V* » »
7A Ljnc—br Fj
The pursuit
23. 1979
PORT ROYAL - Harold
Sheaffer, a young industrial
arts teacher who grew up on
a farm and clings to his
heritage dearly, has a dream
which advanced a notch
towards reality last week.
His ambition is to create a
year-round agricultural
exhibit to depict life as it was
in in-land America.
“I want to build a working
situation as authentic as
possible, and offer seminars
for people to come in and
take part in or re-leam
forgotten skills,” Sheaffer
remarked. Already prepared
with hundreds of antique
agricultural items and
machinery, as well as a
farm, Sheaffer is aiming for
an educational display
where people can see all of
the various progressions of
American agriculture on one
site. He calls this dream,
now eight years old,
“Agricultural Americana,”
and claims to have a 20 year
program worked out towards
realizing this goal.
A bachelor, with degrees
in agricultural engineering,
industrial arts, and biology,
he says he is determined to
see his dream come true.
“ I really care about what
is happening to American
agriculture,” the nostalgic
part-time farmer explained.
“I care about our American
heritage and believe people
have a need, and a right to
know about it I care about
what we are losing,” he said.
Sbeaffer went ahead this
year in organizing the first
“Agricultural Americana”
at the Port Royal
Fairgrounds. Practically all
of (he machines on display
belonged to the young en
thusiast, as did hundreds of
household and crafts items.
He eventually plans on
having bis entire collection
approximately 1,000
pieces at a permanent site
for “Agricultural
Americana,” which will in
all likelihood be his farm.
Hie earliest dated piece of
equipment Sheaffer has in
bis collection is 258 years old.
Among some of the bigger
items he owns are 17
threshing machines; a left
hand, water-powered saw
mill with friction feed; a
fully operatable grist mill; a
steam tractor; a 1923 Ford
son; an original ox cart; an
original Conestoga wagon;
27 sleighs and much more.
Someday he hopes to host the
“biggest threshing reunion
in' the eastern United
States.”
Asked if his “Agricultural
Americana” might be
similar to the popular
colonial attractions in
Massachusetts and Virginia
Sturbridge Village and
Williamsburg he nodded
but emphasized he planned
to depict rural life as it was
in in-land America, as op
posed to coastal regions. “I
think it would be a boost in
the arm for Central Penn
sylvania,” he remarked.
A science and industrial
arts teacher at Kutztown
High School, with additional
duties as manager of a
college cafeteria and coach
for two sports, Sheaffer
devotes whatever time be
has left over to pursuit of his
dream. He grew up on a
Juniata County farm and is
“Agricultural Americana" m.
last week with hundreds of |
event spread out over 45 acre;
true for Harold Sheaffer, uppei
farmer-teacher, who owns 1
wants to expand the show to at
threshing machine was of sp
while children (above right) d
straw blown out of the thresl
Lancaster Fail
by Dieter