Hall of Fame

This page is dedicated to the many people who have helped to make our
organization what it is today and are no longer with us.
All deceased members are important to us. Without them our organization would not exist today. We realize we could not include all deceased members, here we will honor a few of the hard-working men and women who gave their time and talents so that we may all enjoy the result of their labor.

We wish to salute these volunteers for their contributions!

To the men who founded this show, threshing was not a novelty or something they had only seen from a distance. Threshing was a way of life. They remembered it as being a hot, dusty, dirty, sweaty job. They remembered the long, hard days of the threshing season. They remembered the big threshing dinners, where the farm ladies would try to outdo each other to provide the best meal. They also remembered the stories - lots of stories about the so-called "glory days" of when steam was king.  When the opportunity came for some of them to relive those "glory days", if only for one afternoon, they jumped at the chance.  When they stopped to think that a whole generation was coming up that would never know what "threshing days" were all about, it made it that much more important to them.

One of those early threshermen was J. Herman Layton (left) who had owned threshing rigs and sawmills. He had a major influence on  his son, Jim, to fire up the steam engine and do some threshing one Saturday afternoon in 1961.

Jim Layton (right) actually started the show in 1961. He had bought his father's Frick engine back and restored it to original condition. There were only about two or three years in his life that he did not thresh. In 1952 he bought his first self-propelled combine and thought his threshing days were over. Later in the 1950s he did threshing for Buddy Wright, near Federalsburg, using the IH 560 tractor. They threshed rye every year up until 1964.

Another steam engine man who did not miss but a couple of years of firing an engine was Russell Waldis (left) of Federalsburg. He started firing an engine in his father's sawmill when he was 5 years old and was ready to help again in 1961.  He fired an engine at the show up until his death at the age of 85 in 2000. Making 80 years of firing a steam engine! A feat not too many people can match.

Norris and Carolyn Chambers (below) were ever present during our early years. Many remember him as being there whenever anything needed doing. He worked year-round and spent many, many days cutting grass and working on things throughout the year until his death in 1983. Carolyn was well-known in the ladies' crafts booth and was always a delight to have around. She was always having fun wherever she went.

For these men (below) working with steam engines was a way of life.
A.B. Rosser (left) is remembered for displaying his three-story trailer loaded with gas and steam engines. Ben Trice (center) exhibited his crossmotor Case tractor and sawed shingles for many years. At right is Herman Layton.

Bill Handley (right) and his team of oxen were a regular at our shows for many years. He demonstrated how oxen were used to pull carts and haul logs.

Norris Todd served as the organization's Treasurer for twenty-five years. A life-long farmer he also worked with sawmills and experienced first-hand using the equipment we demonstrate at the show today. He passed away in 2000 at the age of 92.

Lloyd Pahlman (right) was one of our charter members who can be remembered running his Titan tractor and double cylinder Frick steam engine at the shows.  Another life-long farmer, he also worked with sawmills. He served as director and  vice president of the organization. He passed away in 1978.

Heartie Foraker served as a director of our organization for many years. He is well remembered running his Twin City tractor at the rock crusher. His wife, Frances, also worked hard for the organization. She worked in the ice cream stand until her health prohibited her from attending the show anymore.

John and Helen Ellingsen were always a big help around the showgrounds both before and during the show. They always had a good time and were never too tired to kick up their heels when the music started.

Among our early exhibitors was C.K. Longenderfer who was a master steam model builder. Even into his 90's, he continued to make the trip down from Pennsylvania annually to exhibit at our show until the year he passed away.

Calvin Minner demonstrated making  strawberry cups at our show. He would set up shop under the old walnut tree every year. His cups all had his name, the show's name and date on the bottom. This photo was taken in 1982.

Robert L. Roberts, Jr. served on the Board of Directors for 30 years. He also served as the announcer at our shows for many many years. Bob always attended all functions the show held and could be found with his camera taking pictures. Among the models he displayed were his Case steam engine, ferris wheel and merry-go-round. Bob passed away October 24, 2001 at the age of 81. Bob will be missed by everyone attending the show.  (Photo by Roxane Doster Watts, used with permission of the Star-Democrat.)

Alice Trice (right) and Bessie Trice (below) attended the shows for many years. They started coming to the show during the first years and attended as long as their health allowed. These sisters could always be found helping out wherever they could. One of the jobs they seemed to enjoy was the thankless  job of restocking and cleaning the rest rooms during the show. Alice passed away in 1998 and Bessie in 1999.

(Photos courtesy of Tubby Fisher.)

Mr. Leon Knetz  (right) exhibited steam models at our show for 35 years without missing. He and Mrs. Knetz could always be found with smiles on their faces visiting with old friends and making new ones. Mr. Knetz passed away August 12, 2002. Even though his health prevented him from attending our 2002 show, his family exhibited his models for him.

Charles V. Robertson (left) of Delmar, MD was a long-time supporter of our organization. He served as a director for many years and served as an honoray director at the time of his death. He passed away at home August 3, 2003. He owned Charlie's Print Shop and donated all the printing for the organization until he retired. Charlie could be found before and during the show working with the tractors. He loved nothing more than to listen to a tractor running .

Jack Bradshaw (right) could always be found at the show demonstrating his drag saw or with his Model TT truck which he grew up with and later restored.  Jack was always ready to help with any project, especially carpentry work. He served as a director, vice president and president of the organization. He was an honorary director at the time of his death in December, 2003. His wife, Bertha, registered gas engines for many years and could always be found before the show helping to get ready. She passed away in 2009.

O.E. Breeding of Hickman was always on hand with his Federal dump truck loaded with rocks for the rock crusher. Any time we needed gravel for the lanes or a building project, he was always there. He passed away  during the night of August 3, 2006. His family arrived at the showgrounds next morning with the dump truck load of rocks, as he had wished. Not one to have his picture taken often, he is captured here with his wife in the parade in 2003.

Note: I am always working on this page. If you have any good pictures of
someone that should be included, let me know. Stop back again.