Charles City, Iowa 50616.
The Cedar Valley Engine Club of Charles City, Iowa had a very
good show last year. This was held over the Labor Day weekend,
1979. We had a record-breaking crowd all three days. There were
times in July and August when we were not sure we could have a show
because we were getting rain two-to-three days each week with as
much as 2 to 3′ and sometimes 4′ with each storm. We did
get a few loads of oat bundles dry and loaded between showers. Then
about a week before the show the weather changed, helping to dry
everything out. We had some trouble parking some campers who came
in the middle of the week but by Saturday the ground had dried out
so we could get the bundles loaded. Also the ground dried so we
were able to park all the cars easily.
This year we had some exhibitors from outside the Club which
added to our show. We are indeed grateful to them for
participating, and also to all the visitors who came to help make
our show a success. We had a lot of Hart-Parr tractors again this
year. Charles City is where the Hart-Parr tractors were made. White
is still building tractors where Hart-Parr built the first tractor.
Of course we had many other tractors, along with steam engines
which helped us to put on a good show. There were also lots of gas
engines, etc.
Charles City has a portable bandshell which is loaned to us each
year. The musicians gather here and play old time music each day.
The merchants of the area furnish door prizes for a drawing held
each day and it consists of 40 or more items each day. There is
also a good lunch stand which the ladies of our Club run. They do a
very good job
There was a lot of lumber sawed, shingles made and corn shelled
and ground. The oats were threshed, (although they were on the wet
side) and were sold to a Club member to put in a Harvestore silo.
We are hoping to have a better show next year as we have some new
members with some real good show items.
On Sunday afternoon, the second day of the show, the wind
changed and blew the smoke from the steam engine being used on the
sawmill the wrong direction, which was towards the lunch stand and
large gas engine display. The steam engine was replaced with a
28-50 Hart Parr. This is a powerful tractor and did as good a job
as the 80 Case steamer.
We hope to see a lot of you again next year, along with your
friends. If anyone would like to see tractors being built, they can
come a day early or stay over a day and take a tour of the tractor
factory here in Charles City. You can contact either the factory,
White Farm Equipment Co., or myself to arrange for a tour.
