Box 43 Somonauk, Illinois 60552
The 19th annual Sandwich Early Day Engine Club Antique Gas
Engine, Tractor & Farm Toy Show was ALMOST a dry one, with a
real good rain to soak us down during setup on Friday and
threatening weather most of the day Saturday. We lucked out and
Sunday was a beautiful day. I just hope for 1991 instead of rain
every weekend we can hit Monday or Tuesday!
The engine exhibit area wasn’t in the best of shape due to
some tiling work by the Fair Association, but everyone managed to
make the best of it.
With almost 400 engines for the two days, we had an excellent
turnout. The Model Corner also was in good shape with 150 steam, 43
gas and four hot air models for a total of 197. Featured engine was
an Independent Harvester Company of Piano, Illinois sideshaft
engine restored by Robert P. Miller & Sons of Leland, Illinois.
On display for the first time was a 1/5 scale
model of Bob’s 10 HP Sandwich engine that was made by James B.
May of Sandwich. Jim did an excellent job of scaling everything
down, including the ignitor, and getting it to work just
perfect.
The tractor display held its own with 52 tractors and models.
Featured tractor was the beautifully restored Avery owned by our
club president, Dave Thompson of Sandwich. Because of the moisture
situation, our exhibitors tractor pull and wagon backing contests
weren’t held on Saturday. The slow race on Sunday was kind of a
‘catch as you can’ affair, but from what I saw of it, Wayne
Greenwood of Oswego, Illinois was the overall winner with his
Empire. Thanks to the efforts of Charles ‘Gus’ Hanson of
Sandwich, our Farm Toy Show has really taken off with 40 tables of
displays and exhibits. The Land of Lincoln Barbed Wire Collectors
and the International Corn Hook & Peg Collectors had a very
interesting display. They have decided to move further east for
their meeting. Many thanks for their displays in years past, and
best wishes for the future.
The arts and crafts show and the flea market are growing again
and promise to be even bigger and better next year. Our
Savior’s Lutheran Church of Sandwich served breakfast and
dinner. The HO model railroad display of the Little Q Model
Railroad Club of Aurora, and the saw mill owned and operated by Jim
Simpson of Peru, were enjoyed by young and old alike.
Our kids’ pedal pull was hotly contested, with some
energetic pull-offs for first place. The raffle pedal tractor was
won by Bud Forrer and traded to Kristina Odem of Sibley, Missouri,
for the second place Pioneer threshing set. Kristina is only five
years old and really had her heart set on winning the tractor. We
know it’s going to have a good home. Our Fairbanks-Morse
headless 11/2 HP engine was won by Jeanne
Waite of Ottawa. Jeanne is the wife of a club member and was a lot
of help during the show. As each exhibitor registered, they were
given a ticket for each engine or tractor they brought (up to
five), and at 4 p.m. Sunday a drawing was held with $ 100 going to
the winner if they were still on the grounds. The first ticket
drawn produced a winner, Bud Eungard of Rockdale.
Our 20th annual show will be held June 29 and 30, 1991 at the
Sandwich Fairgrounds, Sandwich, Illinois. Schedule changes include
a Sunday morning church service and a rubber tired parade for
Saturday and Sunday. Featured engine will be the Weber of Kansas
City, and featured tractor will be the John Deere H. Come join us
and spend a day or the weekend at our beautiful shaded grounds.