Pioneer Harvest Fiesta to feature 100-year-old engine
The 59th annual Pioneer Harvest Fiesta is in full swing from now until Sunday at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds in Fort Scott.
Featured each year are two machines, a tractor and an engine, which is usually a stationary engine.
"Our featured tractor is the steam engine" said David McCord, Pioneer Harvest Fiesta Club's President.
The featured Case tractor, which is a 50-horsepower Case Steam Traction Engine, is a 1915 model.
"It's two-fold this year," Vice President Davin Reichard said. "We're featuring the brand of Case tractors, and we're showcasing our own club steam engine since it's 100 years old this year.
"The featured engine this year is a Stover 4HP (horse power) engine," he said.
In celebration of the steam engine's birthday, vintage Case tractors will be on display at the fairgrounds.
"We have a fellow by the name of Arthur Closs (a club member), who has brought out a collection of over 20 vintage Case tractors," McCord said. "The tractors are in celebration of the 100th anniversary of our 1915 Case steam traction engine."
Craig Shikles, a Pioneer Harvest Fiesta club member, has operated the Case steam engine in the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta since the early 90s.
"I've been a member for about 32 years," Shikles said. "I've been driving this steam engine for at least 25 of those years."
For the first time, the Fiesta will host a machinery auction at 1 p.m. today.
"It's a consignment machinery auction," Reichard said. "It's a fundraiser for the club. As I understand it, it's open to the public to bring stuff to auction off."
One of the main items to be auctioned is a locally-made coal stove.
"We will be selling a Fort Scott Foundry coal stove," McCord said. "It's very, very rare. "This coal stove was made in that foundry here in town. That is a big collector's item."
The auction is this afternoon and will be located north of the fairground entrance at 21st Street and Eddy Street, just south of the corn field.
Also new to the weekend's events will be the appearance of classic cars and a horse-drawn corn plow.
"The cars will be displayed Saturday along the hedgerow near the cornfield," McCord said.
"Also, Saturday, (club member) Judd Bailey will have a team of horses and he will be plowing the cornfield with a team of horses," he said. "That'll be interesting and new."
Lumber that has been cut on-site will also be available for purchase, McCord said.
"We are selling some of the cedar and oak wood that we have cut ourselves on the sawmill," he said. "We don't sell it every year. It's considered a prize when you can get it at a very reasonable price."
The Pioneer Harvest Fiesta has more than 20 different events scheduled throughout the weekend, including a free bean feed, garden tractor pulls, a quilt show, wheat threshing, an arts and craft show, draft horse plowing exhibition.
"We also have our Arts and crafts show and our quilt show," McCord said. "They're a big deal because they have quilts there that are over 100 years old. And there's people, like Nancy Swanwick, who will be there."
For the Fiesta's three-day duration, steam engines, blacksmith operations, drag saw demonstrations, baker fans, and tractor and gas engines will be on display. Also present, will be vendors.
"The vendors have everything from baked goods to rare tools, all the way to more modern stuff that is hard to find," McCord said.
For more information contact McCord at (620) 223-6496.