Third Annual Threshing Bee

The annual Threshing Bee of L. K. Wood’s at Mendon, Utah, came off on September 24th, 1955.
The eighteen horse power, Minneapolis; twenty horse power Case; Ten horse power Russell; Russell six horse power and the Russell scale model were all under pressure as well as the thirty-two whistle steam calliope recently constructed. The brand new 1912 plain Advance separator was powered by the 20-60 Case and the newly painted 1888 New Massillon separator was powered by Nelson-Woodbury sweep power pulled by four teams of real draft horses going round and round.
The first rain of the season somewhat cut the demonstration short in the afternoon but the crowd really got a bang out of the bygone days being reenacted.
Next year being the Centennial, Mr. Wood has been asked to depict one hundred years of progress both in pageant and parade. Models and a calliope of his own creation, will also add to the collection.
Mr. Wood is an unusual man in that he has built so many models and machines. He is known far and wide.

Mendon Utah Logo

L. K. Wood Recalls Heading GrainHeader and header boxes.

Heading grain is an agricultural process that probably only the “old-timers” today remember. Here is a description of wheat harvesting with a header, written by L. K. Wood of Mendon:

The molten July heat vibrated on the horizon. The sunrays spread across the golden ripened grain field already to harvest. Headers were used at the dawn of the new century extensively and up until the late twenties.

Common talk among the farmers was grain should stand the stack and go through the sweat before threshing. Such curing insured a good grade of wheat for flour.
The crew consisted of three drivers on the boxes, a loader, driver of header, stacker and derrick boy. About twelve head of horses.

The same custom to board the header crews as the threshers was prevalent. Women sweat over hot ranges preparing the wholesome food and often exchanged work.
A common excuse for absence to Relief Society or other public meetings would be: “We had the headers.”

Something about harvest time with men, horses and machinery filled the air with an industrial spirit that another crop so hard earned was being cared for.

L. K. Wood

Header, Header Boxes and Grain Stacks