Grandpa's Old Farm Place Nearly Gone
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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=41071
Printed Date: 28 Jan 2025 at 4:21pm
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Topic: Grandpa's Old Farm Place Nearly Gone
Posted By: Oldoug
Subject: Grandpa's Old Farm Place Nearly Gone
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 7:42pm
My Grandpa's old farmplace's grove of trees feel victim this year to today's farmers need to farm every single acre in the countyside. The building site had been gone for years, but the large grove of trees and all it's treasures from yesterday had still been in place up till this fall. As kids we used to walk into the trees looking for things. Most of the times we find old ALLIS-CHALMERS oil filters and see who could find the oldest date scratched in them. Often times we'd see deer and other animals in the area becuase just past the trees and down the hill some were two large creeks that ran together surrounded by plenty of brush and weeds which provided all sorts of shelter for wildlife, but today that is all gone also and has been tiled. When the last standing grain bin comes down and the hole is pushed shut there will be nothing left and it will all just be a memory. A center pivot is in the works and will be running over this land next year.
 I was lucky enough to be born in time to enjoy and remember some of Grandpa's old farm. I was going on seven years old when they retired and moved to town. It was probably just because we were so little, but as kids it always seemed there was so much to explore and do on Grandpa's place.
     Some older pictures before my time...
                A picture of Dad from 1974 unloading corn into the grain bin which is still standing...
 A few pictures from the day of the farm sale...
       All gone today...
Just wanted to share. Thanks.
------------- Matt Folkers FOLKERS RESTORATION Restoring vintage things to last so the future can enjoy our past. |
Replies:
Posted By: Tony Elo
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 7:49pm
| love those old pictures,look at the bright side,at least the farm wasn't levelled to build a new subdivision |
Posted By: Pat the Plumber CIL
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 7:51pm
|
Sad to see so much of the past disappearing.great pics,thanks for posting ------------- You only need to know 3 things to be a plumber;Crap rolls down hill,Hot is on the left and Don't bite your fingernails 1964 D-17 SIV 3 Pt.WF,1964 D-15 Ser II 3pt.WF ,1960 D-17 SI NF,1956 WD 45 WF. |
Posted By: Don(MI)
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 7:53pm
|
Thanks so much for posting this, great pics! ------------- Galatians 5:22-24 "I got a pig at home in a pen and corn to feed him on, All I need is a pretty little girl to feed him when I'm gone!" |
Posted By: AMB(wcIL)
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 8:11pm
| Thanks for sharing, most people call it progress but I don't see how it is. Unfortunately time marches on. Andy |
Posted By: AC WD45
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 8:14pm
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Almost enough to bring a tear to your eye. Thanks for the pics. ------------- German Shepherd dad 1957 Allis Chalmers WD45 #WD234847 1951 Allis Chalmers WD #WD88193 |
Posted By: omahagreg
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 8:31pm
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Thanx for the pix and back story! ------------- Greg Kroeker 1950 WD with wide front and Freeman trip loader |
Posted By: mnoonan-NEWI
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 8:35pm
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Great pictures Matt, thanks so much for sharing. ------------- AC CA, Ferguson TO-20, Ford NAA, M-M BG, AC #3 Mower, SC Plow, PH Digger, AC 720's with Ark 700 loader & Brantly Backhoe, "Mini B" w/flathead Ford V8 |
Posted By: Alberta Phil
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 8:43pm
| Thanks for sharing, Matt. At least you have the pics and more important, the memories. |
Posted By: ILGLEANER
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 9:13pm
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Awsome pics Matt. It makes me sad to see those pics,I can tell your grandpas place meant alot to you. Your really lucky to have all the pics though.
IG ------------- Education doesn't make you smart, it makes you educated. |
Posted By: Chalmersbob
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 10:11pm
| Thank you for the pictures and the narative. It was most enjoyable. Bob |
Posted By: Eldon (WA)
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 10:41pm
|
Great memories live in past photos...brings back the days I was growing up in the 60's and 70's about 100 northwest of you. I have a cd of pics like that from our farm laying around here somewhere. Maybe someday I will get some pics scanned and posted. Thanks ------------- ALLIS EXPRESS! This year: |
Posted By: SenseiCrusher
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 10:47pm
| Great pics Matt, love the D17 series II. |
Posted By: Orange Blood
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 10:58pm
|
I am glad you have all of those pictures, and more importantly the memories. I think a few of us, are blessed to have a "Grandpa's place," similar to yours. While I am fortunate enough to still have mine, it is slowly changing with time to, Grandpa and Grandma are both long gone, but I have a good aunt who ownes the place now, and swears it ain't ever going to go away while she's alive and has enough financial means to make that possible. And my Uncle farms the ground, and has the same principals. So I imagine I will be lucky enough to have Grandpa's place around well into my older years, but many of us aren't. I thank you for showing those photos to us, I personally apreciate the story it tells, and am even more greatful now than before, that mine is still standing. ------------- Still in use: HD7 WC C CA WD 2-WD45 WD45LP WD45D D14 3-D17 D17LP 2-D19D D19LP 190XTD 190XTLP 720 D21 220 7020 7030 7040 7045 3-7060 Projects: 3-U UC 2-G 2-B 2-C CA 7-WC RC WDLP WF D14 D21 210 7045 N7 |
Posted By: Leon B MO
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 4:16am
|
Thanks for posting. I really enjoyed strolling through them.
Leon B MO ------------- Uncle always said "Fill the back of the shovel and the front will take care of itself". |
Posted By: Chad(Ky)
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 4:58am
|
Love these old pictures and it's funny how all the kids are playing all over the equipment and climbing through the grain head. Man today parents would never let that happen.
Thanks for sharing. ------------- Chad(Ky) Galatians 2:20 WD45,D14,D17,D21,190,190XTNF,220,8070,R62 |
Posted By: D-allis Iowa
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 5:29am
| Matt I am glad you have the pictures. Thanks for posting. Looks like you have been around Allis Chalmers your whole life. It is sad to see so many building go but it happens around here to, but they call it progress. |
Posted By: q4016lanz
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 5:51am
|
Thank for posting all those pictures
John ------------- 15 allis chalmers tractors 9 lanz bulldog tractors 2 water cooled deutz 9 john deeres tractors 14 Aus made orange chamberlains I spent most of my money on old tractors I wasted the rest |
Posted By: Bob D. (La)
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 6:04am
|
Thanks for posting. Same has happened to my Grandpa's farm. No buildings left. Our farm only has the house standing anymore. I'm sure it will be destroyed sometime in the future. God Bless. ------------- When you find yourself in a hole,PUT DOWN THE SHOVEL!!! |
Posted By: Calvin Schmidt
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 6:15am
|
Great pictures and memories. I'm lucky to still have my Great, Great Gandpa's farm. I'm living in the stone house he built in 1862 after settling in 1844. It means a lot to me. ------------- Nothing is impossible if it is properly financed |
Posted By: DarrylinWA
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 6:23am
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Priceless photos MattThanks for sharing them with us. Take care, Darryl ------------- B 10 Custom. Serial # 1001 D21, First D21 built 69 #4498 and Last D 21 Built #4609. 1946 MM UTU. And 2000, 2005 Pete's. AC custom Hauling. |
Posted By: DougG
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 6:28am
| Wow, great pics , love them days , ALOT OF ORANGE THERE !! Bet there was,nt a JD anywhere ! |
Posted By: B26240
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 7:08am
| Doug-- thanks for sharing your pic's and memories, I didn't grow up on a farm but have memories of visiting several as a boy, they were special places!! |
Posted By: mdtractormechanic
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 7:12am
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Thanks for sharing those pics. Brings back good memories. ------------- Joe's 1939 Model WC, 1940 Model RC, 1944 & 1950 Model C's, B-125 PU |
Posted By: CTuckerNWIL
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 7:50am
|
Great to have the pictures and share them. I guess everything and everybody eventually become a memory but it is still hard to swallow some times.
------------- http://www.ae-ta.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.ae-ta.com Lena 1935 WC12xxx, Willie 1951 CA6xx Dad bought new, 1954WD45 PS, 1960 D17 NF |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 8:13am
|
Sorry to see another with the same disappearing acts going on, my Great Aunt's place is similar, had a massive(to a 11 year old) hay and hand pull dairy barn( milked 6 at a time!), a hog lot with a corn crib and a small pump house shallow well building next to the tractor lot and home. I have so many memories of the place, only a few photos and now the cousins have bulldozed or burnt everything down, pushed away into the 'ditch' and this next year the old home place is coming down to leave not a mark or sign they were ever there. |
Posted By: KD in SE Ks
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 8:27am
| Thanks for sharing your story. Thats good enough for a write up in a magazine or a short video. All my life have driven by old home places and would imagine what kind of farming operation was there, and the families that worked and played there. With the bin gone your pictures and memories will be all thats left. And maybe from time to time, the farmers that are working that place will pull up a piece of the old homestead to remind them of what was once there. Thanks again. |
Posted By: oldironguy
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 10:08am
|
Thanks Oldoug.
Not only is the landscape changed but the lives of the families who once were supported by those legions of independent family farmers. Not to mention independent banks, business people, etc. and their families.
I especially noted your rememberence of wildlife in the grove. The groves on both my grandfather's places have been cleared in the name of efficiency but the diversity and wonder of those magic placea are also gone too. Sure grandad grazed a afew dairy cows in the woods but there always seemed to be a few squirrels and rabbits and a fox now an then to add excitement to grandma's hens. All gone!
|
Posted By: R.W
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 11:00am
| Thanks for the pictures! Really sad to see it all gone... |
Posted By: D-allis Iowa
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 11:59am
| Matt, Do you or your family have any of the nice trators in the pictures? Is your 190 one of them? It is so sad to see farm sales and the dozer level out what once was the hopes and dreams of farm familys. Dallas |
Posted By: 1946WP
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 1:39pm
| LIKE THE PICS. WHEN MY WIFE & I WERE ON VACATION THIS FALL , I STOPPED AND SHOWED HER WHERE MY GRANGPARENTS LIVED. I HADN'T BEEN THERE SINCE I WAS A KID. EVEN THE ROADS HAD CHANGED. WE FOUND IT BUT ALL THE BUILDINGS WERE GONE EXCEPT FOR THE GARAGE. & A MACHINE SHED HAD BEEN BUILT THERE SINCE THEN. THE BIG FENCED YARD FULL OF FLOWERS WAS GONE, THE BIG GROVE OF TREES MY GRAND PARENTS HAD MOVED FROM NORTHERN MN. WERE GONE. THE LARGE GARDEN & CURRENT, RASBERRY & GOOSEBERRY PATCH WAS GONE. NO MORE CATTLE BARN, CHICKEN COOPS, BROODER HOUSES, CORN CRIBS, OR HOG HOUSES. WOW WHATS ANOTHER 50 YEARS GOING TO DO? |
Posted By: Ryan Renko
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 6:20pm
| Thanks for posting!!!! That brings back many memories!! That cat kinda looks like a "ghost cat"!! LOL!! I remember crawling all over the old Gleaner E corn head when it was in the shed sitting by itself. I would climb though the opening for the feeder house and face backward, acting like it was a space ship from "Lost in Space"!!! Oh the great times!! Nowadays parents would be arrested for letting children climb on such dangerous things. I heard one school in Canada is banning play ground balls because a child could get hit in the face!!! Ryan |
Posted By: 427435
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 6:51pm
|
It is certainly sad to see the clearing of farmsteads. There are 3 places, within a mile of where I grew up, where the buildings and trees are gone-------no sign of a place where families once lived. I am fortunate that the place I grew up on (that my great grandfather planted the trees and built the buildings on is still there. I expect it will be there for at least a couple more generations as my dad built a new home there in the '60's, and the long time renter wants to buy the buildings. The barn, built in 1893, is not long for this world anymore, however. ------------- Mark B10 Allis, 917 Allis, 7116 Simplicity, 7790 Simplicity Diesel, GTH-L Simplicity Ignorance is curable-----stupidity is not. |
Posted By: TREVMAN
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 8:25pm
| Those pictures look like down the road from where I came from, in Saskatchewan, its kinda weird. The more we think we are different, the more we are the same I think. My folks sold out to a local politician for big bucks in 1995. 1994 was my last year there, and the place may as well be bulldozed flat with an International are far as I'm concerned, I have not been close to it since I walked and never will go back. The good news is that 50 miles to the east I have begun to resurrect a farm that has been "dormant" for at least 30 years, I'll be using a WD, an Gleaner E, 1946 chev 2 ton grain truck, and some implements that I have pulled out of the bush. I was out there today, a little prairie therapy. Its insane for me to even try to grow grain again out there, but the place will be alive again, at least until I come to my senses. Thanks for sharing your pics and story, Trev. |
Posted By: Brian S(NY)
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 8:40pm
|
The new barn that my grandpa was so proud of sits empty but folks remodeled the cleaner shed into an apartment? ------------- God made man.Sam colt made man equal. |
Posted By: ACmowerguy
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 10:50pm
|
Great pictures Doug. My Great Grandfather was the last farmer in my family. I wish my family kept good photos as we have no pictures or records of the farm and my Grandmother doesn't remember much about his equipment or exact locations. Having lived in the suburbs and now the outer fringe of the suburbs, I've seen too many farmsteads fall to the buldozer. Now that the housing/development market is dead that trend is coming to an end. Still with increasing farm size and fewer small farmers many homesteads are vanishing with time. ------------- 10 various B-series garden tractors, AC Homesteader8, 416 hydro,710 gt, 914, 916H, 917H, 920D, and many misc attachments |
Posted By: wayneinwi.
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2011 at 1:52am
| Those are some really great pictures you have there, and you must have so, so many memories there, those are good times in our lives that we had and thank God some of us got to have those times on a farm,at the time I don't think we realized how great they are. i grew up on a farm that my great grand parents bought in 1887, my grandpa,my dad and my brother and sister and myself were all born in the house I live in now and I to have so many memories of this farm and living here all of the buildings are still here yet. Dad and Mom had cows, pigs, chickens,ducks and I had sheep and some bantie roosters running around crowing,,,at the time I didn't think so much of it but now I feel it was a real good place to grow up and I'm sure you do to,,I raised my 4 childern here on this farm also and was glad I had the farm to do that,,,,,Thank you for shareing your pictures with all of us....Wayne. |
Posted By: Seth Souerdike
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2011 at 7:50am
|
i know 100% how you feel love the pics
------------- There are no atheist in foxholes. |
Posted By: Goose480
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2011 at 10:49am
|
Such a great place. We have "hot shot" farmers arround here that have to doze everything in sight here aswell.... Your grandpa and my dad had the excact same pickup truck (the oarngeish and white one, dad picked the same color sceme as your grandpas because it was the closest thing that matched Allis Chalmers tractors! It makes me wonder what'll happen to my farm after I die....
|
Posted By: Alberta Phil
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2011 at 12:19pm
Hey TREVMAN, My place is a bit like that here. It was a small farm that had been dormant for quite a few years. I pulled all the old machinery out of the bush and "revived" it again. I'm using Allis tractors from 1928 to 1960 on the place. I've partly resurrected the old elevator that was here and use it for storage. |
Posted By: Dipstick In
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2011 at 12:39pm
|
Boy Alberta Phil, the stories that old elevator could tell! I would bet it was operated by steam in the early years. I remember my uncle taking me into the steam engine room at the old elevator when I was a kid, and being impressed by how warm it was in the chilly weather. Little did I remember him telling me about how my grandfather ran the engines. Sometime ago I was reading a book, The Catechism of Steam, and got to a place in the middle of the book where a greasy thumb left it's print. I put my thumb on it and it fit,perfectly! That is all I have today of my grandfather and the book IS NOT FOR SALE!!!!! Now that the buildings have been torn down and all of the family have passed away, I have so many questions unanswered! To soon old,undt to late schmart! ------------- You don't really have to be smart if you know who is! |
Posted By: TREVMAN
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2011 at 10:03pm
| Hey Phil, thanks for posting, its nice to know there is someone out there that is nearly as krazy as myself. Love the pic of the elevator and the tractor, Trev. |
Posted By: Alberta Phil
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2011 at 11:57pm
| The elevator was built in 1925 and was in service until about 25 years ago. It was powered by a single cylinder 15 HP Fairbanks Morse engine, parts of which are still around. It has been re-powered by a Farmall F4 power unit which is still fully functional as is most of the elevator. |
Posted By: Eric[IL]
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2011 at 8:19am
|
Thanks for sharing your story. Thats good enough for a write up in a magazine or a short video. All my life have driven by old home places and would imagine what kind of farming operation was there, and the families that worked and played there. With the bin gone your pictures and memories will be all thats left. And maybe from time to time, the farmers that are working that place will pull up a piece of the old homestead to remind them of what was once there. Thanks again.
I agree with KD's proposal of creating a write-up. I too, enjoyed all of your pics. They tell a good story. A few names of people & dates would make for some interesting stories. I am also sorry that time as created a different ending.... The current Real Estate tax levels plus high land values have moved men to clear any buildings from farmsteads. It just goes to show that we all have to grasp the moments while we're in them. With your photos, it looks like you did - congratulations!
|
Posted By: Eric[IL]
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2011 at 8:28am
| The first paragraph of my earlier post was copied from KD's earlier post. When I pasted it, it appeared to be highlighted, but now it looks just the same as the rest of my text. Anyway - I gotta give credit where its due. I meant no harm.... |
Posted By: wjohn
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2011 at 12:25pm
|
It's amazing to think of the acreage that a family would farm and support themselves years ago, and compare it to what most farmers think they have to have now. I found a bunch of neat things in the title abstracts to our property, dating back to 1849. The original purchaser bought 80 acres (about half woods and half tillable) and supported two families. Thanks for posting the pictures. I really enjoyed them. ------------- 1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45 |
Posted By: bdallman
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2011 at 2:26pm
|
Reminds me allot of my Grandpa's farm up by Spencer Iowa. The Farm was auctioned in 92 and all thats left now is the machine shed and the pump house. It was an orange power farm. 7030, 190XT, D17 Series IV, WD45, Gleaner E. The remains of my great grandfathers farm which is about a mile down the road is a Chicken coupe in the middle of a corn field. All that keeps them alive is the stories my dad tells about them. May the family stories keep the past alive forever!!!! ------------- 1954 CA, 1952 WD with Freeman Loader,1955 WD45, 1963 D19 Gas, 1984 620H, 1980’s AC Forklift, 66 All Crop Harvester, White Top Roto Baler, Misc S.C. Equip and AC Collectibles. |