glenn Oestreich, 1310 S. 9th St.,
Watertown, WI 53094, (920) 261-7235.