Rock River Thresheree - 2008 Feature




The Wade Bros. Collection is the main feature of the 52nd Annual Rock River Thresheree Reunion to be held over Labor Day weekend in 2008.

Many steam enthusiasts were familiar with the brothers Harlan and Howard Wade, but they were not the "original" Wade brothers. That designation belongs to their uncle, Will Wade (front row, left), and father, Charlie Wade (front row, right). Charlie died in 1954 at the age of 84; Will died in 1957 at the age of 83.

Harlan (back row, right) and Howard continued the Wade legacy, adding to the collection until they had gathered over 80 pieces of equipment. The Wade Bros. especially loved Nichols & Shepard steam traction engines and Eagle gas tractors.

Howard's son, Ron Wade, and his family (wife Suzan, son Steve and daughter Lynn), are the reason the collection is still intact and available for us to display at our 52nd Annual Rock River Thresheree.

The Collection:

Steam Engines

16-50 Nichols & Shepard #13936
16-60 Nichols & Shepard #14033
16-60 Nichols & Shepard #14702 rear mount
25-85 Nichols & Shepard #13966
25-85 Nichols & Shepard incomplete
25-90 Nichols & Shepard double #13809
30-98 Nichols & Shepard single #11509
30-98 Nichols & Shepard double #11213
1922 18-60 Advance Rumely #15272
1922 18-60 Advance Rumely #15302
1923 65hp Case #35643 bobtail
40hp Case portable (orig. a road roller)
Case portable (short boiler)
Case 1/2 scale
Port Huron 1/2 scale (built by Ward Taylor in 1973; boiler by Elmer Sandley)
2 vertical boilers
Sandley boiler

Gas & Oil Tractors

1929 25-40 Advance Rumely OilPull X #X103
1930 25-40 Advance Rumely OilPull X #X2297
1929 30-50 Advance Rumely OilPull Y #Y73
1926 30-60 Advance Rumely OilPull S #101
1929 40-60 Advance Rumely OilPull Z #Z196
1937 Case C #C332977
1937 Case CC #C372985
1938 Case L #4211042
1925-30 Case T25-45 (cross motor) #T301112
Case LA
1927 16-30 Eagle H (w/ extension rims) #1665
1926 16-30 H Eagle H portable #1488
1929 20-35 Eagle E #2088
1927 20-40 Eagle H #1598
1954 IH McCormick Farmall H #82501
1950 IH McCormick Farmall M #224118
1950 IH McCormick Farmall M #242717
1938 John Deere A #475881
1948 John Deere B #218587
1947 John Deere D #170317
John Deere 420
35-70 Minneapolis Threshing Machine Co. #3762

Construction Equipment

Austin Western power grader
Caterpillar 66 grader/terracer
1953 D2 Caterpillar #5U13673
1952 D4 Caterpillar Diesel (16" tracks) #7U16310
1952 D4 Caterpillar Diesel (20" tracks w/ fenders) #7U17446
1957 D4 Caterpillar Diesel (20" tracks) #7U41491
1948 D6 Caterpillar Diesel #9U1084

Stationary Engines

40hp Eagle stationary (on skid) #1341
3 hp Fairbanks-Morse Z #624240
6 hp Fairbanks-Morse Z #547910
Haney & Campbell horizontal engine
4 hp unknown horizontal engine
large unknown vertical steam engine
medium unknown vertical steam engine
small unknown vertical steam engine

Implements

Advance Rumely 36x56 separator #22342
1941 Belle City 24" separator #55846
Belle City Joliet corn sheller #436221
Belle City Joliet corn sheller #588424
Case 75 combine
Case Centennial plow
2 Case combines (both on rubber)
1909 Case water wagon #22549
2 Case water wagons
Emerson-Brantingham plow
Fox chopper
IH corn binder
2 IH grain binders
N&S Red River Special 36x50 separator #28538
N&S Red River Special Jr. 28x46 separator #F22609
Oliver Red River Special separator #47931
Oliver Red River Special separator #51370
Oliver Red River Special separator #52309
1949 Union Iron Works Western corn sheller #1376
unknown grain binder
wooden wagon

Automotive & Transportation

1941 International K6 truck
late 1940s low-boy trailer
wooden buggy
2 cutters