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JOTTINGS FROM THE GOLF COURSE JOURNAL Jerome and LydiaCase built this large home on Main Street in Racine. It is privately owned today and divided into apartments. In 1904 Case built a new headquarters from a design similar to the Boston Public Library. Jerome traveled from New York grain and chaff/straw with a fan. on the Great Lakes - Erie, Huron He wanted to design a machine and Michigan - with six ground that would do the entire task of The elder Case bought one of hog threshing machines. His plan threshing and separating in one the machines and Jerome spent was to sell five of them to pay his operation. six years custom threshing grain way and use the sixth to support The carpenter he roomed with for farmers in that part of New himself by custom threshing for at the tavern rented Jerome a York, as well as giving demonstra- farmers on the way to his destina- workbench in his shop. Jerome tions and selling ground hogs to tion of Rochester, Wisconsin. had lucked out by moving to other farmers. Case knew the History has it that Case was Wisconsin in the year of its first machine well and was able to unimpressed by Chicago. He great wheat harvest. Luck was also adjust and repair them with con- bought a team of horses and a with him because for the three siderable skill. Clearly, he had con- wagon there, loaded the ground years before his arrival Rochester siderable mechanical ability. hogs and headed north. Things was the home of Richard Ela, a Jerome must have seen, during went according to his plan; Jerome manufacturer of fanning mills. He those six years, the tremendous sold five ground hogs in the eighty was making a hundred a year when amount of exportable corn and miles from Chicago to Rochester. Case arrived. The fanning mills wheat traveling the Great Lakes The profits and his custom work were used to winnow the grain from the Midwest to the Erie Canal left him with a tidy profit to get from the straw and chaff with and foreign markets. No doubt he through that first winter in Racine forced air. read about the opportunities for County. He rented a room at a pio- Case approached Ela, and Ela farming in the Midwest, including neer tavern in Rochester and encouraged him to develop his the Wisconsin Territory. It seemed became acquainted with a car- idea of one machine to process the place for an experienced penter who also rented a room grain. All that winter, spring and thresherman. Case made the deci- there. summer Case worked on a sion to head west, but first enrolled Although the ground hog saved threshing machine, and he was in the Rensselaer Academy twenty backbreaking mundane labor, it frustrated by many problems. By miles west of his home and took a nevertheless dropped the grain, the spring of 1844, he had built a course (about six months) in engi- chaff and straw into one pile at the machine he felt would thresh grain neering. Late in his life, Case end of the machine. Case thought the way he wanted. The first trial reflected on how important those of improvements that would set in a barn in Rochester was suc- months of education were for him. thresh and winnow - separate the cessful. He was invited to a farm THE GRASS ROOTS MAY/JUNE 2002 JOTTINGS FROM THE GOLF COURSE JOURNAL Case IH was at the GCSAA Conference this year. Their booth included I spent some time answering questions of their staff. It seemed to me this golf course size tractor/loader/backhoe and a skid steer. they are contemplating building some turf equipment. My suggestion was a line of large area rotaries. A display across the / street from the .;: stately 1904 head- . quarters is this dis- play of tractors that speaks to today - New Holland, 1976 Case AgriKing and Case IH. CNH Global :~~~~~!~~~~nowowns Case. In 1976 Case manufactured a 1570 AgriKing loaded his tools and headed to the selves - but rather trying to collect to note America's bicentennial. Root River in Racine. He was able money owed him! to rent a small shop on the river- From the first, one thing Case less than two miles from Rochester bank and was in business. He did was back his machine's quality. and on a windy May day, powered worked from there for three years, Frequently he went to the by a two-horse tread, J. 1. Case's filling local orders for threshers. unhappy farmer himself to fix a threshing machine really worked. In 1847, J. 1. Case built a three balky thresher. He would not put The grain came out a spout ready story brick building was 80' by 30'. up with what he called "murdering to be bagged, and the straw was Although it was also on the Root the reputation of a Case machine." blown into a pile. River, he also installed a steam My reading tells me that although All that summer Jerome worked boiler engine for power so that he Jerome likely wasn't a warm and to make the grain even cleaner, wasn't dependent on water levels gracious fellow - many said he was and in the fall he threshed much of for power. He added employees gruff and abrupt - he was as the crop in western Racine and by 1848 he was Racine's absolutely honest as a man could County. Farmers asked him to largest industry. be and had enormous pride in any- build them similar machines and Jerome married Lydia Ann Bull thing that carried his name. he knew he would rather build the in 1847 and for at least two years I wrote about my favorite J. 1. machines than operate them as a after that the frugal Case traveled Case story a number of years ago custom thresherman. by stage, boat or on foot, not yet in The Grass Roots. Here it is Case needed a shop and water able to afford his own horse and again. power if he was going to build carriage! He traveled Wisconsin A farmer near Faribault, threshing machines. The water and most of the Midwest in those Minnesota was anticipating an rights on the Fox River in early years not selling machines - excellent harvest of wheat in the Rochester were tied up, so Case they were so good they sold them- early autumn of 1884. The reaper THE GRASS ROOTS MAY/JUNE 2002 JOTTINGS FROM THE GOLF COURSE JOURNAL ~ Jerome Increase Case Mausoleum, located in Racine's Mound Cemetary J. I. Case's brother-in-law and business neighborhoods around there like many farm implements and steam partner, Stephen Bull, is also pillowed in the Mound Cemetery. Other family members wild fire. Case arrived at the farm engines. He invested in Great rest there as well. to a considerable crowd of farmers Lakes cargo ships, was involved who wanted to see the great man. with banking and real estate, had done a good job, the bundles Case was 65 years old at that ranches and cattle operations, and had ripened in the shocks and all time, white beard and white hair, was successful as a horse breeder. appeared ready for a successful ruddy face and coal black eye- His trotter Jay Eye See was so suc- threshing. The only problem was brows. He stood tall and peered at cessful and well known in America the threshing machine itself. It was the machine with his name on it that Currier and Ives painted it. belted to a big traction steam with steel blue eyes. Jerome Case died in 1891 when engine, which was working well. Case removed his coat and hat, he was 73 years old. This past fall But the new J. 1. Case threshing rolled up his sleeves and went to I attended, as I always do, the machine was not. The grain wasn't work. An hour passed and he order Rock River Thresheree. Case coming out clean, and it was using the thresher started. He pitched equipment was featured and it way too much steam power. bundles into it himself; it didn't gave those of us there the chance The farmer had called the work right. to see one each of most of the dealer. The dealer had come out to He worked another four hours, early agricultural implements the farm, made adjustments, but straight through, starting and Case manufactured. couldn't get it to work like it stopping the threshing machine There have been formidable should. many times. It still didn't work. changes in the company since J. 1. So the dealer telegraphed the J. He turned to the farmer. "Have Case passed away. But Case to this I Case office in Racine and they you," he asked, "a sizeable can of day still produces some of the best sent their best field mechanic out kerosene handy?" tractors and equipment in the to the farm. He had no luck either The farmer returned with the world, still in Racine. despite considerable swearing. H~ kerosene, which Jerome used to Books have been written about telegraphed the home office and douse the machine from one end the history of Case and make for recommended replacing the to the other. Then he struck a fascinating reading. From the story machine with a new one or match and lit the threshing of how Wisconsin'sOldAbe became refunding the farmer his money. machine on fire. Legend has it the the company trademark to the suc- The reply came back from fire could be seen for miles and cess of those many lines of equip- Racine: AM TAKING NEXT Case stayed until it burned to the ment, the story continues today.

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