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Event winners

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Kiddie Tractor Pull (first-place winners by category)

-Caleb Walker (ages 5 and 6)

-Cole Jans (ages 7 and 8)

-T.J. Smith (ages 9 and 10)

-Byron Galusha (ages 11 and 12)

-Cassie Bailey (teen girls)

Adult Tractor Pull (first-place winners by category)

-Grizzly Aune, Williston (4,000 pounds and under)

-Kirk Norlin, Minot (4,000 to 5,500 pounds)

-Sheldon Hoelscher, Surrey (5,500 to 7,000 pounds)

-Eric Bailey, Bismarck (7,000 pounds or more)

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MAKOTI - Despite overcast clouds, spits of rain and chilly temperatures, more than a 1,000 people came out to see century-old tractors, steam engines, crawlers, automobiles, construction equipment and the ways of old during the 49th annual Makoti Threshing Show held over the weekend.

Thrust back into the early 20th century, attendees of the show were entertained with a daily parade at 1 p.m. that featured more than 200 operational antique farm and construction equipment, steam engines, automobiles and other rare equipment. Also included were threshing and plowing activities, an indoor flea market, an antique log sawing demonstration and the firing of a 7th Calvary 1862 Napolean cannon a new addition this year.

Kicking off the event Friday was the Tractor Trek, where 11 tractors of all ages and sizes traveled from Douglas to the Makoti Threshing Grounds on the south side of town. Traveling at tractor crawl speed, the 21-mile journey took nearly four hours to complete.

The official start, Saturday, saw crowds partaking in the show's traditional activities of the parade and threshing demonstrations as well as a new addition, the vintage style show. Special events on Saturday included an adult and kiddie tractor pull and evening musical jam session that featured area favorites Floyd Kolobakken and Gary Andes. Back by popular demand, Saturday also featured a Giant Pumpkin Contest, where home-grown pumpkins were awarded prizes based on weight and appearance. First place went to a 286-pound pumpkin grown by Melissa and Brian Rensch, while second place went to a 222-pound pumpkin grown by Loren Quandt.

Sunday's featured events included an antique tractor pull and the junior world championship two-cylinder John Deere slow race, where the winner of the race is the last to cross the finish line. The slowest of them all was Lacey Walker of Surrey, who crawled away with first place.

While most of the machines were several decades old, most of the attendees, including 6-year-old Stetson Nelson of Bottineau, were not.

"I like when they throw the bundles (into the threshing machine)," he said when asked about his favorite part of the show.

"He says he could throw bundles all day long," chuckled Stetson's dad, Les, a rancher in Bottineau.

For him, threshing shows are a family tradition.

"I've been here a dozen or so times before. I used to come to these with my dad as a kid" Nelson said. "I loved seeing the old machinery and was always fascinated by their ingenuity and what they were able to make back then."

Continuing the family tradition, Nelson brought Stetson to Makoti Sunday for his first threshing show.

"He really wanted to see the threshing machine and I wanted to bring him and show him how things used to be. He will sit in the tractor all day with me so I thought he would appreciate seeing what they used to look like."

Passing on the heritage is what the threshing shows are all about.

"We do the kiddie tractor pulls and parade and things because we are working to get the younger kids involved," said Merle Dreher, president of the threshing association. "Our members are getting older and won't be able to run the tractors, and as you know, if you don't have younger people coming into an organization it will quickly die out."

"These kids, when they get out of school, they leave. We are trying to stop that by getting them involved in this and the community," added Marvin Franklin, chairman of the tractor trek.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the threshing show next year, Dreher said the organization is planning to move the Spring Valley Church of Plaza which was recently given to the group to Makoti.

With a $12,000 grant from the state historical society and a $5,000 donation, the group is more than half way to its goal of $25,000 the amount needed to construct a foundation and move the building and Dreher said the group will hold several fundraisers to secure the rest of the funds.

"It will be a great addition to the community and it would be a great way to celebrate the 50th anniversary if we can get it done," he said.