North Country At Work

Pictured (left to right): unknown, Merrit Martin and Stan, ready to make hay. Circa 1910. Town of De Kalb, NY.

An unidentified farm worker is raking hay into haycocks, small piles of hay that would be loaded onto a wagon to bring to the barn mow, or piled into haystacks in the field. Home in the background. Circa 1910. Richville, NY. Donated by Mr. Judd.

Judd Family loading hay with hay loader at Wallace Farm. One of the men on the wagon is Almeron Judd, the man on the ground is Frank Judd. Circa 1910s. At the Wallace Farm in Canton, NY.

Reaper Glenn Aldrich driving his grain binder, which he traveled from farm to farm with. Here he is pictured at the Langdon Farm. Horse is equipped with fly net. Circa 1920s. Langdon’s Corners in Canton, NY.

Threshing crew in front of a steam traction engine. Two wagons full of bundles of grain wait to be pitched into threshing machine on right. Workers hold pitch forks for moving bundles. Some of the crew have neckerchiefs around their necks, used to cover their faces for protection from the dust. Circa 1890-1900. Lisbon, NY.

Man sitting on a horse-drawn side-delivery rake. The rake was used to roll cut and dried hay into windrows for loading onto a wagon for transport to barn for winter storage.  Circa 1920-1930. Boquet, NY.

Haying at Forest Home. Burton Humes with rake, Merton Mantle on load, Kendrick Shaw with pitchfork, Harlan Whipple with hand on horse, Lyman Humes in front of horse. Haying was done by hand. Piles of hay are called “haycocks.” Harrisville, NY. Circa 1920. Related story, here.

Pressing hay with Fred Rebscher’s hay press, on Calaboga Road in Hammond.Finished bale hangs on stillyard in foreground.  The hay press was an early technique for compressing loose hay into bales. Circa 1910. Hammond, NY.

Last load of hay in 1920. Note metal-wheeled early tractor drawing hay wagon of loose hay. Hammond, NY.

“Jumping” hay with a jump press, which made hay bales by compressing hay using human power. Horses are hitched in background to a sweep-power which compressed the bales further.  On right there is a “Stillyard scale,” used to weigh the compressed hay bales. At the time, this was the only way to bale hay for […]