MVASGA—Club History

Hisorical Highlights of the
2003 MAUMEE VALLEY
ANTIQUE STEAM & GAS ASSOCIATION

First show is held at the James Whitbey Farm on Carroll Road northwest of Fort Wayne.

1954: The organization is incorporated as “The Old Time Threshers and Sawmill Operators Association.”

1977:

James Whitbey passes away.
The 27 th Annual and Last “Old Time Threshers and Sawmill Operators Association” show is held at the Whitbey farm.

1978:

The association is reorganized as the “Maumee Valley Antique Steam & Gas Association”.
The show is moved to the Jefferson Township Park east of New Haven.
The first year is spent getting grounds cleared for the first show. Very few trees were present and the only building was the park pavilion.

1981: Irvin Bandelier is named first Honorary Director.

1982:

1946 Mack firetruck is obtained from the Casad Depot. It is used to pump water from the pond for the steam engines.
First tractor pull track is installed on the north side of show grounds.
The 5 th annual show is dedicated to memory of John H. Nahrwold who passed away in 1979.

1983:

The 6 th annual show is dedicated to Irvin Bandelier.
Electrical service and lights are installed. Donated trees are planted on show grounds and park.
Flagpole is installed in front of park pavilion.
The large water wagon is built.

1984:

Antique car show is held at Jefferson Township Park in the spring.
The sawmill is bought from Helen Nahrwold installed at the show grounds.
The 7 th annual show is dedicated to Oscar Schuller.

1985: More donated ash trees are planted.

1986: New Haven Canal Days, held at Jefferson Township Park in June, is rained-out.

1987:

John Deere is the first feature tractor brand at the annual show.
First year of the Quilt and Craft Show.

1988: Oliver "Red River Special " separator and IHC stationary baler are donated to the association.

1989: The Crook-Miller Company of Hicksville, Ohio donates the Chuse stationary steam engine. Volunteers disassemble engine and store it at the show grounds.

1990:

Case is the feature tractor brand.
Helen Brigham, great-granddaughter of J.I. Case, comes to the 13 th annual show.
McCormick grain reaper is donated to the association.

1991:

The sawmill and senior citizen buildings are built with donated materials. Tents had been used for the senior citizen area prior to this.
Sawdust conveyor for sawmill is installed.
The association purchases and renovates wooden bleachers.
Tractor pull scales are donated and installed.

1992:

Volunteers tear down a barn at Edgerton, IN for salvage lumber to be used for future projects.
Additions are made to the sawmill and senior citizens buildings.

1993:

Denny Lewellen. in memory of his son, Daniel, donates foundation for the Chuse steam engine.
Chuse engine is assembled for static display.
The dump station for campers is installed.
More lights are installed in the north field.

1994: A 3-bottom IHC plow is donated.

1995:

Herman Schnelker donates an old storage building to the association. The organization pays for the building to be removed and rebuilt at the park. It becomes the association's office/quilt building.
A concrete floor is installed in the senior citizen building.
The old loading dock is removed to make room for the new office building and a new loading dock is built.
The 1 st Sheppard Diesel tractor reunion and Sheppard club organization is held during the 18 th annual show.
Volunteers remove 2 Kewanee steam boilers from the former powerhouse of Casad depot. One of the boilers is brought to the show grounds.

1996:

The current association logo is adopted.
Maumee Valley Steam & Gas Engine Association co-hosts the first Winter Tractor & Engine Show with the National Automotive & Truck Museum at Auburn, IN in March.
The feature display building, donated by James Nahrwold, is erected at the park.
The 19 th annual summer show hosts the “Hoosier Co-op Jamboree”.
The first annual Maumee Valley Steam & Gas Engine Association "Model Engine & Toy Show " is held in October.

1997:

First year that the association has a “give away” tractor fundraiser. A donated John Deere “H” is restored and given away. The former 4-H grounds are rented from the park.
The wood frame sawmill is rebuilt with steel.
The roof on the office/quilt building is resealed and an insulated ceiling is installed in the front half of the building.
The kiddy tractor pull sled is built.

1998:

The tractor pull track is moved to the new south grounds.
A new roof is put on the tractor pull building.
Lights and electrical updates are made to the south grounds.
The floor is concreted in the back half of the office/quilt building.
A Nichols and Shepard grain separator is donated to the association.
Salvaged building material is donated for reuse as an engine building.
The 21 st annual show hosts “The Oliver Gang” summer show and has the Peterson 1904 Hart-Parr 22-40, one of the oldest running gasoline tractors in the United States.
Stephanie Bauer is married at the show in front of the park pavilion.

1999:

The 7 th annual Winter Tractor and Engine Show is moved from the NATMUS Museum to the Kruse Auction Park due to space constraints at NATMUS.
Volunteers finish the interior of the back half of the office/quilt building.
Lights are installed for evening tractor pulls.
The 22 nd annual show hosts the Indiana Chapter of the International Harvester Collectors.
Wendell and Mary Kelch’s newly restored 1917 30-60 Titan is featured at the show.

2000:

The shower building is completed for the park.
A 36’ X 96’ engine building is built over the Chuse engine.
The coalbunker is built from donated railroad bridge timbers.
More lights are added to the south grounds.
The first shuttle wagon is built.
“Lesser-known Classics” are featured and over 130 feature brand tractors, including a Pioneer 30, are at the 23 rd annual summer show.

2001:

The 7 th Annual Winter Tractor and Engine Show co-hosts the Hart-Parr Oliver Collector’s Association National Winter Convention with “The Oliver Gang”.
Electrical updates are made to the main show grounds along with the engine building being wired.
A concrete foundation and an ash pit is built for the Kewanee boiler and a smoke stack is donated.
The tractor pull scales are re-installed by the tractor pull track.
A windmill, Baker separator, and a commercial welder are donated to the association.
The 24 th annual show featured Minneapolis-Moline and Empire.

2002:

The 25 th Anniversary of the Maumee Valley Antique Steam & Gas Association.
The 8 th annual winter show hosts the J. I. Case Collector’s Association National Winter Convention.
A new metal roof and a concrete floor are installed for the James Nahrwold feature building.
A new metal roof is installed on the senior citizens building.
A well is installed on the show grounds for the concessions and steam engines.
Two new shuttle wagons are built.
The Kewanee steam boiler and smokestack are installed.
The 25 th annual show featured items that were at the first show 25 years before and the B.F. Avery Collectors and Associates Summer National show.

2003:

The 9 th annual winter show hosts both the Prairie Gold Rush (Minneapolis-Moline) and B.F. Avery Collectors and Associates National Winter Conventions.
The new 40’ X 60’ entertainment pavilion is built.
A furnace is installed in the office/quilt building and a 1,000-gallon L.P. tank is donated.
The 26 th annual show hosted the International J.I.Case Heritage Foundations 17 th Annual Exposition. Our largest summer show to date.

2004:

The 10 th Annual Winter Tractor and Engine Show hosts the “IH Spring Round-up” put on by the Ohio (Chapter 6), Indiana (Chapter 7), Central Illinois (Chapter 10), and Michigan (Chapter 11) chapters of the International Harvester Collectors. Our largest winter show to date.
The Indiana Blacksmith Association establishes a satellite group at New Haven and constructs a blacksmith building for the club.
A new log deck is built and installed.
An exterior air conditioning unit is donated and air conditioning is installed in the office/quilt building.
A club web presence is established at “maumeevalley .org”
The 27 th annual show features Allis-Chalmers / Advance-Rumely and related companies.

2005:

The 11 th Annual Winter Tractor and Engine show will feature Allis-Chalmers / Advance Rumely and related companies.
Maumee Valley hosted the first National Sheppard show in 1995.

2006:

The 12th annual Winter Tractor Show features Garden Tractors and Massey-Harris and Massey Ferguson tractors and realted companies. We host the "Vintage Garden Tractor Club of America Winter Expo" and the "Indiana Massey Collectors Association's Sprint Meeting."
the 29th summer show features Cockshutt, Co-op, and Huber. We host the "Hoosier Co-op Jamboree."
Brewer's Sound is hired to put up a temporary sound system and Rick Brewer announces at the show for the first time.

2007:

The 13th annual Winter Tractor Show features John Deere tractors & equipment.
the 30th summer show features John Deere and host the "Tri-State Two Cylinder Club."

The Maumee Valley Steam & Gas Association would not be what it is today without our dedicated volunteers. A tremendous amount of work and many donations have made this possible. We have had a successful 27 years and are looking forward to many new and exciting projects for the future.