Base of Operations Program 11/44

[proessler]

Jeff, Midway Equipment is no longer in business. I made a few trips there in early '70s to pickup equipment for the IH dealer I worked for. The Google Maps satellite image @ the location looks to be a yard full of containers of some sort surrounding the buildings.

 

[jbaker]

Paul can you post a link to that satelite view?

I cant seem to find it

 

[proessler]

Jeff, now you are helping me reveal my Tech Defect...WI 73 & W. Medina Rd.,Medina, Dane, WI,53559 (Northwest Quad)or walk me thru the Linking

Over in Denny's part of the county.<font color="ff0000">Thanks, Bill...</font>

 

[bjames]

https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&channel=rcs&q=WI+73+%26+W.+Medina+Rd.,Medina,+Dane,+WI,53559&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x88066096e46cf649:0xb12db307eca7b6ff,Wisconsin+73+%26+W+Medina+Rd,+Medina,+WI+53559&gl=us&ei=5qxVUZ_HHsiCrgHezYGoBQ&ved=0CDAQ8gEwAA

 

[jbaker]

Thanks Bill & Paul looks like material storage or something

 

[bjames]

I've never seen or heard of these. Pretty cool if it's real.

"1984 INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY FOUNDRY FINAL POUR IRON CAST BOOKEND.

INCLUDES THE CAST NAME OF THE EMPLOYEE WHO POURED THE CASTING, G A (GARY) BRISTOE. THESE WERE PRODUCED BY THE EMPLOYEES DURING THE FINAL DAYS OF OPERATIONS IN 1984 AS PERSONAL MOMENTOS AND AS SUCH ARE VERY RARE.

IT IS ALSO VERY RARE TO HAVE THE EMPLOYEE NAME CAST AND I HAVE NOT SEEN IT ON OTHER EXAMPLES THAT I HAVE COME ACROSS."

 

[thoffman]

Bill J,
There are several different casting of "milestone" events that have casting such as this. There is the Cub Bear and the Cadet that immediately come to mind, but I know there are many more. You have to be careful though, there are a lot of imitations out there!! Paul Bell, if you are watching please chime in.

 

[bjames]

I've seen the Cub Bears and the Cadets before but not these.
A little research shows these were actually door stops and there are quite a few reproductions out there.

 

[digger]

Bill J.
Here's what Paul B. wrote over on Farmallcub.com in 2007.

They were made as door stops, or book ends, as some people call them, and the man with the ladle is similar to the Iron Man statue Cub-Bud spoke of. They were made to commemorate the last pour at Louisville before the foundry closed. There are actually two different dates of the "last Pour" pieces, the other is dated in 1984 I believe, and will have a persons name on it. When the plant closed in 83, a small number of people continued to work in the foundry to complete a parts contract that IH had with someone else (they made castings and forgings for other companies, one being American Motors), and it is the name of one of thoses individuals that is found on the "real' last pour door stop/book ends. They were cast, in cast iron, for each of those individuals. You can also find the same thing with the Memphis Plant name on them. They were painted gold, like the 9-14-74 Cadet statue

Yes they are collectable, and yes there are many reproductions of them. Real ones sold in the $100 to $150 (each) range in this area a couple of years ago, not sure about now because I haven't looked for any. I had the measurements for a real one at one time but can no longer locate them. There are a number of reproductions, but I doubt if anyone knows how many of either one of the originals were made.

The Iron Man Cub-Bud spoke of was given the name "Six Million Dollar Man" by the employee's, because they joked about that is probably how much IH had invested in it, and the TV show of the same name probably had a little to do with it. That and the fact that Mr.Jones (a pattern maker) started with a store mannequin, and added to it when making the pattern for the mold.

 

[pbell]

The individuals name on those very last pours at the Louisville Plant, was added to the wooden pattern using self adhesive plastic embossing tape, then the sand mold was made from that, and poured. All of the castings, the bears, cadets, door stops etc., were cast in sand cast molds made from wooden patterns.
The cast iron bears holding the tractor, were the first things poured at the new Louisville Works Foundry, in Jan 1949. That first pour was completed about 10:30 at night.

You can go here and read the story of the opening of the Louisville Foundry, in the Harvester World Magazine, Volume 40, pages 14-17
http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/ihc/id/17583

 

[jbaker]

found this on one of John Boelens cub at a plowday

 

[thoffman]

Jeff,
WOW!! I'm REAL familiar with that area. I never know it was there. The other IH dealership was Lewis International about 1/2 mile away.

 

[jbaker]

found these at AJ's

 

[jbaker]

This was a IH dealer in Lena, Ill.
So I was told and it has the look.

 

[jbaker]

 

[jbaker]

Found a couple of more at Bluniers PD

 

[jbaker]

 

[sblunier]

Big Steve worked here for many years.......photo is of his dads 1206....

 

[jlspicer]

Steve,
Nice 12-0!

Do you guys still have it or know where she is? That right there is my all time favorite Farmall/IH/tractor. Hope to own one someday. Gotta win the lottery first, though.

 

[bkattner]

I've got a few dealer decals for Olson Implement in Antioch, IL floating around somewhere. My Dad worked there for about 12 yrs or so after high school. I think (but I'm not positive) it's where Antioch Tire is now. I'll have to see if I can dig them up.

I know my Uncle's 1566 has (had) a decal for Nor-Mal International, and pretty sure his Magnum has (a C-IH) one for A.A. Anderson in Harvard.