WA woman in need of a history lesson!

[farmerkitty]

Hi there. Andrea Johnson here. 5th generation farmer and rancher in a little piece of heaven called Cloverland.
Back in 1880 my family homesteaded here and brought with them a horse driven “Ground Power”. I know they used as a stationary thresher for wheat, and sharpen posts. Problem is I don’t really know how. How many horses it took to run the implement?…(up to 21?)
There are no ID markings on the old wheel.
A museum in Pomeroy, WA is restoring it currently.
I know I have a lot of questions. Just hoping someone out there might be able to shed some light on a mystery.

[Carl Russell]

Welcome Andrea. I can’t fill you in on your question, just wanted to welcome you. Hope you get some answers, otherwise enjoy yourself.

Carl

[goodcompanion]

Andrea sent me some photos so I can speak to what this is. Andrea, I suggest you post them in the photo gallery?

How many horses the device requires depends on what task is being performed with the rotary power. It is a turnstile-type treadmill. Looking at the old illustration I have a hard time imagining 21 horses being hooked to it, just because of the space required for 21 horses to move around in a circle, but perhaps it’s possible. Large jobs like running a thresher would require more than two horses, but probably fewer than 21.

Keep in mind that the “ground power” device is not a thresher, or a saw. It is–as far as I can tell–just a transmission that turns muscle power into rotary motion that can then be used for other devices (like a thresher or a saw) that require them.

[farmerkitty]

Thank you Mr. Russell!
Erik, I sent the pictures to you last night. Sounds like they didn’t go through. So…as you advised, I will try my hand at posting in the photo gallery. Did you get the pictures of the old wheel? It was burried about 2 1/2feet in the ground. Took alot of prybars and manuvering, 1 front end loader, and 10 men after the digging to get it out of the ground. Kind of sounds like one of those light bulb jokes.
I will try the photo gallery angle. Thanks again, Andrea:rolleyes:

[grey]

Someone here in Snohomish has one that has been restored. Let me ask around a bit. Are there any word or letters on the cast parts or have you not gotten that far? The museum in Pomeroy is the best place for such a thing. I’d be surprised if some of the folks there don’t already have specs on horsepowers.

I’ll be looking forward to the photos you post. I’ve been dreaming about having a dedicated horsepower shed with a two-horse sweep in it. Kind of like those pony ride setups at the fair, but with a horsepower at the center. Then have belts to run things like a saw and a small thresher and maybe a stationary baler too. Ah, dreams…

[farmerkitty]

They have the specs to restore it. But, they still belive that it ran up to 21 horses. It will be quite interesting. Daybue: 4/3/10 in pomeroy. Who would I contact in Snohomish for more info.?:rolleyes:

[near horse]

Hi Andrea,

Welcome and I’m not too far from you here in N. ID. Might have to meet sometime – maybe at Pomeroy since I’m planning on bringing my team this year.

In a previous post you mentioned Tillers International – they might also be a source of info. If you’ve been there you know they have 2 or 3 barns worth of draft equipment of every type – when I went, there were at least 3 different styles of treadmill power units alone! Dick Roosenberg is a fount of knowledge as well.

Good luck and maybe see you soon!

[farmerkitty]

Hello Geoff,
It looks like i am going to have to take a closer look at Tillers Int’l. I keep getting papers about 80 pages long. So, I will go directly to their web site instead of skimming 100’s of pages.
Are you going to Pomeroy on the 3rd/4th or both? It would be a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to it.
Can’t chat long…my father and I have 8 head of last springs coaled replacement heifers, and some bull calves on the way to the sale in Lewiston.
Have a great day! Will check back this evening.
Where in N. ID are you located?
Back to business:)

[Robert MoonShadow]

Hello, Andrea, Welcome to DAP!! – this is Robert…I’m a wee bit south of Geoff, down here on the Salmon River 70 miles S. of Lewiston…starting to plant my produce this week. There’s a museum in Cottonwood (Idaho) just north of here, run by the catholic nuns (I think it’s called St. Gertrude or some such) that’s the local repository for all things ‘farming’ around here they have a lot of HD equipment from the Camas Prairie, here…maybe give them a try. If you can’t locate them, I can ask my landlord – they’re catholic, so probably know how to contact them.

hen’s the thing in Pomeroy? Anyone got a link to it, for more info?

[farmerkitty]

The Pomeroy fair is April 3 & 4th. I will ask the feller who is running the restoration team. He seems to be the eyes and ears of Pomeroy area. Do you live in White Bird? What all do you harvest?

[near horse]

For those of you NW plowing enthusiasts – Here’s the schedule I got from the Whitman Co growers guide:
March 27-29 Wilson Creek Old Time Farming Days, Wilson Creek WA (contact Tom Hennigar 509 – 648-3462 or Stan Riebold 509-648-4272). http://www.plowingdays.org/
April 3-4 Eastern Washington Agricultural Museum Spring Farming Days, Pomeroy, WA (contact Jay 509-843-1149 or David at elephant@pomeroy-wa.com)
April 17-18 Old Time Farming Days Plowing and Seeding, Colfax WA (contact Tom Hennigar 509 – 648-3462 or Stan Riebold 509-648-4272).

Good fun to watch, meet and greet, discuss and participate in!! Oh – as in most of these events, there’s some good grub too!

[Robert MoonShadow]

@andybug79@hotmail.com 16826 wrote:

The Pomeroy fair is April 3 & 4th. I will ask the feller who is running the restoration team. He seems to be the eyes and ears of Pomeroy area. Do you live in White Bird? What all do you harvest?

I live 4 miles outside of White Bird, on the banks of the Salmon. I grow just about any type of produce that interests me…cool weather crops are done with by July = it’ll hit triple-digits by late July.
I’m putting in peas, lettuce, etc. this week, aiming for the Moscow farmer’s market in May. I’ve got about a dozen different types of culinary, medical & magickal herbs started in my little homemade greenhouse.

[farmerkitty]

Neat. Where I live we have very little water and/or pressure. The farm is way up at 3500′. Our hayfields are at 4000′. So we’re praying for rain.
I have a nice yard and garden here. But, very strategic watering schedule. What was the temp. there today?
Today for me and my dad was a tractor repair debacle. But did eventually get to our hay fields and started fertilizing. I hiked around the ridges 1st rim, and found a 5 point bull elk antler.

[grey]

Okay, I’ve got the email address of a guy who has a lot of documentation on horsepowers. He’s got one himself and has seen many more. He says you need to email him a few digital photos of what you’ve got so he can send you the right information. I’ll PM you his address.

[farmerkitty]

Thank you, I look forward to recieving that e-mail. I will check back in the AM. I made 70 wood post stays today. Very tired. Have a good one. Peace

[Author]

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