Steam Fiends
Oregon's Steam Fiends and Antique Powerland's Shared History Stretches over 50 Years
July/August 2004
Phil and Melanie Lanzarotta
The 1955 Steam Fiends show at Chris Busch's farm in Colton,
Wash. John Spalding (of Spalding's Corner fame) stumbled upon
this shot. When he discovered its subject, he donated the photo to
the Steam Fiends. Notice the splice running down the middle of the
small barn. Photographer C.R. Miller put two photos together to
create this great panoramic view of the Busch farm.
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The history of the Western Steam Fiends Association is probably
similar to that of other long-standing steam clubs. Of course, back
in the early days the men and women of steam kept in contact with
each other without the benefit of e-mail -and often without
telephones. As was the case with many clubs in the early days, the
founders of other clubs and organizations even the founding editor
of Iron-Men Album, Elmer Ritzman were involved with the Steam
Fiends. What follows is a short look at our club's history.
STEAM FIENDS TIMELINE
1951: The first organizational meeting to form
the Western Steam Fiends Association was held at Chris Busch's
farm in Colton, Wash. Annual membership dues were set at $2, which
included a club membership badge.
1952: The first steam-up and second meeting of
the Steam Fiends was held at Chris Busch's farm.
1954: There was a little criticism of the word
'Fiend' in the club's title among some members.
However, among its definitions of the word, Webster's
dictionary includes the following: 'One totally engrossed in
something.'
Steam historian F. Hall Higgens wrote about the Steam Fiends
club in the January/February 1954 issue of Iron-Men Album.
Higgens told about ventriloquist Edgar Bergen's visit to the
show, noting that Bergen filmed interviews at the reunion for use
in his nationally broadcast television show. Bergen was a big fan
of steam.
Harvey Mikkelson hosted Silverton's (Oregon) first
old-fashioned threshing bee that year. The event was held annually
until 1966.
1955: The membership roster included: Arthur S.
Young, Kinzer, Pa., owner of the A.S. Young Co.; Alice M.
Plasterer, 'Steam Engine Alice;' Elmer Ritzman, editor and
publisher of Iron-Men Album; and T.H. Smith, editor and
publisher of Engineers & Engines.
1958: The membership roster included Leroy W.
Blaker, president of the National Threshers Association Inc.; Joe
Rynda, 'Steam Engine Joe;' and W.M. Stater of Mt. Pleasant,
Iowa.
1959: The first dinner meeting was held in
Woodburn, Ore.
1960-1966: During these years, Harvey
Mikkelson, Chris Busch, Rod Pitts and C.R. Miller hosted the annual
steam reunions. The local police department helped with traffic
control and the wives made large amounts of food to feed the
workers and the public, too. Even the local power company helped,
removing or stopping the electric meter for the event.