CENTRAL STATES THRESHERMEN'S REUNION
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  • New Park
    • New Park History
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    • 2012 Small Engine Building
    • 2014 Flag Pole improvements
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    • History available on CD's
    • Looking for photos
 


​New Park History
1982  - Purchased property (40 acres)
1983 -  Road added, graveled
1984 - Planted 130 trees
            Built north building
1985 - Electrical work
            Built restroom/shower house, and a few bleachers
1986 - Moved to new park
1987 - The Iron Pony became a permanent part of the show
1988 - Built second large building
            Started structure for blacksmith shop
            Built cover for sawmill
1989 - Bought additional 33.25 acres for future expansion
            Purchased veneer mill
            Built a small barn
           Added event - Nationally Sanctioned Tractor Pull
           Erected new flagpole
           Improved horse show arena
     
1990 - New dance floor
            Added event - Teen dance
1991 - John Deere featured
            Full-size windmill
           40 H.P. Fairbank Morse Engine
          Added events - Quilt Show & General Store
1992 - Oliver Hart-Parr featured
            New north entrance to parking area
            Flag Pole Area landscaped
            Veneer Mill in operation
           Horse pull
           Exhibits for show: 190 gas tractors, 177 gas engines, 28 steam engines
1993 - Case Expo featured
            Relocated horse show track
            Bleachers added
           New stage
           Loading dock improved
           Tractor Pull track updated
1994 - Caterpillar featured
            Gazebo Office added
            More bleachers added
            Gas Station added
            Large entertainment tent
            1st Threshermen's BlueGrass Festival in coop with Pontiac Chamber of Commerce
            Kiddie Tractor Pull
            Carl R. Ogle retired as president after 16 years service
1995 - International featured
            New seating for the south building
            People mover purchased
            Car club erected a root beer stand to go with gas station
1996 - Allis Chalmers featured
            Cookhouse updated with heater, sinks, etc.
            Ticket Shed moved to permanent location
            Porta Shades added
            6 picnic tables added
           Horse track made larger
           Oiled first roads on the park in Flea Market area
1997 - Minneapolis Moline featured
            Gravel road in parking area from North entrance west and south then to the ticket office
            Sheep shearing demonstration for Education Day
1998 - 50th Anniversary Show
            Anything & Everything featured
            Became Sole Partner with the Bluegrass Festival
            Made the last payment on the loan for the show grounds
            Stationary boiler donated by the Smith family; turned over to Dave Schott and crew to have ready for the show
            New fence for the horse show arena made out of 2" pipe
            Purchased a finish mower for the grounds
            Ertl Toys donated toys to be given to children
            50th Yearbook, 1940 collectible toy truck, belt buckle and 1000 bullet pencils were available for the show
            Events held at the park during the year - Blacksmith annual meeting and Bluegrass Festival
1999 - Vintage Garden Tractors of America featured
            Played host to Orien Samuelson's WGN Noon Radio Show
            Start of historical chats in the big tent
            Put in waste dump station for campers
           Had large ground road sign on Route 23 repainted
           Reset the Saw Mill on concrete pillars
           Events held at the park during the year - Blacksmith annual meeting and Bluegrass Festival
2000 - Ford Tractors, Ford cars & trucks featured
           Repaired bleachers
           Six VHS tape and bi-fold programs for Senior Citizens Center
          Dan Rutherford donated a New Flag for the grounds
          Ground Office walls finished and covered
          Storm destroyed windmill and inflicted some building damage; new Ticket Office built to replace one destroyed
          Events held at the park during the year - Blacksmith annual meeting and Bluegrass Festival
2001 - John Deere tractors (all makes and models) and General Motors trucks featured
            Roads covered with recycled asphalt in July
            3 Leg Windmill donated by Klehm family
            Guided bus tours for nursing homes (greatly appreciated by them)
            Two trees planted in memory of Mary Oltman & Bruce Leach
            Events held at the park during the year - Blacksmith spring event and annual meeting, Bluegrass Festival, Stoller 
                                 Combine Clinic, Steam Safety Workshop, Western Pleasure Horse Show
2002 - International tractors and trucks featured
            9000 - 10,000 lb. Semi-Truck Pull
           Building and roof built over the large steam boiler
           Manville Post Office donated by Don Noe family and moved to grounds
           New railroad track and layout for two working trains
           Events held at the park during the year - Steam School, Bible School for several churches, Blacksmith annual meeting,
                                 Bluegrass Festival
2003 - Oliver and Massey Harris tractors featured
            Tom Turner, Roy McNutt, & Don Foley passed away
            Two days of rain
            Purchased water tank & pump, New fence around Pulling Track
            Sold sweet corn, Improved horse track, Kim Erdman ran Horse Show
            Bill Carroll & crew built new People Mover
            Bob & Chris Studebaker repaired 100 yr. old Shingle Mill
            Concrete poured in food area
            Mini-Rods added to show.
2004 - Case & Ford tractors featured
            Arlan Koopman passed away
           New Flag from U.S. Congress
           Adair Thompson started & set up our web-site
           Received 2 Steam Powered Electric Generators from U S Tobacco Co. Nashville,Tn
          Had Kiddie Tractor Pull by Mary Ann Johnson of Big "R" Store
          Drawing for Quilt made by Cindy Herz of Indiana
          Singer Saw Mill & Rock Crusher were fixed & displayed
         One Room School House from Long Point area was refurbished and displayed
         Dump station for campers and loading dock were reconditioned
         Pontiac F.F.A. provided us with a Petting Zoo
2005 - Caterpillar and Roof Mfg. Co. featured
            Carl Ebberstein and AL Krause passed away
           Conoco Gas Station got a touch up of paint
           New water tank at train track location
           Rent golf carts to public
           Built a permanent shade over west bleacher
           Keith & Judy Mathews donated a homemade quilt rack
           Jerry Weinheimer made baskets from Veneer Mill wood to sell
           Andy Shay drilled oats, Wilken Seed donated seed
          Cat display was extraordinary, included NASCAR race car & Orange County built chopper
          Jack & Mark Corson set up saw mill and used it
2006 - Farmall and International Harvester tractors featured
           Steve Maubach, Willis Alford, and Jay Foxworthy passed away
           Chapter Ten Club spearheaded the I. H. Exhibit
           Grew wheat this year
           ILL. Blacksmith Assoc. Group use park on even years
          Tri-State Blacksmith & Nat. Artistic Blacksmith use park on odd years
          Got bleachers from Pontiac Grade School
          Got 22 Ton Boiler from Fairbury firm at no cost. Guss Rinker did the hauling
          Guss Rinker retired as Pres. of C.S.T.R.
           John Grampp took over as our Webmaster
          Model & Hobby Tent moved to south side by train location
2007 - Allis Chalmers and Avery tractors featured
           Blessed with good weather
          Raised dues to $20.00 and admission to $7.00
          New Entertainment Building built, Valley View donated fill for building and hauled by Joe Burton
          The Building is rented out eleven months to Stoller Imp. Co. of Pontiac
          New roof put on school house
          Concrete was poured in the west side of South Building, & 4 sections of bleachers were installed
          3-D Sound is in charge of sound on the grounds
         We had a Consignment Sale for the first time - AL Diemer in charge
         Pontiac Lions Club donated "Sparky" and trailer to CSTR to care for & display
         Deb Trainor in charge of Horse Show
2008 - Minneapolis Moline tractors featured
            Warren Zehr (member of founding family) passed away
            Celebrate our 60th year
            Belt Buckle and Supplement to our 55th Year Book available
            A three hour tractor drive is planned for show
            Jerry Weinheimer made a Walking Stick to sell in General Store
           Blacksmiths put a porch roof on their building
           Denim Shirts embroidered by Linda Lambert on sale in General Store
           Brian Sullan took over our Webmaster duties
2009 - John Deere (3010 & 4010 New Generation) tractors featured
            Janice Lambert, Herb Beckemeyer, Bob Studebaker, & Joe Howard passed away
           Seven Hoop-Shelters were erected
           Poured cement on east side of South Building
           Jr. Fosdick headed the start of a museum in the South Building
          Shelves were built to display items
          An early Farm Home Kitchen is featured in the museum
          Lots of grass was mowed in the park
         Repairs was made to the electric pedestals in camping area

2010 - Oliver and Hart-Parr tractors featured
            Singer Saw Mill Shed erected
           Wood working shed erected
           Train unloading track put in
           Model tent power line put underground
           Improvements to Museum
2011 - Massey-Harris and Ford tractors featured
            Museum improvements
            Kitchen improvements
           Cement - food area
           Office remodel
           Windmill donation
          South East corner cleanup & new sign
          Brenda DeFries took over duties of webmaster
          Scott McCoy donating the website.


2012 - feature:  Case & Caterpillar
            Small engine building put up
            Rainy year

2013 - feature: International & Cubs
            Sharon Colclasure working on scrap book
            30 attend the Steam School
            Light poll on the north lane replaced & has electric to it
            Electric added to workshop north of the saw mill
            Keith Matthews passed away
           good weather

2014 - feature:  Allis-Chalmers - Graham - Bradley with equipment
            Sylvester Junior Fosdick retired from the board

            have a working relationship with Enbridge
            11 attend the Steam School
            Rain before the show this year
            Price Gregory Co has agreement for parking lot use

2015 - feature:  Minneapolis-Moline with equipment
            Kevin & Denise Coffey take over the Flea Market Engineers
            Repair to Post Office & school house
           Com Ed to set new poles on 2200 North
           Lost the free website from Scott McCoy.
           New Fence on the south side.
           Enbridge will use the picnic area of the south building in exchange for 10 - 12 loads of gravel.
           50 tractors participated in the tractor drive
       
2016 - feature:  John Deere with equipment
             First time the show was cancelled.  The board members met on Wednesday morning to decide the grounds were too
            wet to for exhibitors & visitors.
            Singer building & kitchen area were damaged by winds & repaired.
           Bloomington Offset Printing printed the brochures.
           Board member Al Diemer passed away.
          Gold Wing to use the park for camping in July.


2017 - John Deere, Ferguson and Roof were the features.
              Coralee (Corky) Utegg retired as secretary.  Denise Coffey will replace her in 2018.
              Denise Coffey took over the website after the retirement of Jon and Brenda DeFries.
               Board President Joe Rittenhouse passed away
.

2018 - Allis Chalmers was featured with the Gathering of the Orange being held in conjunction with our show.
               Coralee (Corky) Utegg passed away

2019 - Oliver, Massey-Harris, and pre-35 tractors were featured.
              Received several hundred loads of aggregate from the I-55 project for creating new roads and
                                   upgrading muddy areas on the grounds.
               Rustic Auto Club disbanded leaving Rusty's Drive-In temporarily without tenants. 
                                    Dwight Baptist Academy will take over.
              John Erickson, Sam Haley, and Jim Erickson passed away.

2020 -  Gate fees raised to $10
               Received more asphalt grindings from I-55 project to build new roads around the grounds
               7 maple trees were planted with money from Erickson memorials
​               Reunion, horse show, tractor drive, blacksmith days,  steam school, and annual meeting were all cancelled due to Covid-19

​2021 - Minneapolis, Ford, and repowered tractors were featured
            Received more asphalt grindings
            Bill Carroll, Jim McCabe, and Sharon Colclasure retired from the board.
            Jim Girard replaced Bill Carroll on the board.
            Terry Moore replaced Jim McCabe on the board.
             Larry Hassinger and Bill Carroll passed away
             Some tiling was done during the show in the north field

2022 - IH and Graham Bradley were featured
             More tiling was done during the show in the north field
             Received hoop building from United Piping
             Stephen Bennett and Barbara Peterson passed away.
2023 - J.I. Case Heritage Foundation Expo

            
               



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  • Home
  • Index
  • Schedule
    • Brochure flyer
    • Daily Schedule
    • Daily Attractions
    • Visit the General Store & Museum
  • Special Events
    • Blacksmith Days
    • Consignment Sale
    • Country Tractor Drive
    • Draft Horse Pull
    • Case Heritage Expo Banquet
    • Horse Shows
    • Parade (Downtown)
    • Quilt Raffle
    • Steam School Information
    • Tractor Pulls
  • Flea Market
  • Contact
  • FAQ's
    • Facebook
    • Accommodations
    • Pricing
    • Golf Cart Rentals
    • Location
    • Links
  • Our History
    • One Man's Dream
    • The First Show
    • Fosdick at the First Show
    • Record of Past Directors
    • Record of Officers
    • President Joe Rittenhouse
    • Board Members Photos
  • New Park
    • New Park History
    • 2011 Store & Museum
    • 2012 Small Engine Building
    • 2014 Flag Pole improvements
    • Aerial Photos
    • History available on CD's
    • Looking for photos