5o years of harvesting history
5o years of harvesting history
Makoti Threshing Show ‘preserves the past’
By STU MERRY
It’s dubbed the largest steam threshing show in North Dakota. And this year it will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. The Makoti Threshing Show will be next weekend, Oct. 2-3.
The show kicks off Friday, Oct. 1, with a fairly new tradition – the tractor trek. This year’s route begins in Makoti, travels to Ryder, then returns. The show officially gets underway Saturday, Oct. 2 and showcases a parade featuring more than 300 historic steamers, threshing machines, antique tractors, cars and trucks as well as horses.
Leading the way preparing for the shows are members of the Makoti Threshing Association. Originally, there were about 150 charter members of the association when it organized in 1962. Now, only about 29 survive. All are over 60 with most in their 70s or 80s.
Marvin Franklin, Elmer Wolff, the association’s first president, and Loren and Leroy Quandt, all charter members, were among the first to begin preparations for this year’s big show.
