Photo by Jody Isaackson Curt Anton drove an antique tractor out of the storage shed at the Minnesota Machinery Museum in Hanley Falls as his brother, Clem Anton, gave him a tow with a skid steer. The two, along with several other workers, were setting up for the big Pioneer Power Threshing Show to be held on the museum grounds this weekend.

HANLEY FALLS — With Pioneer Power’s focus on John Deere Tractor’s 100th anniversary, one of the exhibits at this weekend’s threshing show in Hanley Falls will be the Lindeman Archives trailer manned by Ted Adams from the state of Washington.

“Peek inside (my trailer) to see what you have or haven’t been missing,” Adams said.

Adams said that it all started back in about 1998 when he had all of the photos (of Lindeman Brothers manufactured equipment and parts) displayed in the building directly behind his trailer the third weekend of August each year, at a threshing show put on at Fulbright Park in Union Gap, Washington.

The building even had room on the floor for his Lindeman Crawler Tractor. Adams includes scale models of various pieces of equipment in his trailer as well. One example includes an extension disc for the then Orchard Sprayer as well as the Model DI Crawler Tractor.

“We usually have a very good turnout, but it got me to thinking that the only time anyone could see the Lindeman history was at the show or if they were able to find someone to let them into the building all the other 51 weekends,” he said.

Adams has been traveling to tractor shows in other states, like Oregon with his 20-foot trailer, telling people what the Lindeman Brothers were all about. He also held mini shows in North Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois and Nebraska on the way back from North Carolina in 2004.

Somewhere along the line, Pioneer Power’s vice president Jeff Schwartz caught the exhibit and was able to persuade Adams to come to the Hanley Falls threshing show this year.

“This will be his last year traveling,” said Pioneer Power secretary Sharla Bengtson of Wood Lake.

Adams said that his brother, who traveled with him, died in 2010, so it would only be him and his doge, Charlie.

On Monday morning, about a dozen local workers set up for the Pioneer Power Threshing Show in Hanley Falls Museum.

With the help of several skid steers, mostly supplied by Curt and Clem Anton of Marshall, the workers placed the antique tractor collection from the Minnesota Machinery Museum storage shed onto the display area marked by chalk lines for the occasion.

Vernon Ellingson of rural Wood Lake was there tinkering with the battery on his 1950 John Deere Model AR.

“It came from Gillette, Wyoming,” Ellingson said. “A friend of mine had it out there on his cattle ranch. He sold it to me.”

Next to his Model AR, was Ellingson’s father’s first tractor, a 1931 John Deere Model GP, which he said stood for General Purpose.

“This is the one I’m most proud of,” Ellingson said. “It was our chore tractor when I was little.”

Ellingson is a charter member of both Pioneer Power and the Minnesota Machinery Museum.

Pioneer Power president Curt Anton was also on hand, helping move the tractors and other equipment into their designated display areas.

He and his brother, Clem Anton, had brought along skid steers and other equipment to help with the job of getting ready for the weekend show.

“Come out and see the history,” Curt Anton said. “We’ve got a new roof over the sawmill and (the mill) keeps going every year. Younger guys have stepped up to learn how to run it.”

Anton also mentioned the gas engines that will be on display, coming from all over, like North Dakota and Illinois.

“There will be souvenirs and food, too,” he said.