By Stephanie Irvine
Several days of abundant sunshine and dry weather helped make the 62nd annual Threshermen’s Show a huge success. The multi-day event, which took place at the sprawling Spiess Farm in Manhattan from July 18 through 21, offered a myriad of activities for visitors to do, along with plenty of things to see.
This year’s show featured JI Case tractors and single-cylinder engines, with more than 200 tractors on site for visitors to see. Working steam engines were scattered throughout the grounds, letting off puffs of steam as visitors watched, in awe, as the old machines ran.
Last year’s showcase featured Minneapolis Moline, and next year’s will feature Caterpillar Farm Tractors and Massey-Harris. Tractors from other makes are present, but the association picks a feature for each show.
“Attendance has been great. We’ve had perfect weather every day,” Will County Threshermen’s Association President Brad Eike said. He noted there were a lot of families and kids in attendance this year, which he was happy to see.
“They are such great people, both him and Cindy,” Eike said of the show’s hosts, Steve and Cindy Speiss. “We are so lucky to have such a wonderful place.”
The grounds had large trees offering some shady spots, but a tent, complete with large fans, provided a respite for those needing a break from the sunshine and heat.
Farm fields, as far as the eye could see, were home for the demonstration area, where tractors showed off their capabilities – threshing, shelling, harvesting, and more.
John and Rachel Volmer, of Willow Springs, attended the show with their young son, Ethan, who they said loves tractors and has a pint-sized pedal tractor at home. “A love of old tractors” brought them to the show.
“They always have a good mix of different kinds of tractors, including steam. So, you get to see everything,” Rachel said of her favorite part. Her husband, John, remarked that he enjoyed the demonstrations. The Volmers are tractor enthusiasts and collectors.
The tractors on display at the show represented a lot of hard work. Many were bought at various auctions but needed significant restoration work to get them running and show-ready.
Farmers and tractor enthusiasts, who brought their tractors and old engines to the show, included a 1920 Port Huron Steam Engine owned by Tom Runty. His engine ran for the first time since 1998. When Runty acquired the engine at an auction, the boiler was shot and needed to be rebuilt. Although Runty grew up on a farm in Manhattan, having tractors is a hobby, offering a step back in time for the former band director and school administrator.
A shuttle helped guests get around the massive property, and a long kids’ tractor barrel-train ride provided plenty of smiles as it cruised the grounds.
Civil War re-enactors Cypress Company camped out, offering a Civil War Living History event enabling visitors to learn, watch, and interact. Re-enactors, in character and dressed in period attire, made it a truly interactive experience for those who entered the campsite.
Kids enjoyed the petting zoo, which featured farm animals, such as ducks, chickens, and bunnies.
Four-year-old Riley Lynch, who attended with his mom, Megan, and two-year-old brother, Henry, said his favorite part was seeing the farm animals.
“I liked the bunnies!” Lynch said excitedly.
But that wasn’t all for them, as a vast kids’ tent was available, with all sorts of other activities, including a corn pit and tractor-inspired toys.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Manhattan resident Maggie Lahey said, who attended with her husband and two kids. Although they do not come from a farming background, they enjoyed the event, nonetheless.
“We came last year for the first time, and we wanted to come back because they had such a blast at the kid’s tent and the animal farm,” Lahey remarked.
Of course, tractors were the main attraction at the Threshermen’s Show, giving visitors the chance to see old tractors up close, learn about them, as well as hear stories from their owners.
Among the show’s many tractors, Roger Salzman, a spry 71-year-old who farms in Peotone, was present with his 1939 Farmall. He and fellow farmer and friend Gary Anderson brought out the tractor together. Salzman showed visitors his antique tractor was complete with a furrow guide — which his great-grandfather actually patented in 1932.
In talking with Salzman and Anderson, Salzman provided a brief history of the Farmall tractors, explaining Farmall developed those types of tractors to replace horses, which previously were used to cultivate fields. Horses couldn’t work in extreme temperatures, but the tractors could.
“My great uncle had an F20 with a cultivator on it. He came over and cultivated with lanterns hung on the front. They drove that tractor day and night,” Salzman said.
Harvesting and field demonstrations occurred daily, and a new show highlight, the human tractor pull, attracted a large crowd. Three groups officially competed in the human tractor pull, including one 4-H group and two FFA groups.
Eike said they’d be sure to have it again next year, because it was so much fun. After the initial human tractor pull event, people from the crowd took part in their own pulls, which created a lot of excitement.
An expansive flea market and craft show easily had a hundred or more booths selling everything from apparel to wooden creations. When guests got hungry, there was plenty of food with corn on the cob, pizza, tacos, and more. During the weekend, the food tent also hosted live music with the Frankfort Brass Band on Sunday and Elwood Garden Ukulele Strummers on Saturday.
Overall, the event drew thousands of attendees during the four days, and it continues to grow each year. The Threshermen’s Association hopes to grow, not just attendance at the event, but also in membership, especially from younger generations, to help ensure its future.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.
