L.K. Wood's Newspaper Articles

Some of the various newspaper articles that I have found, regarding L.K. Wood and his work.

New Fanning Mill is Being Built Here

L.K. Wood, the inventor is also manufacturing the new invention. L.K. Wood of Mendon has been engaged in Logan the past two months in building the Cache Valley Special, fanning mill, an invention of his own which is said to be one of the best fanning mills on the market today. Already Mr. Wood has a dozen of these mill constructed. He is using a portion of the building now occupied by the Logan Stone and Monument Company for his workshop.

It will be remembered that a year ago Mr. Wood had a small thresher on display at the county fair grounds. Since the thrasher invention, he has turned his attention to the fanning mill which bids fair to become a very useful machine on the farm for cleaning all kinds of grains and seeds. Already several of these machines are in use throughout the valley and wherever they have been put to use, they are giving entire satisfaction. (LR 20 July 1915, page 1)

Capitol Exhibit Shows Change in Farm Methods

The newest exhibit on the first floor of the Utah State Capitol, and that currently attracting the most sightseers, is one which shows one-hundred years of progress in threshing grain in Cache Valley. The installation, completed under the direction of Everett Thrope, art instructor at the Utah State Agricultural College, and the Logan chamber of commerce, for Cache County, occupies three sections of display space in the northeast corner of the first floor. Small models show the endless apron thresher, in use in Cache Valley from 1860 to 1866, and powered by two horses working on a treadmill. The second model is that of the Case Agitator Thresher, used from 1886 to 1892, and powered by several horses on a turnstile arrangement. Another shows the steam-powered thresher used from 1892 to 1921, and the fourth the self-propelled combine harvester which has been in use since 1921. The small models actually can be operated and were built to scale by L.K. Wood of Mendon. Mural Included– In the background of the center display is a mural painted by Mr. Thrope and showing the arrival of the fur trapper Jim Bridger into Cache Valley. Large photographs of Logan Temple and the Utah State Agriculture College by H. Reuben Reynolds appear on the wall behind the shelving of the other showcases. There also are color photographs of a view of Bear Lake, a vista down Logan Canyon, a typical Cache Valley dairy herd, and the college. (Springville Herald, 27 February 1947, page 10)

That's Mr. Wood – Not the Circus

Mendon, Cache County– If you're traveling up Mendon way and should happen to hear the last of a steam calliope, chances are it isn't a circus. It probably will be L.K. Wood, 71, retired wheat thresher, tuning up his thirty-two whistle, three-active "steam organ" that has a sound range of 'almost five miles." Firm in his faith in the reliability of steam power, Mr. Wood has spent most of his time since retirement in 1942 restoring and building steam operated farm machinery. He owns six steam tractors and five operational scale models in addition to the calliope. He has steam threshers ranging from a 6-18 horse power (Six on the draw bar, eighteen on the belt) "Russell" made in 1891, to a giant Garr-Scott, generating horsepower of 20-60 and weighing fourteen tons. "You have to go back East to see these things now-days," Mrs. Wood reports. He claims to have the only operational display of steam threshers, separators and scale models "this side of the Mississippi." The Russell engine is one of five in the world he says. Another machine, a scale model weighting three-hundred seventy pounds, four feet long and two feet wide, will bull a car, according to the hobbyist. A World War I veteran who lives on his pension, he says "I've been at this since 1942 when I retired. Many of these old relics were just junk when I got them. I build them into their original form and color." He build the five scales models himself, spending, on the average one-hundred eight-hour days on each one. He labeled the steam calliope as the most difficult to build "because I had no models or plans to copy. I made the thirty-two whistles by hand a used a lot of guesswork," (SLT 20 October 1958, page 14)

Today's Valentine

A special Valentine today to L.K. Wood of Mendon, Cache County. He has a most unusual hobby– he collects old steam engines. Over the years Mr. Wood, a retired farmer, has spent much of his time collecting and renovating old-time steam engines. In addition, he has restored many old type farm machines such as threshers and separators. Every now and then, Mr. Wood brings out all his working relics and has a field day ~ the old time machines really work. As a result, Mr. Wood boast one of the most complete collections of old time farm machinery and engines in the nation ~ his collection is a fine memorial to the early days when agriculture was first becoming mechanized. (SLT 26 August 1959, page 37)

Steam Threshing Machines to Run in Cache Exhibit

A dozen steam threshing machines, some of them sixty years old, will be operated at the L.K. Wood farm near Mendon in Cache County next Saturday at two p.m. Mr. Wood has kept the ancient machines in perfect working condition and has put on this "Steam Show and Threshing Bee" for the past four years. He said yesterday this may be the last show of its kind in the area. Also on display will be two horse-powered threshing machines, one a treadmill type and the other a turnstile model. The exhibition is free to the public. (OSE 21 September 1959, page 9)

Cache Event to Feature Threshers

Mendon– A sight and a sound from the past will take this tiny Cache County community back fifty years Saturday. On the farm of L.K. Wood in Mendon, the eighth annual Old Time Threshing Bee will be held starting at two p.m. Seven full size old time steam tractors and precision models of other ancient farm machines will be demonstrated. mr. Wood, who is working with the Utah State University to establish a museum for display of the antique equipment, has received nationwide recognition for his collection of steam engines and threshers as well as the scale models he builds. An actual working model of a Case steam engine and thresher built on a one-eighth scale is on display at the Utah Capitol as a sample of Mr. Wood's work. Pit Engines– Two contests, one at five-thirty and the second at six p.m., will pit a steam engine against a gasoline powered unit. Other equipment to be seen includes a thread mill and ground hog thresher, a Pitts separator circa 1876, a horse powered unit of 1888, a steam power thresher, and an example of the very latest in steam machines. Also to be demonstrated are a half scale horse powered unit drawn by Shetland ponies and a half scale steam outfit. Mr. Wood said this year's threshing bee will depict one-hundred years of progress in farm machinery. Mendon is seven miles southwest of Logan and less than fifty miles from the Ogden area. (OSE 23 September 1960, page 19)

Threshing Bee Set Saturday

Threshing Bee Set for Saturday on Mendon Farm, Mendon, Cache County– Old timers who remember the horse-powered threshing machine with nostalgia will want to attend the four-state threshing bee on Saturday at two p.m. on the L.K. Wood farm in Mendon. Featured will be hill climbing with threshing models, horse-powered threshing, threshing with steam power and contests between gan automobiles and the old steam horseless carriages of 1895. There will also be a tug-o-war and precisions models of engines and threshers on display. To add to the fun there will be a steam calliope on hand to entertain guests. The public is invited. Refreshment will be sold at the Mendon L.D.S. Church stand. (OSE 30 August 1962, page 10)

Steam 'Bee' to Shriek Anew

Mendon, Cache County– Saturday at noon there will be the shriek of a train whistle. Steam will billow from the yard of L.K. Wood. The occasion: The 12^th, annual threshing bee (with steam). Mr. Wood, who has restored steam and horse-powered contraptions since his return from World War I, will demonstrate the power and flexibility of his collection. Highlight will be a race between Mr. Wood's Stanley Steamer and another "horseless carriage," both restorations executed by Mr. Wood. Another Highlight: a performance by Orson Hansen, Preston, Idaho, on a calliope built by seventy-five year old Mr. Wood. "Technical Adviser" on steam engines is Eugene Fredrickson, Weston, Idaho, who has shared Mr. Wood's affection for the devices for the past decade. He's irreplaceable, Mr. Wood says. Mr. Wood's collection includes: An 1888 "Massillon Separator" which was powered by horses; a 1911 twenty-horsepower steam driven "Case," engine with belt drive to separator (a device to separate grain from chaff through vibration). Mr. Wood also has built several working models of classic farm machinery. Some of them are on display at the Utah State Capitol. As for his love affair wit steam machinery: I just save the old-timers from the ruthless cutting torch. (SLT 30 August 1962, page 12)

Huff and Puff

Whistle to Open Threshing Bee, Mendon– The shrill whistle of steam tractors will signal the ten a.m. opening of the fourteenth annual four-state threshing bee, Saturday. This threshing bee will be held at the L.K. Wood home, one block north of the post office. States involved are Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada. There will be a calliope introduction and welcome at 10:20 a.m. with hill climbing by both models and original steam tractors at ten-thirty a.m. Something new this year will include a teeter totter by steam engines see-sawing on heavy timbers at eleven a.m. Object is to get the engines balanced on the timbers. Noon Whistle– The noon dinner whistle will sound at twelve sharp. Shetland ponies will start threshing on one-half scale model threshers at one p.m. and full scale hose-powered threshers at two p.m. Late model threshers will begin at three p.m. with one-half scale steam threshing at four p.m. There will be a race with steam and gas at five p.m. and a tug of war with steam and man-power at five-thirty p.m. Refreshments will be served at the church stand. (OSE 27 August 1964, page 9)

Threshing Bee

The fifteenth annual four-state Threshing Bee is slated to be held at the L.K. Wood home in Mendon, one block north of the Post Office, Saturday, August 28^th (1965) at ten a.m. Schedule of events for the day include a salute to all steam engines, calliope introduction and welcome, hill climbing including both models and originals, Noon Day Dinner Whistle call, Shetlands on one-half scale horse power, horse power threshing full size, latest complete threshing, one-half scale steam threshing, race with steam and gas, and tug of war with steam and man-power. Refreshments will be served thru the day at the church stand at reasonable prices. (MCC 19 August 1965, page 6)

Old-Time Threshing Bee to Draw Crowd

Mendon– The population of this small northern Utah town will be increased several times for one day Saturday as visitors from throughout the United States and abroad come to witness a threshing bee. The enthusiasm and desire of one man– L.K. Wood to recreate the harvesting days of early mechanized farming in America has led to the colorful event, now in its fifteenth year. His collection of original machines, all of which will be operating Saturday, includes seven steam tractors, five threshing machines, and one horse-powered thresher. They range in size from a six-horsepower tractor built in 1891 to a twenty-five horsepower machine. He also has a variety of scale models, including a half eight foot, three inch thresher which will be powered by four shetland ponies Saturday, a one-half scale steam model tractor and one-quarter steam tractor. (OSE 27 August, 1965, page 21)

Threshing Bee Set

September 3^rd, 1966– The sixteenth four-state Threshing Bee will be held at the L.K. Wood home in Mendon, Cache Valley, Saturday, September 3^rd, beginning at one p.m. Everyone is invited to see the large variety of precisions models of threshing machinery and other farm equipment built by Mr. Wood. Listed in consecutive order for the afternoon are Salute of all Whistles, Speech of Welcome, talk by a U.S.U. representative, horse-power threshing, model saw mill powered by one-half scale steam engine and hill climbing both model and original steam engines. These will take until 4:30, when the teter-totter by steam takes place. Following will be the complete steam threashing, steam threshing hand-feed, half scale model threshing, tug-of-war, steam and manpower, and the race between steam and man power at 6:30. (Garland Times 18 August, 1966, page 6)

Linden Kimball Wood

Noted Thresher Pioneer, 79 Dies— Linden Kimball Wood, 79, whose annual "Four-State Threshing Bee" drew thousands each late summer to his home in Mendon, died January 2^nd, 1967 of natural causes at a Logan hospital. Mr. Wood devoted his life to the preservation of equipment man fashioned to thresh grain. Each year for the past sixteen years, he "treated" all who would come to a day out of the past— an old fashioned threshing bee. From a small start, interest grew until the past few years thousands gathered at his lot to see horse-powered threshing— Mr. Wood owned one of the three or four still existent in the United States and had made a half-scale model which was operated by Shetland ponies— to see complete outfits of steam threshers, operated by friends and neighbors, thresh grain harvested the old way and pitched in bundles from stacks, to see a tug of war between steam and manpower and a hill climbing demonstration with both model and original steam engines. L.K. Wood is going to be missed.

He was born April 24^th, 1887 in Mendon, a son of Joseph T. and Julia Kimball Wood. He grew up in Mendon, attended school there and was active all of his life in the L.D.S. Ward. He fulfilled an L.D.S. mission to the Western States from 1912 to 1914. In World War I, he served two years in France as mechanic for an infantry company. He was a consultant at the museum of "Man and His Bread" at Utah State University and had charge of the display models of threshing equipment at the Utah State Capitol Building for nineteen years. He was a member of the National Threshermens' Association of the Intermountain States and was author of a number of articles on threshing. He had been president of the Mendon Historical Society and was instrumental in erecting the pioneer monument there in 1957.

On September 3^rd, 1919, he married Pearl V. Jensen in the Salt Lake L.D.S. Temple. Surviving are his widow of Mendon; a daughter, Mrs. Alan (Audrey) Maynard, Clarkston, Washington; two grandsons; a twin brother, Alonzo Wood, Mendon. Funeral services will be conducted Friday at one p.m. in the Mendon L.D.S. Ward Chapel by Bishop Fred W. Sorensen. Friends may call at Hall Mortuary Thursday from seven to nine p.m. and Friday prior to services. Burial will be in Mendon City Cemetery. (The Herald Journal, Obituary, January 4^th, 1967, page 1.)

Colorful Farm Machinery Collector Dies at Logan

Logan— L.K. Wood, one of the nation's foremost collectors and experts on antique farm machinery, is dead. He was 79. The colorful former harvester mechanic died Monday in a Logan hospital after a short illness. Wood was best known for his annual display of farm appartus in the little northern Utah town of Mendon where he lived. The "Mendon Threshing Bee" drew spectators from throughout the nation and several foreign countries. For the past fifty years Wood traveled throughout the Middle West and Intermountain states collecting, rebuilding and preserving models of antique farm machinery dating back to the late 1800s and "The Golden Age of the Harvest." Funeral services will be held Friday in the Mormon chapel in Mendon. (OSE 4 January 1967, page 9)

A Salute to L.K. Wood

There are many kinds of success in life, but perhaps the greatest is to live to see the fulfillment of a dream. L.K. Wood had such success. He grew up in what Prof. Alma N. Sorensen used to call "The Golden Age," a rare and peaceful time in the small town of Mendon in the late 19^th century. Always he loved the excitement and glamor of threshing time when crews of men would move a fire snorting steam engine onto a farm and stay there until the crop was in. The annual accompaniment to threshing time was the preparation of hearty meals which required the assistance of aunts, cousins, daughters and neighbors to feed the hungry men three times a day and often carry lemonade and cold milk to the threshing site mid-morning and mid-afternoon.

Mr. Wood wrote of these days in his "Recollections of Rocky Knoll Farm." The big engines, the complicated meshing of gears, fascinated him, too. He began collecting old threshers, steam engines, separators. He repaired them and kept them in running order and then to carry his hobby further, fabricated exact one-half scale replicas that worked as well as the full-scale ones. He made his own dies and built the machines in a workshop at his home. Sixteen years ago he got the idea of showing off his prize collection at a Threshing Bee. Enough time had gone by that people were curious about the "Old Time" way of harvesting. Men who had done the strenuous work wanted to show their children how it was when they were young and to talk over old times with friends and on the spot acquaintances.

L.K. Wood had no trouble in recruiting crews for his exhibitions. Men who loved the old machines as much as he came from miles around to fire up the old engines, adjust the belts and pulleys. The last three or four threshing bees drew crowds of thousands and created traffic problems on the quiet streets of Mendon. People had a wonderful time. And now L.K is gone. We hope that his devotion to the "good old days" will be continued and that in memory of L.K. Wood who found great joy in the site and sound of steam engines, his friends will carry on his threshing bees. (The Herald Journal, Edith W. Morgan, 1967.)

Prized Machine Collection

Threshing Bee to Live on at U.S.U., Mendon, Cache County– For sixteen consecutive years, the almost forgotten shriek of a steam train whistle here during the first week in September marked the beginning of a unique threshing bee and display of restored steam-driven machines. The originator, restorer and promoter of the event was L.K. Wood, Mendon. He died at the age of 79 last January 2^nd. Now, part of his collection of beautifully restored machines is being preserved as part of the Utah heritage. Utah State University has acquired two separators, two huge steam driven engines and a water wagon.

Displayed at Museum– The collection now is on display at the U.S.U. museum, and negotiations are in final stages to secure other machines manufactured by Mr. Wood. Mrs. Wood said last year that nearly five-thousand persons visited the display and witnessed the annual threshing bee staged by her late husband on September 3^rd. During one of the demonstrations, Mr. Wood said: I just save the old-timers rom the ruthless cutting torches. Mr. Wood returned from World War I and began restoring and rebuilding steam and horse-powered contraptions to demonstrate the flexibility and power of his collection.

Friend Shares Interest– An interested friend, Eugene Fredrickson of Weston, Idaho became interested and shared Mr. Wood's affection for the devices of the past decades. Mr. Wood recognized Mr. Fredrickson as his "technical advisor and irreplaceable." Mr. Fredrickson retired from the collection following Mr. Wood's death. A grove of large elms, willows and other durable western trees surround the residence and grounds. Four steamers remain parked as Mr. Wood placed them last September. The 1909 Case and the 1912 Minneapolis Steamers, both rebuilt by Mr. Wood stand idly now with Lucern and weeds growing to the axles of the six foot wheels. The steam calliope, each tube fashioned with minute precision and beauty, lays dismantled in one of the sheds for protection against the elements.

Equipment Remains Good– Two large separators, made operative by the hands of Mr. Wood, stand in the shade of the grove. Their condition appears good as does the condition of two other steamers some seventy-five feet away. The two acres of ground where the display was held and the threshing bee shown for sixteen consecutive years, is void of machinery this year. Mrs. Wood said her husband's work benches, lathes, vises and tools still remain in the weeds where Mr. Wood used and stored them. She explained that "last year people came from every state in the country and every thing ran just fine." (SLT 3 September 1967, page 10)