History

[Colin King]

It's been a miserably cold winter & spring in West Central Minnesota, but field work has finally begun. I'm renting a small piece of land across the road from us that belonged to the grandparents of two of my close childhood friends back in the '80s and early '90s. This older couple farmed their small farm with a 1950 8N that they purchased new with money they earned selling cucumbers to a local pickle company. They used mules prior to their 8N, and by the time I was an early teenager, the 8N was abandoned in a tree line. Yesterday, 72 years and two generations after they purchased their 8N, I worked up their old field using my 1949 8N to plant into hay for our sheep flock. I felt the history and the connections as I tilled that soil.

As an aside, I have spent close to a decade slowly restoring the grandparents' 1950 8N and should have it parade ready by the end of the summer. That's another story, tho.

Colin, MN

 

[GB in MT.]

Hi Colin.....Been awhile, but still here and reading.
Still got the "wedding tree and 8N" hanging over my computer desk.
Makes me think about you!!!
New playtoy in front of my 3000, which is running GREAT!!!

Chears to you and family!!!

Gary

 

[GB in MT.]

OOPs......forgot to enter the pic!!! LOL

 

[Ultradog MN]

Nice story Colin.
Hello to both you and Gary.
Yeah, very cold winter this year and it still doesn't want to let go. Cold spring too!

 

[Jim L WA]

Not to get political, but listening to you guys, that's why they don't talk about global warming anymore. Now it's climate change.

 

[Colin King]

Hi Gary, Great to hear from you! I try to read the forum once a week or so. Seems like its not as busy a place as it used to be. I like your collection! Envious of that 3000. I'm still dreaming of a 5000 or even better, an 8000

Happy spring! I hope you had enough snow to keep the fire risk down this year.
Colin

 

[Colin King]

Hi Jerry,
Looks like this week is finally going to be some pleasant weather. We had 2 of rain over the weekend! I heard on the radio that there was quite a bit your way too. That should get the last pockets of frost out of the ground for sure.

Colin

 

[Bruce (VA)]

Any man that can grow okra in MN is a true farmer!

Yea, I think about the history of my place a lot; the area was cleared and farmed as early as 1730. The fields closest to the road were used to triage the wounded from the battle of Cold Harber, June 1864. The hospital was beside the creek at the bottom of the hill.

Custer had his HQ in the house next door.

Best of luck w/ the restoration. Finished my 4th & last one earlier this year; this one has both a Sherman and a Howard in it.
75 Tips

 

[Btzj02]

Another Minnesota native here, Mankato. We too are tired of the cold gray wet spring. Won't be using the 8N for farming but I did make a water wagon to manage the road dust. Mother nature is providing plenty of dust suppression on her own so I haven't been able to try the sprayer on the road. I grew Okra one year just to try it. It may have been how I cooked it but it was not my thing! Hang on, Summer is coming!

 

[ASEguy]

Very interesting. Such history. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Lynn Patrick]

I may not be from MN, but have 6 family members scattered from St Michael to New Prague! East Iowa is the same story, some corn planted but soil not warm enough to grow. I no longer farm (maybe emotionally, but not physically!) but keep waiting for warm & dry enough to line up for this year's Herd Picture![/list]

 

[Colin King]

Lynn, I just delivered a lamb to New Prague two weeks ago! Yea, I heard the USDA planting report for the beginning of the week which said that Minnesota was less than 1% planted. Average is 28% and this time last year was 56%. Perfect weather this week, though. Last 48 hours have been busy in our neighborhood.

Colin

 

[Colin King]

I hope you get to put that sprayer to use! Bruce can probably provide much more advice on okra than I can, but I like it in Indian style cooking. I cut it into half wheels. Then seer it in a dry cast iron skillet. I'll then add a bit of oil and spices like cumin and mustard seed and salt to taste. It's delicious and very simple to prepare fresh from the garden. It's also a great addition to soups and stews.

Colin

 

[Colin King]

That is an incredible history you have there, Bruce! Where was the battle of Cold Harbor in relation to your farm?

A Howard? That's a nice find. Will you use it or will it be a show piece?

Sadly, I haven't grown okra for four or five years. I'm the only one who likes it. Sigh. But it sure is a beautiful plant!

I hope you're having a great start to your growing season! I always enjoy seeing your photos on FB.

Colin

 

[Bruce (VA)]

Im about 3 miles from both the 1862 battlefield of Gaines Mill and the 1864 battle of Cold Harbor.

In 1862, we were on McClellans main supply route. I live on McClellan Road; unlike Grant & Custer 2 years later, McClellan respected private property and paid for what he took with gold.

The Union V Corps hospital was about mile from the house. NY Cavalry spent some time here based upon the dropped Spencer rounds and picket pins the neighbor has found on his property.

Im using the Howard; best thing in the world for laying plastic!

 

[Bruce (VA)]

I just cut it in little wheels, dust it w/ corn meal and fry it in cooking oil. The less oil the better.

I also freeze it and use it all winter in gumbo or jambalaya.

I'm from VA, it's the folks in SC & MS & LA that just boil it & eat it. Can't do that!

 

[Colin King]

Do you mean that McClellan paid for the use of land and/or material, food, animals he requisitioned for his troops? Why didn't Grant and Custer do the same? Was that something the the Union Army left to a CO to decide?

Glad to hear that you're putting the Howard to use! That's the way to go!

 

[Bruce (VA)]

It was a different war in 1862.

McClellan did not believe in taking the war to civilians. The fighting was to be between the Armies, leaving the civilians and there property alone as best they could. Until General Butler contrived the contraband of war argument, escaped slaves were returned to their owners.

Grant, Sherman, et al, had a different view of war by 1864. As was often said, what they didnt steal, they burned.

Sheridan said If a crow flies over the Shenandoah Valley, he better bring his own rations

25% of all men of military age in the South were KIA; that was 4% of the total population in the South.

66% of ALL assessed wealth in the South was lost in the war.

The Fourth of July was not celebrated after the CW in the south until 1917. It wasnt celebrated in Vicksburg MS until 1944.

 

[RobBruno]

(quoted from post at 11:22:15 05/07/22) It was a different war in 1862.

McClellan did not believe in taking the war to civilians. The fighting was to be between the Armies, leaving the civilians and there property alone as best they could. Until General Butler contrived the contraband of war argument, escaped slaves were returned to their owners.

Grant, Sherman, et al, had a different view of war by 1864. As was often said, what they didnt steal, they burned.

Sheridan said If a crow flies over the Shenandoah Valley, he better bring his own rations




25% of all men of military age in the South were KIA; that was 4% of the total population in the South.

66% of ALL assessed wealth in the South was lost in the war.

The Fourth of July was not celebrated after the CW in the south until 1917. It wasnt celebrated in Vicksburg MS until 1944.

Bruce, you must live right on the route of JEB Stuart's ride around McClellen in 1862. Or at least pretty close to it.

This post was edited by RobBruno on 05/09/2022 at 05:48 am.

 

[Colin King]

Thank you for the history lesson, Bruce! I didn't learn a bit of that as a kid in school and I think in general, at least here in the North, the history is a focus on ending slavery, etc. Not on the lasting damage that is still felt by that awful war - damage that I think would be safe to say is still haunting this Country today? I'm an avid reader of American history and American military history, but because of the relatively recent immigration of my family to the US (1870s-1890s), my interests have followed more of the arc of my family's experiences - my grandfathers in (WWII, Navy & Marines) and my father, uncle, and FIL (Vietnam: Army & Coast Guard) experienced. I'll have to spend more time reading books on the Civil War.

Be well!
Colin