Jeff in ND
Member
Some years ago, I acquired a bunch of old negatives that had been missing for decades. Lots of photos I never saw before, including these 2 of corn picking in the early 40s I believe.
I had suspected the tractor and picker belonged to a neighbor that grandpa must have hired. Looking at census info from 1940 I had the probable name of the man driving tractor as the hired man who lived with that family. I had recognized the woman as my paternal grandma's younger sister who would come out from the city and help with harvest sometimes. It turned out, this hired man was a cousin of my maternal grandma and through a genealogy contact (a lady who is his niece, a 2nd cousin of my mom), I was able to prove this is who it was.
That original neighbor passed in the mid 60s but his later hired man (not the one in the pictures) who lived there at that time ended up renting the farm from the widow and I had known him for many years. Was friends with my dad and I went to school with the younger kids of his. At some point, he gave my dad a wheel/tire off this picker for a spare as the tire would fit either dad's New Idea picker or a manure spreader we had. Never was used and stayed in the shed for years until dad retired and it was sold at his retirement auction in 1998. It was spoke wheeled with a ribbed implement tire.
So now, I had seen this MM picker in the neighbors farm woods over 30yrs ago when he had a auction that I attended. He had quit farming, bought the building site and did work as a handyman, carpenter, mechanic, etc. At the time, I didn't know anything of the story up to now and had yet to see those old pictures.
The neighbor who lived on the place since the 60s passed this spring and there was a auction this weekend that I made a special trip to attend. He'd taken up tractor collecting so lots of stuff to see. I had the chance to go into the woods to check out if the picker was still there. It WAS !
This absolutely has to be the same picker as the 80+ year old photos. Too many facts line up to be otherwise. Also, note the side elevator, not the most common arrangement?
Unfortunately, it may end up for scrap this time. There is also a IHC threshing machine nearby that I heard was being kept by the family but not sure about the picker.
I had suspected the tractor and picker belonged to a neighbor that grandpa must have hired. Looking at census info from 1940 I had the probable name of the man driving tractor as the hired man who lived with that family. I had recognized the woman as my paternal grandma's younger sister who would come out from the city and help with harvest sometimes. It turned out, this hired man was a cousin of my maternal grandma and through a genealogy contact (a lady who is his niece, a 2nd cousin of my mom), I was able to prove this is who it was.
That original neighbor passed in the mid 60s but his later hired man (not the one in the pictures) who lived there at that time ended up renting the farm from the widow and I had known him for many years. Was friends with my dad and I went to school with the younger kids of his. At some point, he gave my dad a wheel/tire off this picker for a spare as the tire would fit either dad's New Idea picker or a manure spreader we had. Never was used and stayed in the shed for years until dad retired and it was sold at his retirement auction in 1998. It was spoke wheeled with a ribbed implement tire.
So now, I had seen this MM picker in the neighbors farm woods over 30yrs ago when he had a auction that I attended. He had quit farming, bought the building site and did work as a handyman, carpenter, mechanic, etc. At the time, I didn't know anything of the story up to now and had yet to see those old pictures.
The neighbor who lived on the place since the 60s passed this spring and there was a auction this weekend that I made a special trip to attend. He'd taken up tractor collecting so lots of stuff to see. I had the chance to go into the woods to check out if the picker was still there. It WAS !
This absolutely has to be the same picker as the 80+ year old photos. Too many facts line up to be otherwise. Also, note the side elevator, not the most common arrangement?
Unfortunately, it may end up for scrap this time. There is also a IHC threshing machine nearby that I heard was being kept by the family but not sure about the picker.
