1930's Ag Museum

1930's Ag Museum Preservation of John Deere Ag Equipment mainly from the decade of the 1930's. This equipment would have been found on a typical midwest farm.

Walk into a Midwest farmstead in the decade of 1930's and see the equipment used on a modern farm of the 30's plus view the contents of a typical farmhouse of the decade of the 1930's. Watch a video telling of the changes in agriculture that occurred from horsepower to tractor power. Open by appointment--please call.

08/20/2025

Thank you for your birthday recognition. I'm humbled!

The pictured ceramic canning fruit jar is one of several types of canning jars found in our 1930’s Ag Museum. This jar ...
04/01/2023

The pictured ceramic canning fruit jar is one of several types of canning jars found in our 1930’s Ag Museum. This jar was patented by William Weir in 1892. It is a salt-glazed clay, self-sealing jar with a wire closure or bale.
Salt glazing of clay pieces is a process of throwing salt into the kiln at a very high temperature (900 degrees Centigrade) while firing. The process produces a shine or texture on the surfaces of the clay. Salt glazing started around 1,400 A.D. in Germany.
In 1896 Mr. Weir purchased a pottery company in Alexis, IL. In 1899 he sold the Alexis company and helped organize the Weir Pottery Company in Monmouth, IL in 1900. They started producing fruit jars ranging in sizes from one pint to five gallon.
By 1903 the Monmouth pottery had a contract to produce 500,000 stoneware bowls, crocks, mugs, and vases for the Sleepy Eye Milling Co. of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. Over time the Weir Pottery Co. produced over one million stone fruit jars for H. J. Heinz Company to pack preserves and apple butter.
The study and research of man’s attempts at the preservation of food is fascinating. We are still looking for better ways.

Calf Weaner #3 A calf weaner is basically a nose-flap that prevents a calf from nursing but allows it to drink and graz...
02/05/2023

Calf Weaner #3

A calf weaner is basically a nose-flap that prevents a calf from nursing but allows it to drink and graze and continue to interact with its mother.
If left alone, calves naturally wean themselves around 10 months of age.
Beef cattle farmers wean calves at around 6 months of age. Some use calf weaners while others simply separate calves and their mothers into different pastures or lots.
However, Dairy farmers usually separate calves from their mothers very quickly, sometimes within 24 hours of their birth. The dairy farmer wants to harvest the cow’s milk for human consumption. These young calves are fed a measured quantity of milk several times a day and started on some grain by two weeks of age.
Many cattle farmers and ranchers wean their calves by the sign of the moon.
Research shows that between 1840 to 2022 there were 2,660 patents issued for calf weaners. Pictured is a calf weaner patented in 1907.

Livestock Dehorner 2 The pictured vintage Scully “Improved Convex Dehorner” was patented by George Webster & Isaac Dicki...
01/29/2023

Livestock Dehorner 2
The pictured vintage Scully “Improved Convex Dehorner” was patented by George Webster & Isaac Dickinson in 1897 and manufactured by the James Scully Co. of Pomeroy, Pa. Notice the curved face blade of this dehorner. It was thought the curve of the blade would slice the mature horns of cattle quicker and easier than other devices.
Some breeds of cattle do not grow horns because of selective breeding over many generations. They are referred to as “polled” cattle. Other horned cattle are called polled after they have been disbudded early in their life.
Removing horns by any method is not easy and should only be attempted by a professional.
Horned cattle can cause injury to others in the herd by butting them in the flanks or gouging eyes. Injuries may also occur when transporting them in trucks or even moving a herd from pen to pen. Dominate animals know how to use their heads and horns to scatter others in the herd and in confined spaces some are going to get hurt.
Stories abound of humans getting gored and mauled by irritated cattle with horns.

Livestock Dehorner 1 The pictured Leavitts Dehorning Clipper (Pat. Feb. 12, 1895), manufactured by the Leavitt Mfg. Co. ...
01/29/2023

Livestock Dehorner 1
The pictured Leavitts Dehorning Clipper (Pat. Feb. 12, 1895), manufactured by the Leavitt Mfg. Co. of Urbana, IL, was used to dehorn young cattle. This vintage dehorner worked on the same principle as a guillotine and would shear off a portion of the horn coming out of the skull. Other methods used to remove horns are horn saws, paste treatment, hot iron, banding with elastic rubber, and tipping.
Animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and antelope have hard protuberances extending from the frontal bone of their skulls. We commonly call them horns.
Why remove horns? They can be dangerous to other animals, especially around feed bunks and in tight quarters. Aggressive animals with horns can inflict injury or death. In some animals the horns can grow toward the skull and cause self-injury. The pictured dehorner is normally used with local anesthesia by a veterinarian or trained professional.

Sheep Shears Shearing sheep began around 3,500 BC in Central Asia. Man learned how to spin wool. In fact, the production...
01/25/2023

Sheep Shears
Shearing sheep began around 3,500 BC in Central Asia. Man learned how to spin wool. In fact, the production of wool is the oldest trade commodity known to man.
Sheep wool, once removed from the animal, is called fleece. Fleece is washed and the wool grease (lanolin) removed for use in lotions. The wool fibers are made into clothing and blankets.
Generally, sheep fleece is removed once a year from an animal. The average wool production per sheep in the US in 2019 was 7.2 pounds (including all breeds). The average price that year was $1.89 per pound for grease wool.
The pictured SHEEP SHEARS are hinged in the back. They work similarly to scissors which are hinged in the middle. Left-handed shears are available. These hand-held shears, sometimes called blades, were used exclusively until two-man operated shears were patented in the early 1890s.
Today hand shears are still used if no electricity is available. An experienced shearer using hand shears can shear 80-120 sheep fleeces per day. (Can you imagine the number of squeezes the hand has to make to shear 100 sheep?)

Bull Blinders A mature bovine bull is a very powerful animal. Their testosterone level is high. One day they can be very...
01/11/2023

Bull Blinders
A mature bovine bull is a very powerful animal. Their testosterone level is high. One day they can be very docile and friendly but the next vicious and brutal.
Dairy bulls such as Holstein and Jersey have the reputation of being the most dangerous. All cattle men grow up knowing, “Never turn your back on a bull.” They also have learned, “A quiet bull is the most dangerous bull.” Over the years many farmers have been maimed or killed by angry bulls.
The pictured vintage “BULL BLINDERS” were used to help control a mean or angry bull. They were patented by Henry Masbruch and produced by the Russell Mfg. Co. of Platteville, Wisc. circa 1920-1960. There are slits in the bottom of the eyecups which allowed the animal to walk and graze naturally. He would hesitate to charge or maul a person or another animal because he couldn’t see them clearly.
Over the years these types of blinders have saved many human lives.

Horse Goggles The pictured HORSE GOGGLES were made by the C. P. Shipley Saddlery & Mercantile Co. of Kansas City (1885-1...
01/11/2023

Horse Goggles
The pictured HORSE GOGGLES were made by the C. P. Shipley Saddlery & Mercantile Co. of Kansas City (1885-1972). The company made equipment for horses, cattle, goats, dogs, etc. It sold saddles, bridles, collars, crops, belts, chaps, quirts, whips, tapideros, and other leather goods worldwide.
I would suggest that the need for goggles such as these came about in the early 1920’s when horses were transported by open stock trucks. With their heads up and over the stock racks, flying bugs, dust, and debris could easily injure the eyes. Protection was paramount.
Today many devices are available to protect a horse’s eyes. Race horses use a type of goggle to protect from flying mud. Pasture horses use a type of face cover to protect the eyes from flies and sunburn.
Today’s goggles and face protectors for animals are generally made from plastic and nylon materials.

Clay Canning JarPreserving food was a critical problem for the Greeks and Romans and we know they tried various ways to ...
01/11/2023

Clay Canning Jar

Preserving food was a critical problem for the Greeks and Romans and we know they tried various ways to keep their foods from spoiling.
Napoleon, in 1795, offered 12,000 Francs ($2,000) to anyone who could come up with a way to preserve food for his armies. Can you imagine the problems of feeding thousands of men moving from battle to battle?
Some tried sealing tin cans with solder but spoilage and rancid taste could not be avoided.
In 1854, James Spratt developed the groove-ring wax sealer. We have an example of a wax seal canning jar in our museum. They were made of pottery or stoneware. The pictured crock has a lip around the mouth to hold a metal lid that was placed on top. Wax was then poured into the indentation to seal the jar. Not many of these antique stoneware crocks are around today because the jar top usually broke when one was trying to open it.
John Mason developed the Mason glass jar with rubber ring and threaded zinc lid in 1858. Many variations of the “Mason Jar” have appeared since.
Foods preservation has come a long way in the last 225 years.

Decaying vegetable matter, human excrement, animal waste of horses, pigs, and cattle, plus hot days provided excellent b...
01/07/2023

Decaying vegetable matter, human excrement, animal waste of horses, pigs, and cattle, plus hot days provided excellent breeding grounds for flies and other insects in the past. Those conditions led to the spread of many diseases because flies can carry germs to exposed food. Also, flies can be just plain annoying.
Window and door screens in the first half of the 1800s helped eliminate some diseases and we have Robert R. Montgomery to thank for his invention and patent in 1900 of the “King Fly Killer”. It was described as “a cheap device of unusual elasticity and durability” made of wire netting attached to a handle. Montgomery sold his patent to John L. Bennett of the US Wire Mat Co. of Decatur, IL in 1902 and they perfected its design in the following decades.
In 1905-06 Dr. Samuel Crumbine of the Kansas Public Health Department worked with the Kansas Boy Scouts to launch an “anti-fly” campaign. He heard a crowd at a baseball game shouting “swat the ball” and used the saying “swat the fly” in his anti-fly campaign. The words “swat” and “swatter” were used by the Boy Scouts as they sold fly swatters to their families, friends, and neighbors. Dr. Crumbine created an ad, trying to raise public awareness of the threat of flies which stated, “Everybody is a customer; everybody will be swatting flies; every home should have one in every room.”
The “Fly Swatter” has evolved over time—from wire mesh to plastic. The need for swatters has dwindled as a result of pesticides and sanitation practices. However, I’ll bet that a “swatter” can still be found in most homes today.

Hand Crank Bench Grinders Whetstones used to sharpen tools have been found dating back before medieval times. We also ...
11/27/2022

Hand Crank Bench Grinders
Whetstones used to sharpen tools have been found dating back before medieval times. We also see drawings of men sharpening swords on wheels. These early whetstones and wheels were made of natural materials with different levels of abrasions.
Water powered grinding wheels go back to the 1500's. The pictured HAND CRANK GRINDERS in our 1930's Ag Museum were developed in the late 1800's and continued in production into the 1940-50s when electric grinders appeared.
The abrasive grinding wheels for these bench grinders were av available in different "grits" from course to fine. The smaller grinders usually had a finer grit.
These hand crank grinder were used to sharpen knives, chisels, plane blades, scissors, loathe tools, butcher knives, and even drill bits. They were known as "touch up" grinders used in sharpening edges. The tool was held in the left hand while the right hand turned the crank. One needs a fair degree of manual dexterity to sharpen effectively and crank at the same time. A second person turning the crank could be very helpful.
Most beginners were told, "Don't blue the blade and ruin the tempers." In other words, don't get the tool too hot. Usually, a container of water was kept handy to frequently dip the tool to prevent it from "bluing the blade".
Grinders with 4" wheels were usually found in home workshops. 5" wheels were used in mechanic's benches. 6" wheels were common in workshops and garages, and 7"-8" grinders were usually found in factories and machine shops.
Hand cranked bench grinders are rather hard to find today.

We recently brought to our 1930's Ag Museum the pictured DOUBLE CALIPER. It is a blacksmith and wheelwright's tool. It...
11/16/2022

We recently brought to our 1930's Ag Museum the pictured DOUBLE CALIPER.
It is a blacksmith and wheelwright's tool. It could have many uses in the shops. Double calipers are somewhat rare but are designed to be used to measure thickness and width of metal and wood.
I have never seen a double caliper with any stamp indicating what manufacture made it or when it was patented. Nor, have I ever seen any two made exactly the same size or alike.
Any blacksmith or wheelwright could easily make a double caliper by starting with a piece of flat iron, splitting the end with a chisel and drawing out the two semi circles on the horn of his anvil. He could finish the job by drawing out and curving the other two pieces and fastening them together with rivets or bolts. Of course, this would require many heatings and much hammering of the metal.
I'm suggesting that some blacksmith had a job that had to be done so he made this tool in his shop to help accomplish the work.
The earliest caliper (single) that has been found was made in the 6th century BC. Today, there are multiple designs and uses of calipers.

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1435 Boy Scout Road
Quincy, IL
62305

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