Model T Truck Barn Find

Sculpture Walk, Sioux Falls

Downtown Reflections.

Two Humorous Signs

Historic Rural SD Housing

 This is a claim shanty used by two families to "prove up" two homestead claims in South Dakota after the 1862 Homestead Act signed by President Abe Lincoln. It stood on the property line between the two claims so each family lived on their homestead. Hard to image two large families living in this one room shanty. The 160 acres of government land was "free" after the payment of a small fee, registering the claim, and living on it for five years. But all was not what it seemed. The railroads were granted most of the best land which they sold, their major source of income and profit. The lumber in this shanty was likely delivered by the railroad. Life was never easy on the prairie.

Here is a typical farm house circa 1910 with a wood burning stove for heat and cooking, and the convince of a kitchen with a hand water pump. Many had  outside wells with the necessity of carrying water. Upstairs bedrooms were heated, such as they were, by open grills to the warmer first floor. 

Case Steam Engine Details

Case Steam Traction Engine Front and Back

More Overby Corn Picker

 This is where the operator sits controlling six draft horses while running the picker.

 Husked ears of corn fall into this bin and are carried up the elevator and into a wagon running along side pulled by two more horses.

Mr. Glenn Overby, son of inventer and builder Frank Overby. He still lives on the family farm outside of Mellette, SD where his father and uncle built this machine completed in 1904. 

Restored Overby Corn Picker

This mechanical corn picker was designed and built by the Overby brothers, John and Theodore, before any commercial corn picker was available. They had 79 parts cast to their specifications from a foundry in Minneapolis. Drawings and the machine itself is the patent model submitted to the U.S. Patent Office. Their patent application was successful. They must have begun work on it in the 1890s, and trial and error led to many modifications in design. The machine worked as it ran for years picking corn until the metal parts were worn out. But there was never a second machine built. It was pulled by 6 horses to get it to run all the machinery. It only did one row at a time, but was still much faster than picking corn by hand. To see my previous post during restoration just click here. In the comments on this link is a Facebook link to a wealth of photos of what it looked like before and during restoration. 

Window Reflections

International and No Alcohol Signs

Street Shots

 Watch out for the slippery banana peel on the sidewalk. Is Buster Keaton watching?

Moon rise.

Farm Horse Tractor

I was lucky for the opportunity to drive this tractor as part of its restoration process. Moving parts, including wheels, should be run to show wear for the restoration to be complete. Found this tractor more maneuverable and easy to run than I would have thought. Could see it being useful on a farm. The company was only moderately successful as less expensive tractors out sold them, and they had to go out of business after only a few years of production. Only three Farm Horse tractors are known to still exist. Two of them are at the Agriculture Heritage Museum, Brookings, SD. 

More Jeans Pocket

Jean Pockets

While I admit to having no fashion sense, I'm not sure I understand what is going on with embroidery on women's jeans back pockets. Could it be that women feel a need to draw more attention to their buns? That couldn't be it, could it? Before I receive criticism for this post, I want you to know that I did not sneak up behind a women to photograph her buns. This was a store manikin display for women's jeans. 

65 HP Case Steam Traction Engine

Another Tuba and Car Reflection

Books and Bears

First Heavy Snow

This snow fell last Tuesday. It was mostly gone by Friday, but there is a small chance of more this week. Hope to see a warming trend, but I may be disappointed. 

Mall Lights

Underwear Display WIndow

Mall Balls and Graphic

Patio and Snow Removal

Reflections on Cars

It Is The Frame

Work hung in a one man art show by Lawrence Diggs, artist, animator-film maker, and poet.