Bobbie Smith of Arnold purchased a new 21A in May of 1943 for $3200. In order to purchase the machine he had to agree to do custom harvesting, He started cutting in Crowell, Texas, southwest of Vernon, Texas and ended up in North Dakota. We will be sharing more of Bobbies memories.

Max Smith remembers running his brother 21A in 1944. It was one of the models that did not have electric lift. Instead there was a large wheel to turn in order to move the header up or down. Max was only 15 and could not manage the wheel so he was asked to operate the IHC M and pulltype combine.

Don Brosius of Arnold recalls working for Sam Brown of Stapleton who was running 3 21A’s. One time they were moving fields and had to go up a long hill. The chain on the final drive broke and thus he had no traction. Worse than that, though, was that he had no brakes because the braking system was a part of the transmission and thus was “above stream” to the final drive. He was able to steer the combine into the ditch before it gained momentum down hill.

My cousin Bob Leach recalls going south with our Uncle Gerritt Brower in 1948.  They started in Frederick, Oklahoma in May.  They made another stop in Oklahoma and then on to Coldwater, Kansas to cut for a family named Wolff.  Bob recalls that the family also had a section of land in Cheyenne Wells Colorado. They traveled from their home farm to do the work.  At harvest the teenage daughter and a friend went with the harvest crew to prepare meals for the crew.  There was a sod house there.

Bob says “I don’t remember taking my car although it is in the group photo – 39 Chevrolet.”

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