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HomeMy WebLinkAbout31st Annual Huron Pioneer Thresher & Hobby Association 1992 Reunion, 1992-09-09, Page 3THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1992. PAGE A-3. "iRr&sA&ir Stanley Steam engines, showpiece of Reunion changed. By 1920, the firm was selling Hart-Parr gas tractors and after 1928 became the Canadian distributor of Oliver tractors and equipment. MACDONALD THRESHER CO. In 1877, Alex MacPherson and John MacDonald left the firm of Glasgow, MacPherson and Company, of Clinton, to start their own threshing machine business in Stratford. The firm was first known as MacDonald and MacPherson Company, but after the death of Alex MacPherson the business carried on as the MacDonald Manufacturing Company. The success of their machines assured increasing sales, and they soon developed an interest in steam engines By 1905, arrangements were made with the A. D. Baker Company of Swanton, Ohio, to build the Baker traction engines in Canada. Early Decker steam traction engines were also manufactured at the same time as the 1906 A. D. Baker models. In 1913, the company built the first piston valve engines, making the Decker one of the few, if not the only, piston valve traction engine built in Canada. Continued on A-4 Canadian Manufactured Sawyer & Massey was just one of the many different makes of steam traction engines manufactured in Canada. The Hamilton based industry was destined to become one of the largest threshing machinery industries in Canada. The big steam traction engines are the showpiece of Bly th's annual Huron Pioneer Thresher Reunion. These engines were once the pioneers in mechanization, often weighing more than 45,000 pounds and developing from six horsepower up to more than 120 horsepower. The big engines operated with a steam pressure of 150 to 200 pounds per square inch. The steam engines, which were commonly introduced in the late 1850's and early 1860's, provided the power for the farm threshing machines. In the years that followed many different makes of steam traction engines were manufactured in Canada. By the early 1920's the steam engines 'days of glory' were ending as the kerosene tractors began taking over. The days of the old faithful traction engines was past and gone, but far from forgotten. AMERICAN-ABELL One of the most picturesque figures among pioneer Canadian manufacturers was John Abell. In 1847, Mr. Abell built a small log shop and began the manufacture of mill iron in the village of Woodbridge, Ontario. He soon fashioned a lathe and other tools and constructed the first steam engine to be used in this district. In 1881, Mr. Abell stole the show at Toronto with his exhibit of the first cross compound threshing engine ever built in Canada. In 1902, the Advance Thresher and the Minneapolis Threshing Machine jointly purchased John Abell's plant, renaming it the American-Abell Engine and Thresher Company Limited. The American-Abell engines had the figure of a rooster cast in the smoke box door and were known as the "Cock O' The North." The company, which ceased manufacturing the engines in 1912, built a total of nearly 2,500 farm engines. CORNELL J. M. Ross, Sons & Co. Ltd., started manufacturing the Cornell steam traction engines about 1890 in St. Catherines. At that time, the Cornell plant was the only one run by electricity in Canada. Virtually nothing is known about the steam engines produced by this St. Catherines company. JOHN GOODISON Late in 1889, John Goodison opened his first factory, the Tunnel City Thresher Works Co. in Sarnia. The name was soon changed to the John Goodison Thresher Co. Wisely abandoning the manufacture of reapers and plows, Mr. Abell decided to concentrate on threshing machinery. In 1902, the Goodison firm began building a few portable engines, and within two years was entering the traction engine field. Only single cylinder, side mounted engines were built and the original design was never Best 31s' Thresher Reunion Printing is our business • Colour Printing • Posters • Letterheads • Envelopes WE CAN DO IT ALL FOR YOU • Labels • Business forms • Carbonless forms • Business Cards BLYTH PRINTING INC. Main St. Blyth A COMPLETE PRINTING- E (3 See us for your home and farm building projects. Bayfield Rd. Clinton 482-3995 Open Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m ^Saturday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. LANGFORD LUMBER HOME CENTRES building centre Congratulations to the 31st Annual Pioneer Thresher Reunion For all Your Construction Lyto 523-9354 Carpentry Needs We build new or renovate the old Residential & Farm Structures • Framing • Siding • Roofing • Insulating • Drywall • Free Estimates • Custom Design