Reunion a walk through farming past

Tom Runty of Maple Park stood alongside his Port Huron Steam engine as he used the machine to power the sawmill during demonstrations Thursday at the 59th Annual Threshermen's Reunion, in Pontiac. (Pantagraph/STEVE SMEDLEY)

Friday, August 31, 2007 5:15 PM CDT

By Tony Sapochetti
tsapochetti@pantagraph.com

PONTIAC -- A visit to the 59th Annual Central States Threshermen’s Reunion is a journey into American’s agrarian past on a dirt road. | Photo gallery | Video

Nothing is paved at Threshermen’s Park, four miles north of Pontiac on Illinois 23, and only farm fields surround the area.

Even from a distance, a visitor approaching the park hears the whirring and chugging of steam-powered machines punctuated to horns and whistles.

Once inside the park, a visitor can notice the faint smell of smoke and see families enjoying a sunny, late-summer day while riding in carts pulled along by tractors of various shapes, sizes and age.

One such visitor who enjoys the history and tradition of the event is Richard Knapp of Flanagan.

“I’ve been coming to this ever since it started,” he said Friday. “I might have missed a couple due to the weather, and I did have open heart surgery once, but other than that I have been to every one of them.

“It has improved a lot over the years; that’s for sure,” he said.

About 12,000 people are expected to attend the event, which began Thursday and will run through Labor Day. They will see demonstrations of wheat threshing and sheep shearing and horse and tractor pulls, visit a re-creation of a period village, shop at a flea market and enjoy games, live music and a parade.

Knapp could be seen browsing among the dozens of Allis-Chalmers tractors. Examples of this year’s featured tractor manufacturer were lined up for review, sporting their signature orange color and some with implements attached to the end.

“I like the ones with the equipment attached,” Knapp said. “It just shows the many things that these tractors were used for.”

At the second-oldest event of its kind in the nation, the people who have been there since the beginning were making sure the new generations of visitors learned about their past.

Among that latest generation were Will, 7, and Kayla Short, 5, both of Normal. They hopped on one of the many tractors to pose for the pictures their mother and grandfather were taking.

“Will just loves the tractors and Kayla likes to see the animals,” said their mother, Janet Short.

“Back in 1948, my dad took me out of high school to come to the first Threshermen’s Reunion, and it’s changed tremendously,” said Will and Kayla’s grandfather, Justin Legner of Blackstone. “It was nothing compared to what it is now.”

Of course no tribute to Central Illinois history would be complete without an appearance by Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. They were there, waiting in line at the concession stand for the corn dogs and nachos to be cooked.

Reunion highlights

What: 59th Annual Central States Threshermen’s Reunion

When: Continuing through Monday

Where: Threshermen’s Park, four miles north of Pontiac on Illinois 23

Cost: $7 daily, 13 and under free

Highlights

Demonstrations are daily. For a full list of events, visit threshermensreunion.org.

Saturday

• 10 a.m., Humorist Jack Hughes

• 11 a.m., Friend to Friend, Ladies Barbershop Quartet performance

• 1 p.m., Silver Wings performance

• 1:30 p.m., Threshermen’s Olympics

• 7 p.m., Battle Creek performance

Sunday — Antique Car and Truck Display

• 9 a.m., worship service

• 11 a.m., Allis-Chalmers history

• 1:15 p.m., Threshermen’s Parade in downtown Pontiac

• 5 p.m., Tractor/semitrailer-truck pull

Monday

• 9 a.m., Tractor pull

• 11 a.m., Gaming/fun horse show