Our Old Bookcase
This year, our New Idea Historic Preservation Committee, (NIHP) will once again be hosting a New Idea Farm Equipment and Antique Tractor exhibit at the north end of the park at the Coldwater Community Picnic, Saturday & Sunday, August 7-8.
The New Idea Historic Preservation Committee Members featured their first exhibit at the Coldwater Picnic, on August 6-7, 2005. The NIHP Members hosting the Exhibit included Vic May, Carl Bettinger, Donald Muhlenkamp, Ollie Wendel, Jim Weiler, Romie Schaefer, Tom Hoyng, Bob Bettinger, Lavern Buening, Alvin Alig, Pete Schaefer, Paul Bettinger, Joe Kuhn, Vince Gross and Leo Lefeld. Their photograph is included in the book, “New Idea Company’s Corn Pickers, 1925-1982, Coldwater, Ohio,” published by the Mercer County Historical Society, Inc.
This NIHP Committee has prepared four books about the history of New Idea Company: (1) Horse Drawn Spreaders, 2013; (2) Corn Pickers, 2015; (3) Uni-System, 2017; (4) Hay Tools, 2019. Most of the first three books are sold out. Once the books are gone, that is it!
This past year, with the virus, public exhibits were discouraged. Therefore, the Mercer County Historical Society has a few boxes of the book about New Idea Company’s hay tools available.
New Idea machinery and antique tractor collectors, we need your help this year. Several of our original NIHP Members have passed on to their reward in Heaven. In honor of their great contribution of preserving Mercer County’s agricultural heritage, please help to continue to preserve our agricultural heritage at Coldwater’s Community Picnic.
Wanted for exhibit on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 7–8, at Coldwater’s Community Park: New Idea farm equipment and antique tractors and farm equipment.
Please enter the Park, after lunch on Saturday, by way of Vine Street, west off state Route 118.
For information, call me at my cell phone number: 419-852-0092.