As I watched the golden waves of wheat down the road from us cut down during the harvest recently, it made me think about how much equipment and processes have evolved and improved over the years.
Back in the early 1900s, Umatilla County (where my Pendleton Petticoats series is set) produced approximately one percent of the nation’s wheat crop. Wheat harvest brought workers to town, provided income for families, and proved to be an event many looked forward to all year. It was also a lot of hot, sweaty, backbreaking work. From my childhood spent on a farm, I can declare from firsthand experience the dusty, itchy chaff makes the air thick and hard to breathe and clings to ever pore on your skin.
I can only imagine it was ten-times worse back in the good ol' days.
Back in the early 1900s, Umatilla County (where my Pendleton Petticoats series is set) produced approximately one percent of the nation’s wheat crop. Wheat harvest brought workers to town, provided income for families, and proved to be an event many looked forward to all year. It was also a lot of hot, sweaty, backbreaking work. From my childhood spent on a farm, I can declare from firsthand experience the dusty, itchy chaff makes the air thick and hard to breathe and clings to ever pore on your skin.
I can only imagine it was ten-times worse back in the good ol' days.
Taken in 1902 in Walla Walla, WA, this photo shows not only the machine, but also the deep dip in the hill as well. Wheat fields in this part of the country are often planted on rolling hills.
This photo, from the oldoregonphotos.com, shows a team of 32 pulling a hillside harvester in 1900. Because of the rolling hills, the farmers needed a machine that wouldn’t tip over on steep inclines.
It took a large number of horses or mules to pull the heavy equipment, especially up the hills.
My dad comes from a long line of farmers, and also spent several years after he and my mother were newly wed working in Umatilla County in the 1950s. He had firsthand experience with the terrain, the hillside harvesters, and even told me why so many of the farmers preferred mules to horses (because the mules could go all day without a problem and the horses often got sores or sick.)
In addition to providing descriptions of the equipment, he told me the names of some of the jobs involved with wheat harvest. The jigger sewed the sacks of wheat shut once they were filled. The tender made sure the cutter was going where it was supposed to while the skinner drove the team.
Quite different from today's air-conditioned combines.
Quite different from today's air-conditioned combines.
After spending her formative
years on a farm in eastern Oregon, hopeless romantic Shanna Hatfield turns her
rural experiences into sweet historical and contemporary romances filled with
sarcasm, humor, and hunky heroes.
When this USA Today bestselling author isn’t writing or covertly hiding decadent
chocolate from the other occupants of her home, Shanna hangs out with her
beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller.
Shanna loves to hear from readers. Follow her online at:
ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Newsletter | BookBub | Pinterest | Goodreads
| You Tube
| Twitter
Find Shanna’s books at:
Amazon
| Amazon
UK | Barnes &
Noble | Smashwords
| Apple
| Audible
Gosh. I never imagined it was so much work back then. Thanks for sharing, Shanna.
ReplyDeleteIt was quite a process, Kristy. And just as much work for the women feeding all the men! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating article and piece of history. Our daughter in law's family are farmers in North Dakota and have multiple fancy pieces of machinery that does the work, most are GPS controlled, with a way to determine what the soil requires for fertilizers, etc.
ReplyDeleteI loved the video to see it all in motion. That is a lot of teamwork on the part of not only the men but the horses/mules.