R.R. 1, Box 96, Fort Madison, Iowa 52627
I have worked on gas engines all my adult life from small Briggs
and Stratton to 800 HP diesel. My association with small gas
engines was repairing them for someone else. When electricity came
to the farms I lost interest in them.
I am sending you a picture of one I found in a junk yard in
Galesburg, Ill. in 1947 or 48. Why I picked it up, I don’t know
except I thought it was cute. There was no name on it and I had no
idea what it was. I got it running a few times then stored it out
in a shed and forgot it. In fact I almost junked it a couple of
times. About four years ago Jerry Boeddeker, my neighbor, saw it
and wanted to restore it as he was collecting antique engines.
Pictured is a Globe engine manufactured by the Globe
Manufacturing Company at Macomb, Illinois in 1919. Only a few
hundred of these were made and for some reason they didn’t work
out and were called back and destroyed.
This engine has 10 inch flywheels and the camshaft is
chain-driven, head and cylinder cast in one piece and is
water-cooled.
Jerry showed it at the Colchester, Illinois, show and found
another engine just like it there. We found out they were made in
Macomb, Ill., in 1919. They were made by the Globe Mfg. Co. which
made a carload of them I am told, and sold them possibly to run
washing machines, water pumps, and etc. They sold fast but for some
reason they didn’t work right and came back about as fast and
the company melted them down again.
As far as I can find out there are only three of these engines
in existence today. If any one has one I would like to hear from
them.
My youngest son, Marvin, and I have over fifty gas engines and
five gas tractors (3 restored). I am retired now and make all the
engine shows I can. I have been to engine shows in Minn., Iowa,
Mo., Ill., Indiana, and South Carolina. I went to fifteen shows
last year and hope to get to more this year. I take at least five
engines with me to these shows and more when I can. Our club (South
East Iowa Antique Gas Engine Club) is getting ready to have our
show June 2nd and 3rd at Denmark, Iowa. This is our 7th annual show
and we expect over 200 engines there. Last year we had 170 engines
along with many other exhibits.
I am planning on going to Dillion, S.C., this year as my wife
and I really enjoyed the show at Cheraw, S.C., last year.
I really enjoy the gas engine magazine and read it from cover to
cover. I wish it came every month.
