TRI-STATE SHOW

By Staff
Published on September 1, 1968
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Courtesy of F. L. Williams, 6694 Norcliff Drive, Sebastopol, California 95472
Courtesy of F. L. Williams, 6694 Norcliff Drive, Sebastopol, California 95472
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Courtesy of F. L. Williams, 6694 .Norcliff Drive, Sebastopol, California 95472
Courtesy of F. L. Williams, 6694 .Norcliff Drive, Sebastopol, California 95472

Portland, Ind. 47371

PORTLAND, IND.-The great Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Association display of farming machinery used in agriculture at the turn of the present century, promises to be the outstanding display of antique tractors and engines in the United States. It will be held at the shady and attractive Jay County fairgrounds in this city Friday, Saturday and Sunday August 23, 24 and 25 1968.

A greatly enlarged display is assured this year as there are approximately 40 tractors and steam engines expected and more than 200 gas engines. The show here in 1967 brought forth 18 tractors and engines and less than 150 gas engines. These antiques will be on display all three days. In addition, there will be more than 20 antique cars and 20 antique buggies hitched to horses the afternoon of Sunday August 25. Saturday evening, eighty garden tractors will be entered in a tractor pull.

Other outstanding displays include a showing of 500 antique watches owned by 0. 11. (Doc) Schwanderman, RR 3 Fort Recovery, 0.; two complete collections of Indian relics; a large antique show and flea market Saturday and Sunday; horse-power cane mill in operation all three days; steam threshing Friday afternoon and plenty of old-time entertainment.

The program for the three days and nights is as follows:

Friday August 23–parade of Old-time tractors. 4:00 p.m. old-time threshing demonstration. 7:30 p.m.–Harry Martin and his Old Fashioned Quartet from WFBM-TV, Channel 6 at Indianapolis. 8:30 p.m.-Western style square dance with Carl Geals, as caller.

Saturday August 24-7:00 p.m.–Garden tractor pull. Parade. Antique show and flea market.

Sunday August 25-See home-made apple butter being made by a steam tractor, starting at 5:00 a.m. Finished product on sale about noon. Display of antique cars and buggies all afternoon. Buggies will be operated and will show over the fairgrounds. Antique show and flea market. In addition there will be drawing for free gifts each of the three days.

Tractors on display will include several Hart Parr, Oil Pull 20-40; one 30-60 Oil Pull; 8-6 Harvester; several models of Waterloo Boy, Titan and ancient Fordsons; Huber; Case; U Allie Chalmers; three 10-20 McCormick Deering; Silver King, 2-cylinder Case; 4-wheel drive Massey-Harris; John Deere G. P; Indiana; Simson; Ideal and Wallis. Only 11 Wallis were ever manufactured. Meals, sandwiches, hot and cold drinks, will be served each day by members of the Rosary Society of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church of Portland. Friday night, they will feature a fish fry.

The sponsors of the entire program is the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor, Association, Inc. This is actually their third annual show. The first was held at Fort Recovery, 0. in August 1966. The 1967 show in Portland attracted visitors from seven mid-western states. The officers are Woody Turner, Portland president and Morris Titus, Pendleton Ind., secretary.

Turner and Titus have long been devotees of all time farm machinery. Titus owns about fifty gas engines in addition to tractors. Included are a Tom Thumb International air-cooled engine, Associated air-cooled engine, and an International of uncertain vintage. Among the stationary menagerie are two old Fordsons, a couple of John Deere and a real-for-sure Baker 23-90 station tractor engine.

Turner stated that the 1968 showing will have on display equipment valued at more than $250,000. Probably no other display in the nation will exceed the size of the Portland display.

To members of the Tri-State group, antiquity is the aristocracy of farming history and what time has consecrated and made gray with age, becomes a religion to these ancient tractor and engine devotees.

Steam Engine Joe Rynda of Montgomery, Minnesota, with oscillating cretors peanut wagon engine at Hingtgen’s Steam Show 1966 of Lamotte, Iowa.

Durward and Coleta Steinmetz of Lafarge, Wisconsin, at Mt. Pleasant, 1966.

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