Gasoline powered Maytag - Somerset Steam and Gas Association Pasture Party


At first blush, the idea of a washing machine powered by a small gasoline engine seems a bit wacky. But in the first half of the 20th century, electricity was not always available, particularly in rural areas. The gas engine was adapted to power many labor saving devices, easing the burden of farm and household chores.

This machine was probably demonstrated during my visit to Somerset, but I missed seeing it in action. The video below shows a similar machine running.

Quincy Gasoline Tractor - Somerset Steam and Gas Association Pasture Party 

I came across a farm implements catalog from 1916 that lists the Quincy Gasoline Tractor Company, along with dozens of other tractors from various manufacturers. Most of the companies on that roster are long forgotten. One of the forgotten companies on that list, along with Quincy,  was the Waterloo Gasoline Tractor Company. A few years later, Waterloo was bought by the second largest manufacturer of farm equipment in America, and the name was changed to John Deere Tractor Company.

A friend mentioned to me the other day that black and white seems particularly appropriate for these photos of old farm equipment. The black and white pictures above were all shot on Fuji Acros 100 film except the picture of the John Deere tractors, which was taken on Kodak Tri-X 400. I like the smooth tones of the Acros 100, but the Tri-X certainly has a distinctive look.

After steam - Somerset Steam and Gas Association Pasture Party

Steam tractors, large, difficult to operate and expensive, were never practical for the small farmer. In 1892, John Froelich pieced together the first gasoline powered farm tractor, but the first commercial tractor sales did not come until 1902.

One of the problems early gas tractors shared with their steam powered ancestors was the inability to cultivate row crops. Farmer still needed horses for cultivating. When the Farmall tractor was introduced in 1924, it was capable of plowing and cultivating, and the future of the gasoline farm tractor on the small farms of America was assured.

Even the earliest gasoline powered tractors were dramatically smaller than the steam tractors they replaced.

The internal combustion gasoline engine made possible the automobile, which became perhaps the defining technological change of the 20th Century. The car would reshape the cultural landscape of this country.

This 1947 Dodge pick-up and I have something in common: we both came off the assembly line in the same year. The truck is better preserved, I'm afraid.

Summer is gone - Greene County, Virginia 

My wife and I drove across the mountain yesterday in a light rain. Autumn arrived last week not in a blaze of color, but in a blaze of record breaking heat. Yesterday, that changed abruptly with temperatures topping out in the mid sixties. Fall was in the air.

The poplar and sycamore trees are dotted with brilliant yellow leaves, which glow against the rain-darkened trunks in the woods like a pointillist painting. Higher up in the mountains, maple trees are starting to turn red. Oak trees, less showy than maples, will turn color in the coming weeks. It is the oak's persistent leaves that will provide the last traces of  Autumn color before Winter arrives.

Overnight, the rain became a steady downpour. The long summer is over.

A Month of Sundays

Wood frame churches, painted white, are a common feature of the American landscape, particularly in rural areas. Many are simple utilitarian structures, but some of these churches are among the best expressions of American vernacular architecture still in existence.

Almost every Sunday morning since the beginning of the year, I have published a picture of one of these churches. Last Sunday's church was the 31st -- a "month of Sundays." There are pictures of all 31 churches, along with a link to the original post on a new page called A Month of Sundays. I have added a link to the new page on the sidebar, under Pages.

Goldenrod - Greene County, Virginia 

This week we visited the Somerset Steam and Gas Pasture Party with the emphasis on steam power. Next week we will look at gasoline powered tractors, cars and even a very common household appliance that was at one time powered by a gas engine. I hope you will join me as we go back to Somerset and focus the camera on gasoline power from the first half  of the twentieth century

Autumn in the field - Greene County, Virginia 

 The Autumnal equinox takes place today. Scientists and astronomers prefer to call it the September equinox because, of course,  in the Southern Hemisphere today is the beginning of Spring, not Autumn. But 'autumnal' is such a lovely word that I hate to give it up so I will continue to say "Autumnal equinox." I hope there is an equally lovely word for Spring in the languages of the Southern Hemisphere.

Not only is today the first day of Autumn, but there will be a full moon tonight. The full moon closest to the Autumnal equinox is known as the Harvest Moon. Shine on, Harvest Moon.