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This photo was taken in August 1924. The man was part of the Gabe Francoli threshing crew who came to help thresh each year. The Francoli’s farmed in Brown County. The wagon load of straw is pulled by two horses. The horses are wearing canvas fly covers. Fly covers and fly nets are used to protect the horses from biting insects. Biting insects distract the horses and cause them distress. Just like humans, horses don’t like being bitten by flies, mosquitoes and other insects.

• Throwback Thursday

This image of women defending the corn crop from birds is from Schoolcraft Vol. III (1884 re-publication), page 63. The text that goes with the image says: "It is found, among the bands who raise the zea maize, that, as the grain ripens, attention is required, in some seasons, to keep the rails, blackbirds, and other graminivorous species, from destroying the crop. This is a precautionary labor that also falls to the share of the matrons, girls, and boys. Such is the fierceness of these predatory attacks, that a particular kind of staging is sometimes erected in the field, on which the watchers sit, to frighten away the birds." 

• What's New Wednesday

Did you know that August is National Goat Cheese Month? In case you didn’t know, here is your chance to indulge. The American Cheese Society launched National Goat Cheese Month in 1998 to “promote the benefits of cooking with goat cheese.” Domesticated around 9000 years ago, goats provided humans with milk, cheese, and meat to eat; wool or hair and hides to use for clothing. Goat cheese originated in the Mediterranean areas and in the Middle East.

• Throwback Thursday

Time for a cold glass of lemonade! This nifty tool is a plane style ice shave. It was a common kitchen tool before freezers and ice cube trays. It shaves chips off a large block of ice with the blade. The shaved chips accumulate in the box of the device, then the lid lifts to dump out the chips. The shavings are used in drinks or to make ice cones and other icy treats.

• What's New Wednesday

In 1891, the people of Madison, SD built the Lake Madison Chautauqua on the northwest shore of Lake Madison. The Grand Hotel was located on the Chautauqua grounds. To provide easy access to the Chautauqua grounds and hotel, Madison built a narrow gauge, steam railroad. The Milwaukee railroad later built a spur line from Madison to the Chautauqua grounds.

Chautauqua’s flourished in small communities across the country. They were especially popular in the Midwest. The Chautauqua Movement began in 1874 as a summer school for Sunday School teachers. Over the following decades its mission broadened to include adult education of all kinds. Chautauqua was designed to bring a “college outlook” to working- and middle-class Americans. Chautauqua sought to bring culture, education, and entertainment to rural areas. Chautauqua brought national and international speakers to audience that would otherwise not have had the opportunity to hear them speak. The economic depression of the 1930s ended the Chautauqua era. Organizers found it increasingly difficult the find funding for the event.

• Throwback Thursday

Harper’s Weekly Magazine, July 30, 1887, published this image and a story titled The Wheat Fields of ��ֱ����. Below are excerpts from the article.

“First in area comes Texas, then California, and third the Territory of ��ֱ����. Climatically ��ֱ���� presents great diversity. In many parts of it are wide areas consisting of a dark loamy soil of considerable depth—a land particularly adapted to the growing of cereals. Within the last twenty years great attention has been paid to the cultivation of wheat in ��ֱ����. From a product of only 945 bushels in the whole Territory made in 1860, in 1880 the harvest was 2,830,289 bushels. It is probable that in 1890 this product will be much more than double in quantity. The Northern Pacific Railroad carries a large proportion of the wheat, and it finds its principal market in Duluth. Wheat farms of enormous size are found within the Territory, there being one of not less than 100,000 acres. On such a vast domain as this, economy in labor is everything. The flat prairieland allows the most improved mechanical appliances, and in harvest-time innumerable reaping machines are used. Nothing can be more startling than to see approaching a huge battery, as it were, of those reapers, drawn by their three horses yoked abreast. As far as the eye can see, over a vast frontage, the line advances, and even at a long distance the revolution of the blades of the mowers can be heard. The golden wheat falls in huge windrows, sometimes to be taken by other machines and made into sheaves, or to be handled by the harvesters. Mounted ‘bosses’ ride from point to point a superintend the work. In ploughing, harrowing, sowing, the best and most approved labor-saving implements are used. A ��ֱ���� wheat farm of size seems to be rather a factory where cereals are to be produced than a tract of land dependent on ordinary agricultural methods.”

• What's New Wednesday

Bowdle Flour Mill began operation in 1892. Since wheat is harvested once a year, yet flour is milled year-round, the mill stored 15,000 bushels of wheat. The last batch of Bowdle Flour was milled in 1967. In 1968, the flour mill became a feed mill.

• Throwback Thursday

In 2021, Koch Hazard donated fourteen floorplans and this rendering to the Museum. The floorplans date from 1975-1979 and illustrate typical 1970s museum exhibits layout. Built in 1918, the Stock Judging Pavilion was the livestock arena until the late 1970s.

• What's New Wednesday

Pictured are Roy Brown, Babe, and Ruth Brown. Roy won Babe selling subscriptions for Webb Publishing Company’s publication Farmer Magazine. Babe pulled a small buggy for the children and entertained them and their friends for many years. Babe lived for over 30 years. Many horses, once they die ended up as lap-robes or blankets. The South ��ֱ���� Agricultural Heritage Museum has both Babe’s hide robe and the buggy.

• Throwback Thursday

Patented June 10, 1902, this bean sorter was used at South ��ֱ���� State University Seed Testing Laboratory. This machine does just what its name states, sorts the beans from chaff and debris. When not cleaning beans, it is used to grade them. The sorter is treadle powered; the operator uses his feet to put the machine into motion. The bed of the machine is flat and at each end are shafts which a canvas belt is attached. The beans are dumped into the hopper at the top of the machine. Behind the flywheel is a small trigger that releases beans onto the belt. As the belt passes by the debris can be brushed off the belt and the beans continue along the belt to the front of the machine and drop off the belt into a pail.

• What's New Wednesday