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Artifact Articles
Tractors, airplanes, steam engines, and more intriguing artifacts from
the WDM Collection are highlighted in this series of articles by
Collections Curator, Ruth Bitner.
 London,
Liverpool, and Lloydminster - Barr Colonists
January 31, 2011
In 1903, twenty-three year old Frank Hembrow Smith of London,
England was reading a newspaper on his way to work at a local
shipbuilding company. A letter in the newspaper caught his eye-
it extolled the opportunities that awaited in the Canadian
northwest. Like many young men at the time, he was hooked, lured
by the promise of adventure.
 Ask
the Man Who Owns One: Geiser Manufacturing Company
January 16, 2011
Back in the early 1850s, Peter Geiser of Smithburg, Maryland
made history when he built his first thresher. Some say he was
the inventor of the threshing machine and his name should be as
familiar as John Deere’s or Cyrus McCormick’s of reaper fame.
 Full
Steam Ahead: Steam Power at the WDM
January 2, 2012
More than 60 years ago, the founders of Saskatchewan’s Western
Development Museum were motivated by a mission to save early
steam engines and gas tractors from the scrap heap. The WDM
steam collection is distributed throughout its four museums and
Curatorial Centre in Saskatchewan. Many examples are on exhibit,
others are operated annually in summer shows, while others are
currently in storage. The collection is enhanced by a library
collection of original manuals, parts lists and machine company
catalogues dating to the 1880s.
 Fifty
Golden Years
November 29, 2011
1955 ushered in a year of celebration as Saskatchewan marked 50
years as a province. And what a celebration it was. Hundreds of
events in communities large and small paid tribute to the
pioneers who settled Saskatchewan. Many tangible reminders of
the Golden Jubilee have found their way into the WDM collection.
From commemorative licence plates to commemorative quilts, all
mark the special year that brought Saskatchewanians together to
honour their past.
 The
Last Best West:
Homes for Millions
November 14, 2011
They came by the thousands to Western Canada, seeking
opportunity and a better life in a new “promised land.” The
Canadian government in the late 19th and early 20th century was
anxious to populate the west with farmers and business people
who would contribute to the national economy by developing the
vast resources of the West. A settled west would also solidify
Canada’s claim to sovereignty over the northwest.
 Dreadnaughts
of the Prairies: The Marshall Tractor
October 30, 2011
British tractor maker Marshall, Sons & Company had its eye on
the lucrative Canadian market early in the 20th century.
Marshall introduced its first tractor in 1907. Titled
"Dreadnaughts of the Prairies" the company promoted its "British
Colonial Tractors" with the slogan, "Built like a
Battleship-Runs Like a Watch." Marshall tractors were
"guaranteed of finest material and best workmanship."
 44,000
Pounds of Steel
American-Abell Steam Traction Engine
October 17, 2011
The giant American-Abell “Cock of the North” 32-120 HP
steam traction engine dominates the railway and machinery
line-up scene in Winning the Prairie Gamble: Farm Life in
Saskatchewan at the Saskatoon WDM. The engine began its working
life in southeast Saskatchewan near Macoun in 1913. It was used
for breaking land, pulling a 12-bottom plow.
The
Gray Tractor: An Unconventional Design
June 6, 2011
The Gray Tractor Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota was one
of dozens of companies trying to make it big in the tractor
business in the teens and 1920s. What set the Gray apart from
its competitors was the large drum which took the place of rear
wheels.
 Saskatchewan’s
Ferry System
May 24, 2011
The first Saskatchewan ferries, like the boat kept on the banks
of the North Saskatchewan River near Fort Carlton and another at
Batoche for crossing the South Saskatchewan, were owned by the
Hudson’s Bay Company. Other private ferries followed until 1905,
when the government took over all ferry service. By 1926, the
number of ferries in Saskatchewan peaked at 47.
 Horse
Power and the Dynamometer
May 9, 2011
To prove the value of horses, the Horse Association of
America encouraged horse-pulling
competitions in the United States and Canada. Special equipment
was needed to measure the drawbar pull of competing teams.
University of Saskatchewan professor Evan Hardy designed and built a dynamometer,
as the machines were called, in 1924.
 Like
the Phoenix Rising from the Ashes...Phoenix Centiped Log Hauler
April 11, 2011
The Phoenix Centiped is a Shay-style locomotive mounted on
endless tracks. It was made to haul seven to eighteen heavily
loaded logging sleighs over snow or ice roads. Each Centiped was
outfitted with a set of skis on the front. The 100 horsepower
four-cylinder engine operated at 200 pounds of steam per square
inch.
 Ahead
of its Time: Minneapolis-Moline UDLX Comfortractor
March 28, 2011
The 1938 Comfortactor boasted at least six tractor industry
firsts: enclosed cab, heater, cigar lighter, windshield wipers,
clock and radio. Sales literature boasted “closed car comfort.
When the farmer is inside the cab operating the tractor, he is
as comfortable as he would be in a modern automobile." So, why
didn't it sell?
 The
Bates Steel Mule, A ‘Mechanical Horse’
February 28, 2011
The Bates Steel Mule is one of the most unusual tractors in
the Western Development Museum collection. Just about everyone
who sees it wonders how it worked. Unlike other tractors of its
day, the Steel Mule had no seat.
 New for the 19th Century:
Steam
February 14, 2011
Steam power revolutionized
life in the 19th century. Its application to industry and
transportation transformed society on both sides of the
Atlantic. Portable steam engines provided the first non-animal
source of power on the farm.
Bonus: 'An
Ocean Apart'
Special Valentine's Day Artifact Article
by Noelle Grosse
 Full
Power All the Time! First in the Field with NEW and
REVOLUTIONARY “Live” Power Take-Off
January 31, 2011
The Western Development Museum collection boasts a 1948
Cockshutt 30 - the first tractor equipped with live power
take-off.
 The
Mighty Pioneer - Pioneer 30-60 HP Tractor
January 17, 2011
The 30 was a big tractor, weighing 23,000 pounds. The drive
wheels were 96 inches in diameter. It could pull an eight to ten
bottom plow through tough, prairie sod or power a 36 inch
cylinder threshing machine making it ideal for custom work.
 Air Ambulance Service Makes Aviation History
January 3, 2011
CF-SAM, an airplane in the Western Development Museum
collection, represents a milestone in Saskatchewan and Canada’s
aviation history. It belonged to the fledgling Saskatchewan Air
Ambulance Service (SAAS), the first non-military,
government-operated air ambulance service in the world.
 Coming
Home Part Three - Dalby's Steam Engine
December 13, 2010
History-minded donors who have long since left the province
sometimes take the time and trouble to return to the province
artifacts which have their roots in Saskatchewan. This series
will feature three 'homecoming' stories. In Part Three,
a hand-built model steam engine makes a return trip to
Saskatchewan after many years spent in Ontario.
 Coming
Home Part Two - Cowie Saddle and Jacket
November 29, 2010
History-minded donors who have long since left the province
sometimes take the time and trouble to return to the province
artifacts which have their roots in Saskatchewan. This series
will feature three 'homecoming' stories. Part Two highlights the
travels of a Depression era saddle and jacket.
 Coming
Home Part One - Moose Jaw Red Cross Quilt
November 15, 2010
History-minded donors who have long since left the province
sometimes take the time and trouble to return to the province
artifacts which have their roots in Saskatchewan. This series
will feature three 'homecoming' stories. Part One tells the
story of a quilt made by the Canadian Red Cross during World War
Two and its journey across the ocean and back.
 The
Big Four
November 2, 2010
Named for its massive
four-cylinder engine, the Big Four traces its family history to
the first years of the twentieth century when D.M. Hartsough
experimented with a multi-cylinder engine.
 The
Bull with the Pull
October 18, 2010
During the second decade of the 20th century, the giant gas
tractors were just beginning to give way to their smaller,
cheaper and easier to handle counterparts. The Bull Tractor
Company wanted a piece of the action.
 To
Fly Like a Bird...
posted October 5, 2010
Ralph Vallevand of Elbow, Saskatchewan dreamed of flying
like a bird. In true pioneer spirit, he set about to build a
machine that would make his dream a reality.
 Massey-Harris
Joins the Tractor Revolution
posted September 20, 2010
Massey-Harris was a late-comer to the tractor business. The
Western Development Museum is fortunate to have acquired a
Massey-Harris No. 2, 12-22 HP, in 1957. It is believed that of
the 400-500 originally produced, no more than a handful remain.
 Tractor Fills a Universal Need
The Manitoba Universal
posted September 7, 2010
One of the rarest tractors in the Saskatchewan Western
Development Museum collection came out of Winnipeg about 1915.
The Manitoba Universal Farm Tractor was one of a small handful
of tractors manufactured in Western Canada.
 The
Thoroughly Canadian Car
Made Up to a Standard, Not Down to a Price
posted August 23, 2010
In 1905, the Russell car made its debut. Built by Canada Cycle
and Motor Company (CCM), was the first truly successful Canadian
automobile.
 The
WDM’s Oldest Gas Tractor
Saunderson Universal Motor Type A
posted August 9, 2010
What do Pioneer Settlement in Swan Hill, Victoria, Australia and
the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,
Canada have in common? These museums boast the only two
Saunderson Universal Motor Type A tractors known to exist
anywhere in the world.
 Teeth
Talk: The Bull Dog Line
Avery Undermounted Steam
Engine
posted July 26, 2010
Out of the Avery Company plant at Peoria, Illinois came one of
the most unusual traction engines of the day. The famous
undermounted engine looked more like a railway locomotive than a
conventional steam traction engine.
 In
a Prairie Attic: Bladon Family Toys
posted July 12, 2010
The WDM acquired more than 1700 artifacts from the Bladon home
in addition to several hundred farm machinery company pamphlets,
booklets, and advertising materials. The real treasure, however,
was toys.
 Blowtorch, The
Mechanical Horse
posted June 29, 2010
“The only horse in the world you have to choke to start”
W.J. McIntyre, inventor.
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