Henry Ford's Hunt for History in Palouse
A classic 1892 horse-powered threshing machine, once a staple of local agriculture, has been purchased by agents for Henry Ford's private museum.
The story, cleaned up
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An agent representing Henry Ford, the automobile manufacturer, has purchased an old horse-power machine of Leon Flansburg, near Palouse, which had been formerly used for threshing grain. The machine was purchased in 1892 and was used for threshing until 1901, when it was replaced by newer methods. It was owned by Mr. Flansburg’s father and it has remained on the place ever since until it was sold to the Ford interests. It was a 12-horsepower model, capable of propelling a large threshing machine, and it has threshed thousands of bushels of grain. It was shipped out last week with its destination as Dearborn, Michigan, where Mr. Ford is collecting a large museum of antiquated machinery. It was manufactured by the Buffalo-Pitts Company and there are probably no more machines like it manufactured.
“There are probably no more machines like it manufactured.”
This story highlights a recurring theme in Pacific Northwest history: the rapid transition from animal-driven labor to industrial mechanization. Today, these same farming communities face new shifts as technological automation, rather than just raw horsepower, redefines the future of Washington's agricultural identity.
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