The Allis-Chalmers Roto-Baler could easily be one of the most complex farm machines I have ever used/laid eyes on. It requires detailed attention to all the springs, latches, bearings, chains, and belts. If one component is not finely tuned, there is a good chance the machine will not work. The round bale machine has some very interesting history behind… Continue reading Allis-Chalmers Roto-Baler
Tag: Farming
Markesan Historical Society
Being involved with your local historical society is a great way to be involved with your community. Whether you are from a small community or big city, most of these places have a historical society or two. In Wisconsin the majority of historical organizations are affiliated with the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS). If you are… Continue reading Markesan Historical Society
Allis Sanborn Maps
The American Geographical Society Library at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee has an amazing collection of Sanborn maps of Milwaukee from 1894 and 1910. The E.P. Allis Reliance Works and Allis-Chalmers Company are among the maps in this collection. Each picture below will take you to the page where they can be viewed up close.… Continue reading Allis Sanborn Maps
D-10 Series II Restoration
(If you would like to see some of our other restorations, click here.) Our D-10 was the 4th and most recent restoration job that we worked on. I had done some various work on it in it before the painting part of the project. My brother and I took the head off, only because the… Continue reading D-10 Series II Restoration
City Man on the Farm
I was going through some photos on my computer, and I couldn't resist making a post about this after I found the pictures from last year. Last Summer my soon-to-be in-laws made a trip to our family farm. According to the dates on the picture, it was the last weekend in July 2011. I remember that being a really… Continue reading City Man on the Farm
#5 La Crosse Works
The humble beginning of the La Crosse Plow Company started in 1860, when John M. Barclay and I.S. Bantan started the Barclay and Bantan Implement Works in La Crosse, Wisconsin. In May 1865, Albert Hirschheimer bought the small shop and carried on making horse-drawn farm equipment there, calling it the A. Hirschheimer and Company.* Hirschheimer partnered… Continue reading #5 La Crosse Works
Historic Markesan
For Markesan's annual Heritage Days I put together a brochure to guide people around some historic spots in our community. Another historical society member helped get the brochures printed and ready for the event. The brochure has numbered locations, as well as some historical anecdotes for each location. The locations on our historical map correspond with sections of my… Continue reading Historic Markesan
D-19 Restoration
In 2006, my dad, brother and I decided to take up a new hobby. Dad thought that getting some old tractors and machinery might be fun, and we could use them to make some small food plots near our woods. He bought a 1962 Allis-Chalmers D-17 Series II and, although we never really intended to, we started to… Continue reading D-19 Restoration
The IV Series of the Allis-Chalmers D-17
A common question/problem people have with the Allis-Chalmers D-17 is identifying the differences between the 4 production series that were made. There are certain cosmetic and operational features that switched between each production. While cosmetic details can betray the untrained eye, the mechanical features don't lie. Let's take a look at the differences so that… Continue reading The IV Series of the Allis-Chalmers D-17
Allis-Chalmers Trademarks Through the Years
While reading through Norm Swinford's book, Allis-Chalmers Construction Machinery & Industrial Equipment, I came across a small blurb about the history of the Allis-Chalmers trademarks. There are several variations of the trademark or logo that the company used, and this little excerpt on page sixteen touched on them. The article must have been written by Allis-Chalmers unless… Continue reading Allis-Chalmers Trademarks Through the Years
The Weekend Historian 