Steam-Powered Heritage Shines at 54th Annual Tennessee-Kentucky Threshermen’s Show – Clarksville Online

Written by Jonathan Wheeler

Adams, TN – A long-running event in Adams, Tennessee, is preserving an important piece of history and keeping it available for generations to come. It’s not what one would normally associate with this town, known for its Bell Witch Cave stories or its summer canoeing sites on the Red River.

Instead, this special event offers participants the opportunity to look back in time at the machines and techniques that catapulted our nation’s agriculture into the advanced age we see today. This ancient event just outside of Clarksville was the Tennessee-Kentucky Threshermen’s Association’s 54th Annual Steam Threshing Show.

The first thing that comes to mind is: what exactly is a threshing machine? A threshing machine is a machine used in agriculture to separate wheat or grain. In the past, a large steam engine was required to generate the energy needed to operate the threshing machine. As spectators milled near the entrance at this year’s show, one of the main attractions was a 1924 Keck Gonnerman steam engine. It was on display and in use to demonstrate how this threshing process was carried out.

The grounds featured exhibits and demonstrations, vintage cars, working antique tractors, tractor pulling and horse pulling competitions, a sawmill, vendors, antiques and more to pique the interest of spectators young and old. It’s no wonder that the uniqueness of this exhibition makes this annual steam threshing show one of the largest events of its kind in the southeastern United States, with crowds for the multi-day event numbering in the thousands.

The aforementioned 1924 Keck Gonnerman steam engine is undeniably one of the highlights of this show. This year, this steam engine from the Bumpus family has been in use for 100 years. According to Nate Bumpus, this steam engine was originally purchased in Indiana. It took weeks to get back to Cross Plains, Tennessee because its top speed is 4 miles per hour.

As they passed through, they stopped at farms along the way to help cultivate the fields, refill water, and earn some extra money. Nate states that this two-cylinder steam engine was designed for heavier loads such as threshing wheat or milling saws, and that many steam engines at the time actually only had one cylinder.

Another interesting fact about the Bumpus steam engine is that it is the last serial number of this model ever manufactured by Keck Gonnerman. This was the last steam engine manufactured before the company moved to gas and diesel powered innovations. When the combined steam engine and threshing machine was replaced by combine harvesters, Paul Swann, the family’s original owner, like many others, made the switch.

However, he and his fellow farmers in the area recognized the importance of the steam-powered thresher to agriculture and founded the Tennessee-Kentucky Threshermen’s Association in 1969. To this day, her family not only owns this steam engine, but was an important part of running this annual show. Today Charlie Bumpus is president of the club. His wife Mary and sons Will and Nate are seen operating the steam engine and helping with the show.

The show had much more to offer than steam engines and threshing. This year, participants were able to watch all kinds of events related to agriculture and other activities in rural America. Threshing and sawing wheat showcased not only the power of the Bumpus steam engine, but also the amazing performance of the steam engines owned by others at the fair. Throughout the show, these engines could be seen shooting clouds of steam into the sky as onlookers watched in amazement.

Horse, mule and pony parades left many in awe as they watched these resilient animals compete with each other throughout the three-day show. Another interesting event that took place over two days was the antique tractor pulling, which really gave a sense of how machines of the past can still be relevant and powerful today. Visitors to the fair had numerous opportunities to experience life in earlier times, with insights into the art of blacksmithing and the display of goods from a bygone era.

Another fascinating highlight was Saturday’s grand parade, which featured classic cars, trucks, antique tractors and specialty tractors arriving along Adams’ main street, Highway US 41. Crowds watched with joy, from organizations as well as business owners and politicians. Figures paraded through the parade, waving and handing out candy to everyone.

Learning about the past can be as easy as searching the internet. However, it is rare to see history in action. What the Tennessee-Kentucky Threshermen’s Association puts together each year is a marvel of technological advances in agriculture at a time that shaped this nation’s ability to support itself.

The steam-powered machine allowed farmers to increase their yields, save time, and even develop better techniques for demanding jobs. The 27 men involved in founding this club recognized the importance of this machine and created something truly special for everyone to see.

This 54th annual show continued that great tradition.

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