September 1949 road trip photos

[Jeff in ND]

I was scanning some old pictures this weekend and thought a few of them maybe interesting to the folks here.

In September of 1949, my late Dad who was 16 at the time, went on a road trip from Minnesota to the Black Hills area and maybe into parts of Wyoming and Nebraska. He was with his cousin, age 21 and an uncle in his 40s. Interesting that the cousin was from his dad's side and the uncle from his mom's side. So, they drove in the uncle's '48 or '49 Dodge 3/4T pickup. Can't imagine how cramped what must have been all 3 of them jammed in the cab with I am sure a floor shifter in the middle! Those old trucks rode hard and it was probably lots of gravel roads in those days too.

Here is the cousin on the left and my Dad on the right with the Dodge next to a Hi-Lex bleach sign someplace on the road.

Pair of McCormick Deering combines in South Dakota. The note for this one pointed out that these belonged to the same farmer. A big deal I guess. It was interesting to note that the one on the left has a windrow pickup on it as well as the reel is installed. Right one does not. But, the right one as duals. Combines this large or self propelled where rare in MN I think.

Uncle and my Dad. Note on back said a wheat-land plow in South Dakota. They must have just pulled off the road into someones field for a picture!

The uncle in the Black Hills with the Dodge. The note mentions it was at 10000 ft elevation. Google says the highest spot is about 7500 ft so that uncle was a bit off...

A combine on a Ford truck at a gas station in South Dakota. The plate on the truck says its from Kansas. Notice the cab-over Chevy in the background too.

Display of IH crawlers and appears some regular tractors in the background at the State Fair in Pierre (at least it looked like a bad spelling of Pierre).

Hope you enjoy!

 

[Steve in VA]

I was scanning some old pictures this weekend and thought a few of them maybe interesting to the folks here.

In September of 1949, my late Dad who was 16 at the time, went on a road trip from Minnesota to the Black Hills area and maybe into parts of Wyoming and Nebraska. He was with his cousin, age 21 and an uncle in his 40s. Interesting that the cousin was from his dad's side and the uncle from his mom's side. So, they drove in the uncle's '48 or '49 Dodge 3/4T pickup. Can't imagine how cramped what must have been all 3 of them jammed in the cab with I am sure a floor shifter in the middle! Those old trucks rode hard and it was probably lots of gravel roads in those days too.

Here is the cousin on the left and my Dad on the right with the Dodge next to a Hi-Lex bleach sign someplace on the road.
View attachment 6995

Pair of McCormick Deering combines in South Dakota. The note for this one pointed out that these belonged to the same farmer. A big deal I guess. It was interesting to note that the one on the left has a windrow pickup on it as well as the reel is installed. Right one does not. But, the right one as duals. Combines this large or self propelled where rare in MN I think.
View attachment 6992

Uncle and my Dad. Note on back said a wheat-land plow in South Dakota. They must have just pulled off the road into someones field for a picture!
View attachment 6997


The uncle in the Black Hills with the Dodge. The note mentions it was at 10000 ft elevation. Google says the highest spot is about 7500 ft so that uncle was a bit off...
View attachment 6993

A combine on a Ford truck at a gas station in South Dakota. The plate on the truck says its from Kansas. Notice the cab-over Chevy in the background too.

View attachment 6994


Display of IH crawlers and appears some regular tractors in the background at the State Fair in Pierre (at least it looked like a bad spelling of Pierre).

View attachment 6996


Hope you enjoy!

Those are great and I appreciate your sharing them.

 

[jon f mn]

Those are great pictures! Wish I had some old pics from my family, but I don't think there were any. Was th trip a vacation or business?

 

[Buckhammer]

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing

 

[Jeff in ND]

Those are great pictures! Wish I had some old pics from my family, but I don't think there were any. Was th trip a vacation or business?

Would have been a vacation sort of trip. September sort of a gap month in MN btw small grains harvest & manure pile cleanup and next round of other fall harvest that starts in Oct. Dad usually would get in any building repairs (painting, roofs, etc) during that month.

 

[DPittman]

Love the truck and the pics. Makes me pine for my old 53 that was a 3/4 ton also

 

[Rich'sToys]

Back then it probably never even occurred to them that it was a rough ride. That's what they were used to, and that's the way it was. They didn't know any different.

Those are some great photos! Thanks for sharing!

 

[db4600]

Would have been a vacation sort of trip. September sort of a gap month in MN btw small grains harvest & manure pile cleanup and next round of other fall harvest that starts in Oct. Dad usually would get in any building repairs (painting, roofs, etc) during that month.

I recall going to Verona Mo in a ‘70 Buick LeSabre with Mom, Grandma, auntie, a brother and a sister. Sandwiches were packed along with lemonade. We stopped at The Grotto and bowed our heads. At one point I fell asleep straddling the hump with my converse sneaker on the excelerator which gave Ma’s lead foot a break through south Iowa. I don’t have any pictures, but I’m sure Sally does

 

[JohnRowehl]

Thanks for sharing the photos.
Our McCormick 125 combine had dual wheels on the left side.

 

[Texasmark]

I was scanning some old pictures this weekend and thought a few of them maybe interesting to the folks here.

In September of 1949, my late Dad who was 16 at the time, went on a road trip from Minnesota to the Black Hills area and maybe into parts of Wyoming and Nebraska. He was with his cousin, age 21 and an uncle in his 40s. Interesting that the cousin was from his dad's side and the uncle from his mom's side. So, they drove in the uncle's '48 or '49 Dodge 3/4T pickup. Can't imagine how cramped what must have been all 3 of them jammed in the cab with I am sure a floor shifter in the middle! Those old trucks rode hard and it was probably lots of gravel roads in those days too.

Here is the cousin on the left and my Dad on the right with the Dodge next to a Hi-Lex bleach sign someplace on the road.
View attachment 6995

Pair of McCormick Deering combines in South Dakota. The note for this one pointed out that these belonged to the same farmer. A big deal I guess. It was interesting to note that the one on the left has a windrow pickup on it as well as the reel is installed. Right one does not. But, the right one as duals. Combines this large or self propelled where rare in MN I think.
View attachment 6992

Uncle and my Dad. Note on back said a wheat-land plow in South Dakota. They must have just pulled off the road into someones field for a picture!
View attachment 6997


The uncle in the Black Hills with the Dodge. The note mentions it was at 10000 ft elevation. Google says the highest spot is about 7500 ft so that uncle was a bit off...
View attachment 6993

A combine on a Ford truck at a gas station in South Dakota. The plate on the truck says its from Kansas. Notice the cab-over Chevy in the background too.

View attachment 6994


Display of IH crawlers and appears some regular tractors in the background at the State Fair in Pierre (at least it looked like a bad spelling of Pierre).

View attachment 6996


Hope you enjoy!

Wow!!! That looks like a JD one way plow. What on earth pulled that monster. Around here the largest I ever saw was a 16 bottom pulled with about 70 HP. Now that I see the IH Crawlers, must have been one of those?????

 

[Al nickel]

I had a couple of 1949 Fargos that I sold to someone in Minnesota. He did a fantastic job of restoring one of them.

 

[RBnSC]

Cool pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Ron

 

[Janicholson]

I was scanning some old pictures this weekend and thought a few of them maybe interesting to the folks here.

In September of 1949, my late Dad who was 16 at the time, went on a road trip from Minnesota to the Black Hills area and maybe into parts of Wyoming and Nebraska. He was with his cousin, age 21 and an uncle in his 40s. Interesting that the cousin was from his dad's side and the uncle from his mom's side. So, they drove in the uncle's '48 or '49 Dodge 3/4T pickup. Can't imagine how cramped what must have been all 3 of them jammed in the cab with I am sure a floor shifter in the middle! Those old trucks rode hard and it was probably lots of gravel roads in those days too.

Here is the cousin on the left and my Dad on the right with the Dodge next to a Hi-Lex bleach sign someplace on the road.
View attachment 6995

Pair of McCormick Deering combines in South Dakota. The note for this one pointed out that these belonged to the same farmer. A big deal I guess. It was interesting to note that the one on the left has a windrow pickup on it as well as the reel is installed. Right one does not. But, the right one as duals. Combines this large or self propelled where rare in MN I think.
View attachment 6992

Uncle and my Dad. Note on back said a wheat-land plow in South Dakota. They must have just pulled off the road into someones field for a picture!
View attachment 6997


The uncle in the Black Hills with the Dodge. The note mentions it was at 10000 ft elevation. Google says the highest spot is about 7500 ft so that uncle was a bit off...
View attachment 6993

A combine on a Ford truck at a gas station in South Dakota. The plate on the truck says its from Kansas. Notice the cab-over Chevy in the background too.

View attachment 6994


Display of IH crawlers and appears some regular tractors in the background at the State Fair in Pierre (at least it looked like a bad spelling of Pierre).

View attachment 6996


Hope you enjoy!

Combines look to be SP125 McCormick Deering

 

[RedMF40]

Great photos. I like the combine on the Ford truck. Wonder what kind of tie-downs they used back then, if chain binders were in use.

 

[DWF]

Wasn't 48 the last year for the old style Dodge cabs? If that's a fact, the truck is a 49 and would be brand new. My Dad had a 49 Dodge, but it was 11 years old when he got it. Didn't use it much so 11 years old did not make much difference.
DWF

 

[SkipperII]

That old Dodge brings back a lot of memories. My aunt and uncle had one. They would load all of the young cousins in the back, with a couple wool blankets and a tarp. The adults would ride in my folks' car, and we would go from Thorp, Wa., to a forestry service campground South of Clellum for a day of fishing and picnicing. Sometimes we would ride up to Stampede Pass to pick huckleberries. Probably be arrested for child abuse now days.

 

[SweetFeet]

I was scanning some old pictures this weekend and thought a few of them maybe interesting to the folks here.

In September of 1949, my late Dad who was 16 at the time, went on a road trip from Minnesota to the Black Hills area and maybe into parts of Wyoming and Nebraska. He was with his cousin, age 21 and an uncle in his 40s. Interesting that the cousin was from his dad's side and the uncle from his mom's side. So, they drove in the uncle's '48 or '49 Dodge 3/4T pickup. Can't imagine how cramped what must have been all 3 of them jammed in the cab with I am sure a floor shifter in the middle! Those old trucks rode hard and it was probably lots of gravel roads in those days too.

Here is the cousin on the left and my Dad on the right with the Dodge next to a Hi-Lex bleach sign someplace on the road.
View attachment 6995

Pair of McCormick Deering combines in South Dakota. The note for this one pointed out that these belonged to the same farmer. A big deal I guess. It was interesting to note that the one on the left has a windrow pickup on it as well as the reel is installed. Right one does not. But, the right one as duals. Combines this large or self propelled where rare in MN I think.
View attachment 6992

Uncle and my Dad. Note on back said a wheat-land plow in South Dakota. They must have just pulled off the road into someones field for a picture!
View attachment 6997


The uncle in the Black Hills with the Dodge. The note mentions it was at 10000 ft elevation. Google says the highest spot is about 7500 ft so that uncle was a bit off...
View attachment 6993

A combine on a Ford truck at a gas station in South Dakota. The plate on the truck says its from Kansas. Notice the cab-over Chevy in the background too.

View attachment 6994


Display of IH crawlers and appears some regular tractors in the background at the State Fair in Pierre (at least it looked like a bad spelling of Pierre).

View attachment 6996


Hope you enjoy!

Great picks and stories!

Makes me want to go back... both "in time", and to the Black Hills.

 

[SweetFeet]

Great picks and stories!

Makes me want to go back... both "in time", and to the Black Hills.

But perhsps not THAT far back in time... 'cuz I would not exist. LOL!

 

[DoubleO7]

Wasn't 48 the last year for the old style Dodge cabs? If that's a fact, the truck is a 49 and would be brand new. My Dad had a 49 Dodge, but it was 11 years old when he got it. Didn't use it much so 11 years old did not make much difference.
DWF

I am thinkin the truck in these pics is a 48.
There are two similar stickers on the windsheild, perhaps a annually required permit or tax stamp, etc. One for 48 one for 49.
There is something added to the front bumper, perhaps homemade.

 

[Jeff in ND]

I am thinkin the truck in these pics is a 48.
There are two similar stickers on the windsheild, perhaps a annually required permit or tax stamp, etc. One for 48 one for 49.
There is something added to the front bumper, perhaps homemade.

I took a look at the original scan that is a little sharper. Pretty sure the lower sticker is for AAA auto club. In Minnesota, so far I know there has never been any required inspections or window stickers like in some other states. Just front and rear plates. Until the mid 50s, there were new plates every year. Then they went to having a bolt on metal tag for a few years before actual stickers like today.

Its possible the upper sticker could be a state park permit or something too.