CADIZ — The Stumptown Steam Threshers Club will hold its 59th annual reunion Sept. 11-12 at the Harrison County Fairgrounds, 550 Grant St., Cadiz.

The club is a nonprofit organization with a mission to preserve, display and demonstrate antique and historical farm equipment.

The event officially begins at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 11 with an opening ceremony including Boy Scouts raising the American flag and the playing of our national anthem. The public is invited to view steam engines powering an antique saw mill sawing boards.

Other demonstrations include steam engines powering an antique threshing machine. This demonstrates how grain was separated before combines were invented. The straw, which has been separated from the grain, will be baled by an antique baler. The straw is fed and tied by hand using wire instead of twine. Corn will be shelled and ground by an antique stone burr mill to make cornmeal. The freshly ground cornmeal will be up for sale to the public.

A shingle mill will be cutting shingles from shingle bolts which are cut from logs that have been sawed from the saw mill. A large variety of other displays and demonstrations will cover the show grounds. A very large number of antique single-cylinder gas engines, which will be used to power equipment such as pump jacks, butter churns, cream separators, and washing machines, will be on site.

Antique farm tractors and crawlers of many makes and models will be on display as well as a large variety of lawn and garden tractors. Also on display will be antique cars and trucks. The equipment is an educational experience for all who attend, and get the chance to see how the American farmer performed his chores in the days before electric motors, advanced farm tractors, combines and all the other high tech farm equipment we have today became available. Some equipment may date back as far as 1900 or maybe even earlier.

A large flea market offers many treasures and sought after items. These bargains include baked goods, farm toys and many more items are available.

The Stumptown Ladies Auxiliary will be selling club T-shirts and crafts, along with raffles for a chance to win a handmade quilt.

There is also a lot of good food available including Thresher burgers, fishtail sandwiches, lemonade, ice cream, cotton candy and more. Soup beans are cooked over an open fire and served with fresh cornbread.

Events included in the schedule on Sept. 11 are the Bill Flower’s whistle blow, which will signal lunchtime, as was the practice in the days of the use of live steam to power threshing machines.

Following lunch, the Stumptown Ladies Auxiliary will make the Thresherman of the Year and Thresherman’s Queen for the 2021 show.

At 1 p.m., a grand parade of the equipment and tractors will commence; and at 3 p.m. a kiddie pedal tractor pull will take place. There will also be a lawn and garden tractor pull.

The following day’s schedule, Sept. 12, begins with a church service at 8:30 a.m. A noon whistle will blow once again to signal lunchtime. At 1 p.m. a tractor operators contest will be held followed by awards given to the oldest man and woman attending this year’s show at 2:30 p.m.

At the same time the ladies auxiliary will have their drawing for the quilt. At 3 p.m., kids will have the chance to search for candy and quarters in a pile of sawdust from the shingle mill. The two-day event will come to an end at 4 p.m.

The state of Ohio has organized a Historical Boiler Licensing Board which has established rules and regulations for the operation of the steam engine operated at public events in the state. The regulations require the inspection of the engines by a certified state boiler inspector. Operators of these machines must also pass a test and be certified by the state.

Adults are charged a small admission fee with children under 12 admitted for free.