AC Harvey, IL: Looking for former workers+children

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   Hi everyone, 
My name is Carina Koerner and I am a Master’s student at the University of Chicago. For my MA thesis, I study how former employees at Allis-Chalmers’ Harvey, IL plant and their families think about work. 

If you worked at the Harvey, IL plant or have a parent who worked there, I would very much appreciate if you could reach out to me. You can reach me through the message function on this forum or at ckoerner@uchicago.edu or by phone: (646) 753-3898. 

If you know someone who might be interested but doesn’t read this forum, I would appreciate if you could pass along this message. 

Best, 
Carina

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Carina Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Bronze Level Joined: 27 Jun 2020 Location: Chicago Points: 9	Post Options Post Reply Quote Carina Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: AC Harvey, IL: Looking for former workers+children Posted: 02 Jul 2020 at 4:31pm
	Hi everyone, My name is Carina Koerner and I am a Master’s student at the University of Chicago. For my MA thesis, I study how former employees at Allis-Chalmers’ Harvey, IL plant and their families think about work. If you worked at the Harvey, IL plant or have a parent who worked there, I would very much appreciate if you could reach out to me. You can reach me through the message function on this forum or at ckoerner@uchicago.edu or by phone: (646) 753-3898. If you know someone who might be interested but doesn’t read this forum, I would appreciate if you could pass along this message. Best, Carina

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GreenOrange Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: Wisconsin Points: 828	Post Options Post Reply Quote GreenOrange Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 02 Jul 2020 at 7:50pm
	Sounds like an interesting project Carina! Best of luck on your search and studies.

DougG Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Location: Mo Points: 8102	Post Options Post Reply Quote DougG Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 2020 at 9:45am
	Yes best of luck- there was a guy named Ernie on here a couple years back that worked there

ACjack Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Silver Level Joined: 13 Sep 2014 Location: Peoria, Arizona Points: 275	Post Options Post Reply Quote ACjack Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 2020 at 9:57am
	He worked in engine testing (Department 77). He even posted a picture or two. Edited by ACjack - 03 Jul 2020 at 9:59am

DougG Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Location: Mo Points: 8102	Post Options Post Reply Quote DougG Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 2020 at 12:22pm
	That wouldve been a great job I would think !

Orangeisgreat190 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Bronze Level Joined: 07 Apr 2020 Location: Ohio Points: 50	Post Options Post Reply Quote Orangeisgreat190 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Jul 2020 at 9:44pm
	Very neat research project. Good luck to you. Sorry, I did not work there, but I am a big fan of Allis products. Let us know how it turns out. There used to be an employee registry on this site that may be of help to you.

AC7060IL Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 19 Aug 2012 Location: central IL Points: 3335	Post Options Post Reply Quote AC7060IL Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 Jul 2020 at 11:19am
	Carina, welcome to the AC forum. You are probably already aware, but if you’re not, there is an “employee/dealership registry” page on this forum. Click on this web link to the homepage, then click on the employee/dealership registry page located at top/left center of homepage. https://www.allischalmers.com/index.aspx There are hundreds of listings to view. Each listing offers an email to the person who posted. Best of luck. If I may ask, whats your background - Farm,RuralTown,City? Dairy,Grain,Vegetables,industrial,etc??? Ever operate any AC? If so, do you have a favorite?

DougG Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Location: Mo Points: 8102	Post Options Post Reply Quote DougG Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 Jul 2020 at 12:55pm
	Im also wondering this too , her back round rural, or city girl ,, farm experice or other stuff happing

Carina Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Bronze Level Joined: 27 Jun 2020 Location: Chicago Points: 9	Post Options Post Reply Quote Carina Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 Jul 2020 at 1:28pm
	Thank you all for you encouraging posts! I’m from rural Bavaria (Germany). I have seen many tractors and have been riding along as a child. I’ve looked through the dealer/employee registry, but there are only about 20 entries for the Harvey, IL plant, and most are from a while back so the contact information may no longer be up to date. In fact I’ve received a couple of error messages when I sent emails to those email addresses. If you have any additional ideas how I might find people, please let me know. If you have worked at the Harvey, IL plant, or have a parent who worked there, please reach out to me. If you know somebody who has worked there, please share my contact information with them. My first two phone conversations have been very interesting and I hope to carry out more.

SteveMaskey(MO) Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: Wellsville, MO Points: 596	Post Options Post Reply Quote SteveMaskey(MO) Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 Jul 2020 at 7:36pm
	I cant help you with your project but when I was in the army I was stationed west of Bavaria outside the little town of Salzwoog. 1973-1974

HD6GTOM Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 30 Nov 2009 Location: MADISON CO IA Points: 6627	Post Options Post Reply Quote HD6GTOM Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 05 Jul 2020 at 7:52am
	Carina, would you please post the name of your town. Many of us spent years in Germany back in the day. I thought it was the most beautiful country in Europe. Thank You. I'm sorry I can't help with your research.

Carina Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Bronze Level Joined: 27 Jun 2020 Location: Chicago Points: 9	Post Options Post Reply Quote Carina Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Posted: 05 Jul 2020 at 9:03pm
	I’m glad to hear that you had a good time in Germany! I grew up outside Augsburg, so the nearest U.S. installation would probably have been Garmisch.

Dan Hauter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 06 Feb 2011 Location: Carlinville, IL Points: 1228	Post Options Post Reply Quote Dan Hauter Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 Jul 2020 at 10:59am
	Hello, Carina. I was lucky enough to go on an agricultural study tour of France & Germany way back in 1982. We stayed in northern Germany, mainly in Kiel, so most of our field trips were day trips out of Kiel. We had a great time and the people were very kind to us. I remember 1 trip to a beef farm. Our guide had studied in the U.S. for several years so spoke flawless English. He was interpreting for us. 1 of our group asked a question & the farmer replied in English! We were stunned. Obviously the farmer had heard everything we had said! Oops, we thought. I guess we looked stunned. The farmer laughed at us & said "Have you ever heard of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign? That's where I got my bachelor's degree in agriculture." The farmer then explained that his English was rusty and that's why he had been letting the guide interpret. He said that if we didn't mind his rusty English he'd continue to speak with us in English. We all got along great after that. My father's family name is Hauter. His mother's family name is Galster. Obviously both German. My great great grandfather, Rev. Mathias Galster, founded St. Paul's United Church of Christ in the tiny village of Dollville, which is south of Decatur. The church is still open. My grandmother said all church services were in German when she was a child. Did you know that there was an Allis-Chalmers plant in Springfield, IL? It no longer exists. Developers bought the property and tore down every building. It's now a mixed development complex of restaurants, office buildings, etc. If you can't find enough former Harvey plant employees for your research you might try to find former Springfield employees. Good luck! May the people of the U.S. be as nice to you as the people of Germany were to me. Dan.