History Rural Ingenuity

The wife and I went to Minnesota last week for her family reunion. The Place it was held had a museum of sorts with all kinds of early rural life stuff on display. The one thing I fell in love with was this.
I am a sucker for old industrial stuff and home made gadgets. I grew up when if you needed something you built it and in 1953 the fellow that built this gem needed to get to work. I know it only has two wheels, sorry, but the spirit speaks to hot rodders everywhere. Build it, don't buy it is what a lot of this board is about so thought I would share.
The main frame is black pipe but the ends are bologna sliced to look like dual exhaust. It has an early Clinton engine and a kick starter, The wheels are 16" implement wheels and it is belt drive. The rear pulley is simply the lip off of another wheel welded to the rear wheel to make a groove for the belt to run in.
The neck is glued wood bolted with angle iron flanges.
I actually told the manager of the place if it ever came up for sale to call me (he is related to my wife). I would love to own it.

 

That's cool as hell! I'd ride it, too.

 

GV,
Hey buddy looks like you hit the send button before you finished. Did you get any pics?

In case you get deleted send me pics if you got them. PM ( conversation) me for my email. I am interested as hell in what you found. I like farmer stuff.

 

pics back up.

 

Oh yah, I like that a lot..and you are so right on the period "Make it yourself" era..
Pretty much long gone now.
Thanks for posting

 

Thanks bud.
That's cool. Looks like a Tote Goat and while "being cool ( )" has always been important to me I would ride that to and from in a heartbeat.

Ya just got to love a man who sees a need and makes due with what he's got.

 

Rural ingenuity - I like that phrase. And the bike is cool.

 

Wonder how many home built model A tractors I passed up when I was a kid ? My first B engine was found in an old pump shack. It had been used to power a big water pump, to supply water to the orange groves around Riverside, Cal.
Love seeing home built things like that, and they still shows up at farm estate sales here in rural S.D.

 

The mother of invention. I like it.

 

I bet Lester got all the chicks with that one.

 

I love that attitude of built not bought, I am trying to be part of that club with my truck build. It can be a PITA at times but it will be worth it in the end.....

 

Horseshoe used to go around a carb...I used to work for a horseshoer turned ornamental iron fabricator. That rod can't be removed, supports and adjusts the fender to hood allignment

 

Hi. When I was a kid I wanted to do the Soap Box Derby. Talked to Dad about it & he said as long as I can make it I could do it. He went down to Firestone as they were the official supplier of the derby wheels & got me a set & a copy of the rules. Then we went to the lumber yard & he bought a 2X12 for a floor board & a sheet of tin for the body. got home & he loaned me his tin snips, a hand saw, hammer & a hand drill & said if I had any problems feel free to ask for advice. There was nails in a bucket in the shed.
Got it made & it worked. Did not win but had a blast.
Jimmie

 

Awesome. Same with grass roots nascar. Out of the box thinking at its best.

 

So many of the big manufacturing companies we know today, got their start due to Rural Ingenuity in the post war decades, and many of them came out of the upper midwest. Just to name a few:

Bobcat - Farmers in North Dakota wanted a better way to clean out their pens.
Polaris Industries and Arctic Cat - Edgar Hetteen wanted to be able to travel easily across snow during the long Northern Minnesota winters.
Steiger and Versatile - Home built 4 wheel drive tractors for the thick loamy soils of the Red River Valley

Many of the small town museums throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas have hidden treasures that are very interesting to us hot rodders and history buffs.

Thanks for posting Gordon.

 

Lester saw a Cushman and said I have 59 cents in my pocket, I can do that