1922 Minneapolis 35-70

The Minneapolis 35-70 was built by the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company in Hopkins, Minnesota from 1920-1929.  It is powered by a 1486 cubic inch 4-cylinder engine fueled with kerosene.  It developed a maximum belt horsepower of 74.0 and drawbar horsepower of 52.55 in the Nebraska tests done from May 21 to June 4, 1920.  The engine has a 7.25” bore and 9” stroke and was rated at 550 rpm.  The transmission has two forward gears at 2.0 and 2.5 mph, and one reverse at 1.7 mph.  The tractor is 17’-2” long, 9’ wide, 10’-2” high, and weighs 22,500 pounds.  It is rated to pull a 6-10 bottom plow, depending on soil conditions.

The 35-70 was built in an era when the larger tractors were built using internal combustion engines on a frame similar to those used on steam traction engines.  These tractors were used to pull implements or to provide stationary power for threshing machines and feed mills.  The large tractors such as this were expensive to buy and cumbersome to drive and not well suited for smaller farms.  Many manufacturers began making smaller, less expensive tractors better suited for smaller farms, and the sales of the larger ones dwindled.  Because of the amount of steel in them, many of these tractors as well as many steam traction engines were scrapped during World War II so the steel could be recycled to help the war effort.

In 1929 the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company, Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company, and Moline Plow Works merged to become the Minneapolis-Moline.  The new company had its headquarters in Hopkins, with plants in Hopkins, Minneapolis at Hiawatha Avenue & Lake Street, and in Moline, Illinois. 

Minneapolis-Moline acquired the Avery farm machine company in 1951, and was then acquired by The White Motor Company in 1963.

Here are links to an article and video on the 35-70:
https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/4106588-renovation-13-ton-100-year-old-tractor-team-effort

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6M8I79NLXI


The operator's platform on this tractor is large enough to accommodate two people, but  has no seat.  Below are some photos taken from the operator's platform.  Notice the exposed push rods and rocker arms on the engine, as well as the height of the platform compared to other tractors in the museum.

Our 20th Season

It has been 20 years since Virgil Schwanke opened the museum to the public to share his collection of tractors, trucks, and cars.

We are busy preparing the museum for the 2019 season, which begins Saturday, May 18.

The museum entrance has moved to the tractor parts sales area at the west end of the museum building, inside the security fence. 

Museum hours are:
Monday-Friday: 9 am to 4 pm
Saturday: 9 am to noon. 

If you have questions about the museum, or making a reservation for your group, please give us a call at 320-235-4341 or 800-537-5582.


  

Welcome

Welcome Friends.
Today I am just going to introduce the Museum to you with just a little history.
The Schwanke Museum first opened it's doors to the public in 1999 at the time the collection was not as big as it is now, but it still was impressive. Today the museum host over 200 tractors, over a hundred different Car, Trucks, Large and Small Gas and Diesel engines.

 Virgil Schwanke bought his first car at the ripe age of 15. A 1926 Ford model T coupe which is featured as you walk into the main part of the museum. On this blog I will try to feature one car, tractor, or truck per week. I will also try to give a brief history of how the museum acquired the vehicle if I can but I will give a history of the car just so you know what it is, where it was made, and if we restored the vehicle.

If you have any questions I would love to try and help answer any that you may have.
You will have to forgive my photographic skills I don't have a camera so I use my cell phone camera.

Thank you.

In memory of Virgil Schwanke

Schwanke Museum founder Virgil Schwanke passed away May 14, 2017.  We want to honor his memory by sharing his life information.  His desire to preserve the cars and trucks of the past will be shared with future generations.

The Schwanke Museum is now starting its 20th season.  

Starting our Spring cleaning

We are still waiting for warmer weather to arrive so we can start our spring cleaning to get the museum open for the 2019 season.  It will be great to offer expanded hours for people to visit the museum this year!  We have been going through our inventory of antique gasoline engines and offering for sale the duplicates of models we already have on display in the museum.  You can find more information about these engines in the Equipment Listings section at www.schwanketractor.com

Many customers have browsed through our gift shop this winter since it moved to the tractor parts end of the building and is open the same hours as the parts sales area. 

Dempster 210F pump with Duplex 55 pump jack and Lauson TLC-349 engine

We have just completed restoration of a Dempster model 210F well water pump which has a Duplex model 55 pump jack and added a restored 1946 Lauson TLC-349 engine to power it. 

Dempster model 210F Pump

Dempster pumps were manufactured by the Dempster Mill Mfg Company.

The Dempster company was founded by Charles B. Dempster in 1878 in Beatrice Nebraska.  It was incorporated as the Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company in 1886.  Dempster Mill Manufacturing company produced a variety of water well equipment including windmills, pumps, well drilling machines, flywheel type gasoline engines, water tanks, and agricultural equipment.

The company was purchased by Warren Buffet in 1960, sold to a group of investors in 1963, and sold to a private investor in 1985.  It closed in 2011, with the assets purchased by Ryan Mitchell in 2013 and continues to operate now as Dempsters, LLC.  The company currently offers lines of submersible pumps, windmills & wind energy, water systems, recycling trailers, and fertilizer equipment. 

Duplex Model 55 Pump Jack

The Duplex Manufacturing Company was a Wisconsin company which manufactured and sold farm water supply items which included windmills, steel towers, and water tanks.  The origins of the company name came from a windmill designed and built by the Lake City Tool Company of Madison, Wisconsin which could pump water and grind grain at the same time, and the 1882 patent was designated as a Duplex Windmill.
Duplex was known for their wooden blade vaneless windmills.

Duplex was in operation from 1891-1985
The Duplex model 55 pump jack can be fastened to a hand well pump to convert it to powered operation, with the power supplied by either a gasoline engine or electric motor.

Lauson TLC-349 Engine

The Lauson Manufacturing  Company of New Holstein Wisconsin was founded by John Lauson in 1895 after John’s brother Henry who had been working for a gasoline engine manufacturing company in Chicago joined the company.  John had been in business with his uncle repairing and manufacturing steam tractors, and John bought out his uncle’s interest in the company in 1891.  The first Lauson engine was built in 1895, and was a 4 HP, 4-cycle tank cooled engine weighing 1140 pounds.

Lauson built farm tractors starting in 1915 including a number of models from the 15-30 in 1917-18 to the four cylinder 230-35 & 20-40 and the six cylinder 25-45.  The tractor line ended in the 1930’s as sales slumped due to the depression and farmers defaulted on payments.

The TLC-349 is a 2.3 horsepower, 8.95 cubic inch L-head engine with a 2-1/4” bore and 2-1/4” stroke.  The TLC-349 was manufactured from 1937 until 1951, and from serial number records, we believe this engine was manufactured in 1946.  It was recently restored, and is a very smooth running engine.

Museum Update

With new snowfall records being set in much of Minnesota this winter, we are all hoping for an early start to warmer weather this spring, or asking ourselves, "Why didn't I go to a warmer climate for at least part of the winter?"

The Schwanke Museum staff has been working on some updates as well as making plans for some additional improvements before the museum opens in May.

Our gift shop has been moved from the east end of the museum building to the west end in an area of the tractor parts sales area, and is now open year around.  The entrance is through the tractor parts/shop area inside  the fence.  If you are in need of a gift for a tractor or car collector, or looking for something for your collection, stop by and check out our selection of gift items.   

The gift shop hours are now:
Monday-Friday 8 am to 5 pm
Saturday 8 am to noon.

Be sure to follow the blog to keep up to date on new things happening this spring.