Threshing on the Ridge

dgasper · Oct 9, 2012

Photo was taken on North Ridge, La Crosse County, WI in 1938.

We don't know who the little guy on the water wagon is or who the engineer is.

We can't identify the steam engine.

It looks to be a relatively small steam engine. Looks like it could be a spark arrestor on the smokestack.

Jonak · Oct 9, 2012

D G you are a treasure on old photo's. love it!

SweetFeet · Oct 9, 2012

dgasper,
Really neat. Thanks for sharing.

Do you know the purpose of the gunnysack(?)over the top of the stack on the steam engine? Just curious.

Greg K · Oct 9, 2012

That's a neat old picture! My ancestors settled over that way, by St. Josephs Ridge, in the 1800's. However most of the family then moved on to Nebraska by probably the 1870's or so. They left a few of the family there, and when I was on my way to the in-laws in Wisconsin one year we took the scenic route through LaCrosse. A few miles North of there I looked over to see my last name on a mailbox! It isn't a real common last name like Smith or Jones either lol. I should have stopped in, but didn't.

dgasper · Oct 9, 2012

SweetFeet - We think it is a spark arrestor, possibly home made of metal screen. Then again we don't know for sure.

dgasper · Oct 9, 2012

Greg K - Then you've driven on Hwy 33. I grew up on a farm on 33 just east of the La Crosse/Monroe county line about 20 miles east of La Crosse. I remember many folks on that ridge. I'm now retired and living in CA.

Kirk Grau · Oct 9, 2012

I grew up in LaCrosse too. Recognize some of these place names. Think I have been back twice since 1985.

Greg K · Oct 9, 2012

beautiful country right there you were lucky.

Mike (WA) · Oct 9, 2012

Brother in law grew up in Cashton- near La Crosse. Other nearby towns were Viroqua and Coon Valley. He still has some brothers dairying in that area. He and my sister went back there after his military service in about 1966, then came out here when my dad got him into apprenticeship in the carpenters union.

RevJJ · Oct 9, 2012

Its a pre-1905 Advance steam engine, about a 20hp or so. You can tell its older than '05 due to the straight cleat or "hay mower" style grouters. That old gal had been earning her keep for many a season by 1938.

tjdub · Oct 9, 2012

> We think it is a spark arrestor, possibly home made of metal screen

I think you're right. You really don't realize how much hot sparks are coming out of that stack in the daylight, but this year we ended up threshing after dark and it was kind of scary to see how many burning cinders were drifting towards the straw pile. If it was as dry as it has been lately when we were threshing we could have had a big problem on our hands.

Here are <a href="http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=ttalk&th=1161423">some photos</a> Badger08 posted from that day (coincidentally we're about 30 miles from La Crosse, WI).

dgasper · Oct 9, 2012

Mike (WA) - Small world isn't it. I went to HS in Cashton, my first GF was from Coon Valley, and my sister and her family still farm in the middle of Amish country near Cashton.

Mike (WA) · Oct 10, 2012

BIL is about 72, so would have graduated in about 59 or so. Robert D. Olson, went by "Donnie".

dgasper · Oct 10, 2012

Mike- I'm 72, graduated in 58. Unfortunately I don't remember Donnie.

Threshing on the Ridge

dgasper

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SweetFeet

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Greg K

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dgasper

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Kirk Grau

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Greg K

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