History heats up at 58th annual Threshers Reunion in Floyd County

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

The past came alive over Labor Day weekend as the Cedar Valley Engine Club hosted its 58th annual Threshers Reunion.

Started decades ago as a way to celebrate the tradition of community threshing, where neighboring farmers would combine their resources to help each other with their late summer work, the Threshers Reunion now serves to keep that history alive for new generations that may otherwise never have the opportunity to see these machines from years gone by in action.

“Everything has been going very smooth,” said Kelly Barnett, president of the Cedar Valley Engine Club. “It’s a treat when everything falls into place.”

With anywhere between 150 and 200 antique tractors on display, the Thresher Reunion is a showcase of historical machinery. Each year a different brand of tractor and gas engine is featured at the show. This year’s featured brands were Allis Chalmers & Rumley tractors and Stover gas engines.

“Some of the collectors specialize in certain brands,” said Barnett. “That way we can kind of feature their collections.”

Along with having antique machinery on display, the weekend event was full of speakers, demonstrations, activities, and attractions.

From a mechanical saw designed to cut through a railroad track to a live demonstration of antique threshing machinery to a centuries-old steam engine that once powered an entire factory, the club offers a glimpse at what was once the cutting edge of technology in the early days of the industrial age.

Outside of the machines, the grounds were packed with vendors, food, musical entertainment, daily parades, and more. Tractor pulls and plowing demonstrations put the antique machines through their paces while guest speakers informed audiences about gardening, railroad safety, and spark plugs.

“We try to present as friendly an environment as we can here,” said Barnett. “It’s kind of magical what goes on here though the weekend.”

In spite of the weekend heat, the Threshers Reunion had a solid attendance this year with bigger crowds coming out to watch the tractor pulls.

“It was nice, steady, and full of people,” said Barnett, who estimates they saw between 1,600 and 1,800 people come through by the time the event finished up on Monday. “It’s nicer dealing with the heat than the mud.”

The Cedar Valley Engine Club will have a general meeting in a couple weeks to do a full review of the weekend before members start getting ready to do it all again for next year’s event, which will highlight International Harvester tractors as the featured brand.

Keeping history alive is what drives the club members to put in the countless volunteer hours it takes to organize the three-day event. For Barnett, the best part of the weekend is seeing a child get to ride, or even drive, the same kind of tractor their forefathers used.

“To me, that’s what makes it special,” said Barnett. “That makes the whole show worth it.”