Corydon, Iowa 50060.
The Murray, Iowa boys did it again. They put on another popping
good gas engine show June 12-13, 1976. Their second annual show. I
found out talking with Rich Parsons that on the 12th they had 80
engines on hand; some had to leave the first day but more came in
on the second day. I think there were around 70 engines there on
the 13th. Dick Ries of Des Moines, had his old Hart Parr tractor on
hand. This is a 15-30 with a serial number of 11689. No one is sure
of the year of this tractor but it is guessed at somewhere between
1915 and 1917.
This show had some unusual small engines; Marvin Naitre of Des
Moines had a salesman model of a 7 HP Stickney. This was either
made of aluminum or pot metal. It was light and small. Marvin said
he captured this one over in Pennsylvania. Besides this little
model, Marvin showed an Olds engine, an Independent Harvester Co.
of Piano, Illinois 2 HP engine, and a Samson 5 HP made by the
Samson Iron Works, Stockton, California.
Another small engine was shown by Bernard Cline of Norwalk,
Iowa. This engine was made by the American Steel Products Company,
Macomb, Illinois % HP serial number 1003. It was found when an old
salvage yards at Ames, Iowa was being cleared off. A man saw part
of the flywheel sticking out of the ground where a bulldozer had
run over it. This engine took some fixing to get it going, as the
crankshaft was bent and parts were missing. Bernard has it up in
fine running condition now. I have previously seen engines like
this that were called the Globe.
Another small engine was one made by Stephen McCally of Murray,
Iowa. It’s a model of the Flour City engine, owned by Wilbur
Ries, of Murray. Stephen said he thought it took him around 250
hours to make this engine. He did all his own casting and machine
work, and the little engine runs. Stephen’s occupation is sign
painting. If he paints signs as good as he made this model, his
signs will talk to you without being read.
Russ Carpenter of Coon Rapids, Iowa brought two small gas
engines to the show. One, he said was not patterned after anything
but the other was a model of Nelson Side Shaft engine made in
Harlan, Iowa many years ago. These engines were made by Jake Smouse
and I neglected to get his address.
Larry Ried of Denmark, Iowa brought a table full of unusual
tools and also brought a ‘What the heck is it, how in the
dickens does it run’ Flame Licker engine. The first I have ever
seen.
A father and son team, Dick and Brent Curry of Runnels, Iowa
brought a trailer load of engines, two John Deeres, two McCormick
Deering, Maytag and one standard separator engine. The amazing
thing about this exhibit was that this team hasn’t even been
collecting a year. The father said they started last August 1975
and since that time have built a trailer and restored six
engines.
A husband and wife team, George and Bertha Archer from Des
Moines, Iowa brought a nice restored 1? HP Gade engine and one
other but I got so enthused over the Gade I forgot to look at the
other engine.
Another husband and wife team, Merlin and Mary Schrier of
Cumberland, Iowa brought a Badger 3 HP engine, a Mogul Jr. 1 HP
engine. Merlin is the Central Hawkeye Gas Engine and Tractor Club
president.
Thayne Henderson of Waukee, Iowa brought a 1906 upright 2? HP
Stickney engine to the show. Thayne is the one who is making land
available for the Central Hawkeye Club engine show this year. This
will be a first for the club as I understand it.
There were 17 flea market dealers on hand Sunday afternoon. In
fact, they were so thick you needed a flea collar to get through
them.
Kenny Shaff, many times Iowa State Fair Old Fiddlers champion,
brought his crew and put on some good old foot stomping music for
the crowd Sunday afternoon. Also the Murray boys had pins to sell
for the Murray show. As I said, some exhibitors had to leave the
first day.
A couple of rebels from south of the border, Kenny Lipton of
Unionville, Missouri and Dana Davis of Lemons, Missouri were on
hand Saturday with a 6 HP Mogul single shaft engine. Ersa
Williamson of Corydon, Iowa was up there the same day with a
Challenge engine and an aermotor engine. George and Stan Hemenway
of Allerton, Iowa also brought engines to the show. All in all, it
was a great show.
Pictured is the F-30 Farmall my father bought in November 1936.
It was the first red one and the first high compression. F-30 sold
out of Bluffton, Indiana. It is in good running condition. I have
repainted it in the last year.
I live close to Rolland Maxwell, a good friend. He has been in
the hospital for about five weeks, but now is home and is very weak
after two operations. (Rolland writes our article AS I SAW IT –
perhaps you would like to send him cards and letters – his address
is Rolland Maxwell, Route 4, Huntington, Indiana 46750 – Anna
Mae).
I would like to know if anybody knows about an Olds tractor
built around 1910. My dad had one and it had 4 speed transmission.
I helped wear out two 10-20 Titans. Then we got a 15-30 IHC and
then the F-30. I am still farming and have newer tractors, but
enjoy the old ones. The picture is of the F-30 and myself. The F-30
has operated threshers, spreaders, silo fillers and combines and
farmed its share of land.
I attend the shows when possible with Rolland Maxwell. I take
your Gas Engine Magazine and Iron-Men Album and enjoy them very
much.
