SLPEM – St. Lawrence Power and Equipment Museum

The Road Roller

SLPEM — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 13:18:10 +0000

The Blacksmith Shop

SLPEM — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 02:13:38 +0000

The North Country has many excellent blacksmiths, and James Tiernan and Reg Chester have been talking with several. A Blacksmith Shop has long been on the list of facilities needed at the Museum. Envisioned is a 20 X 20 foot post and beam building, built in the style of the shops seen 50 to 100 years ago. It will be located on Sawmill Lane with its back to the gas station and will have a forge, anvil, and tools of that period. It will be a working shop where iron goods can be made and visitors and blacksmiths alike can learn from the experts. Those interested in assisting the project or wanting to donate tools should contact Chester. Ground preparation has begun with Ken Tupper spreading gravel for its base. Shaping the timbers will take place this winter. Please let Regggie know if you want to help with this project.

Here are some great blacksmith photos from our June 2018 Event:

Small Engines

SLPEM — Mon, 20 Aug 2018 02:06:24 +0000

Our museum has a number of small engines which have been donated or acquired/purchased. We will soon have a complete listing of these available along with photos and information.

Excavator

SLPEM — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 02:34:57 +0000

Donated by Bill Bartlett and Pete Green in 2016: Bay City excavator power shovel. That’s Bill in the photos. Bill replaced the original engine with one from a McCormick Deering 10-20. He hopes to have the machine operable in the future. The machine was primarily used for digging ditches for water and drain pipes.

The Farquhar Steam Engine

SLPEM — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 10:58:05 +0000

A. B. Farquhar Steam Engine

This portable steam engine was built in 1922 and is rated at forty horsepower. According to Engineer Gary Hargrave, the original working/running pressure was 125 pounds. It was later lowered to 50 LBS as a “Hobby Boiler” for safety reasons by The New York State Boiler inspector around the Mid to late 1970s. The large steam dome is an indicator of a quality built engine.

This engine was purchased by the St. Lawrence County Highway Department and was used for rock crushing. The last recollections, from workmen, are of it being used to melt tar that arrived by rail and had to be liquefied in the 1940’s.

It was bought for $1.00 and refurbished by Museum members under the direction of Paul Shirley. The restoration is ongoing.

1st Chief Engineer – Ed Fincham 1931-2005

Engineer – Gary Hargrave

Engineer – Bill Clinger

A Little History of A. B. Farquhar

The A. B. Farquhar Company, manufacturers of steam traction engines, gasoline farm tractors and agricultural implements, has its roots planted deeply in the industrial history of the city of York, in south-central Pennsylvania.

Arthur Briggs Farquhar was born to William Henry and Margaret (Briggs) Farquhar on September 28, 1838, in Sandy Springs, Maryland, approximately 18 miles outside of our nation’s capital at Washington. A. B., as he came to be known, was very studious, and was greatly interested in mechanics. After managing the family farm for a year, arrangements were made for A. B. to move to York and find work as an apprentice in a foundry or machine shop.

His machinery had been awarded premiums at all the leading expositions, including the Centennial at Philadelphia, the Paris Exposition, the New Orleans Cotton Exposition, the World’s Columbian Exposition, the Pan-American at Buffalo and the World’s Fair at St. Louis.

Above: Museum members belting up the steamer at the 22nd annual spring show. From left to right …Ed Fincham, Ross Goodyear, Gary Hargrave, and Shannon Bond.

Additional Photos of The A. B. Farquhar Steamer

The Log Splitter

SLPEM — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 10:21:17 +0000

Mary Jane Watson, brother Ronnie Watson and Bernard Buckley donated a wood splitter with engine last fall (2017) in memory of Gordon Watson. The wood splitter was used many years to split logs to make firewood at camps around Colton and South Colton. The machine out-produced other means available in the area. It was also responsible for more than one missing finger.

The Shingle Mill

SLPEM — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 05:32:26 +0000

A nice shingle mill donated by Dave Forsythe in late 2010.

The Lane Sawmill

SLPEM — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 05:20:38 +0000

LANE SAWMILL — 1920

Mill information from the 1997 newsletters as reported by Paul Shirley. February 1997 I called Ross Goodyear after the meeting. His mill is not available to us this year. I feel that a sawmill is a great attraction to our show, so with permission from various club members, I started looking for a mill. After looking at 2 or 3 mills, I got to talk to Bob Bishman. He has a Lane Mill similar to Ross’s mill for $1,000.00. I got approval from 14 members to purchase the mill. I feel that with a $2,000.00 cap on this project, it should be worth it to us. If we can build it portable, we can use it at both shows. Bob will deliver it to me by the end of March or early April. Ross indicated that he may be able to help set it up and operate it. I would be willing to build a shed to keep it in. Bob, Bill, Tom and I went to Parish to see it. It’s all complete with a 50-inch blade. We hope to have it ready for the June show. June 1997 We sawed our first board tonight. The Lane Mill will be ready for the show. All that is left is the tires, hitch and some of the walkways on it. We were lucky to get some professional help with it. Bill Pharoah did the machine work that had to be done. Ross Goodyear helped set it up and did the welding. Bob Shirley and I did most of the rest of it. The rig will need the carriage rebuilt later on, but that can be done later. We will be under our $2,000 estimate. July 1997 The Lane Sawmill worked exceptionally well for putting it together from a pile of parts. Many thanks go to Ross Goodyear for all his help and to Bill Pharoah for his help with the machine work. Bob Shirley and I did a lot of weekend and night work to get it running. We had a lot of fun trying different tractor and even a Ford flathead power plant on it. Our total cost was around $1800.00 to complete the project.

Sawmill Building Plans

As reported by Roger Austin from the July – Aug 2009 newsletter Plans for the sawmill building moved forward when Roger Austin, Reg Chester, AI Garrand, and Paul Moore met during July to discuss its design and location. The building will be 25-30 feet wide and about 50-55 feet long. It will have a shed roof which slopes to the rear as on most old mill buildings. The open, high front will face spectators. The front will be left open. Rolldown barn curtains will cover the building when not in use. Construction will be of rough-sawn timbers. Construction will begin in September, soon after the Exhibition. The length of the mill itself will be increased by 8-10 feet to facilitate handling of longer logs and lumber. It will have two drive options: an engine located behind the building connected to the mill by a shaft extending under it and an engine or tractor at one end of the building belted to a pulley on the drive shaft. The engine behind the building will have its own separate, smaller building though connected to the main mill building for noise reduction. The sawmill building will be the first of several that will constitute an area called Industry Row. Other timber industry structures will be constructed for the Museum’s vertical sawmill, shingle mill, siding mill, band saw, and other machines such as a wood splitter, buzz saw, and planer. Products from these mills will be used in future construction. Photos From Exhibitions and Shows

The Vertical Sawmill

SLPEM — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 04:53:02 +0000

Vertical Sawmill Building Plans

Vertical Sawmill Building Construction, Nov 12, 2012 to present Vertical Sawmill: Paul Moore, Ken Tupper and Reg Chester have begun work on a new building to house the vertical sawmill. It will be located next to the Lane Sawmill building on the Hwy 345 side. To figure out how much room would be required, they dragged out the sawmill frame and reassembled it just for measurements. The building will be 20 x 46, post and beam construction, with a shingle roof. Paul reported pouring 10 cubic yards of concrete to form a foundation to hold the saw in place. The site has been filled with soil and sand, graded and graveled. DECEMBER 2012 … Before snow and bitter cold sealed the Museum for winter, Paul Moore broke ground on a second sawmill building that will house a ca. 1940 lateral frame saw manufactured in Switzerland. It had been donated to the St. Lawrence Gas & Steam Engine Association and became part of the Museum’s collection, after its founding in 2004. The saw was donated by Hans and Ida Loretz of Brasher Falls who winter at their home in Liechtenstein. Ida was at the Exhibition last fall and was excited to hear of the pending construction. Hans bought the saw in 1974. He had it shipped to Montreal and trucked to his farm at Brasher Falls. He used it to saw lumber to construct his barn and other buildings. The saw was originally restored by the Museum’s first President, Ross Goodyear, and used during shows at the Hutchinson farm. It was determined that the saw needed a permanent foundation and has been idle since. Reg Chester, Wayne Hill, and Ken Tupper helped Paul with excavation and pouring concrete for the foundations. LATERAL FRAME SAW Ca. 1940, Built by Gebr. Muller (Holmag AG) in Sumiswald, Switzerland The saw was donated to the St. Lawrence Gas and Steam Engine Association by Hans and Ida Loretz of Brasher Falls, NY and Triesen, Liechtenstein. It became part of the collection of the St. Lawrence Power and Equipment Museum, the successor organization to the Association, in 2004. The saw had been purchased by Hans Loretz in 1982 from a mill that had shut down in 1973 in Liechtenstein. It was shipped by ocean freight to Montreal, Quebec and then trucked to Brasher Falls in 1983. Restored by Ross Goodyear.

The Heritage Fibers Building

SLPEM — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 16:52:51 +0000

Heritage Fibers Dedicates Building

The new Heritage Fibers building was an immediate hit at the Spring Exhibition. Even before the dedication, visitors came to see the new facilities. Mabel Baker and Andrea Castle welcomed their guests along with other members of the Heritage Fibers group who were busy demonstrating their skills. Danny Dunkelberg and his two sons have built and are installing a new sign.

Heritage Fibers Group Gets New Home in Madrid

Story From North Country Now – Thursday, June 7, 2018 – 2:39 pm

MADRID — A few years ago several members of the St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum formed a group called Heritage Fibers.

As it grew the need to have its own facilities became clear. The dream has now been realized with the construction of a building designed for the group. Their new home will be dedicated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 9 during the Museum’s Spring Exhibition. Exhibition visitors are invited to attend. The 1,280 square foot building is paneled in pine with floors from local ash. The porch roof is clad with cedar shingles milled at the Museum. Other features include ample windows for natural lighting and a cedar closet to help protect valued textiles. The building was made possible by a grant from The Sweetgrass Foundation which helped kick off fund raising. Funding was further supported by members of the group, friends, and members of the Museum. The Heritage Textiles group also received gifts of building materials, furnishings, and antique textile machines and actual early fiber products and handicrafts. Early machines and equipment now in place include walking (great) spinning wheels, a large barn loom, table loom, flax wheels, quilt frames, dress frame and various smaller items related to sewing. During the Museum’s Spring Exhibition, Heritage Textile members will be demonstrating rug hooking, spinning, weaving, tatting, quilting and rug braiding. The members will be teaching most of the above skills in classes to be announced in the near future. If interested in supporting Heritage Textiles or participating in its classes, please contact Andrea Castle by email at andreacastle22@gmail.com or phone 315-322-5663 or email Mabel Baker at mbaker9@twcny.rr.com. Sign up for a Museum membership and join its hundreds of members in preserving the North Country’s past and how its people benefited from new technologies. Individual memberships are $25, couples $30. Junior memberships are $5 for those under 18. It’s all about great folks having lots of fun helping the community in a big way. The St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum is located in the Town of Madrid. It is a 501(c)(3) education corporation, provisionally chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. Information about the Museum is available at slpowermuseum.com. Contact the Museum at slpeminfo@gmail.com or PO Box 400, Madrid, NY 13660. The Museum is open on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month during the summer from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Group visits are always welcome. Call 315-322-8956 to schedule a time.