Steam-powered machines take center stage at Jordan's Old-Time Harvest festival

JORDAN, Minn. – A unique festival tells the history of the Twin Cities through the machines that built it.

Hundreds of machines – from typing to tractors – are all on display this weekend in Jordan at the 59th annual Old-Time Harvest festival.

"This machine was one of three that did all the refrigeration for the Armour Meat Plant in South St. Paul," said Dale Rieppel, of the Scott-Carver Threshers.

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The Scott-Carver Threshers is a volunteer organization.

"There's just something about it. We call it 'the steam bug,'" said Dan Wyman, president of the Scott Carver Threshers. "It's just once you get it, you really can't shake it. You're just in it."

It all started when two friends came together with an idea. One was from Carver County, while the other from Scott County.  

"One of them had a steam engine, the other one had a thresher machine. And they just thought, well, you know we used to do this for a living. We kind of miss it. Maybe let's just try it one year just for fun, see what happens," Wyman said. "Well, they did the one year, they got a crowd. The next year they did it, they got a bigger crowd."

Every moment brings with it some perspective. 

"Bringing them to experience the way things have been done in the past just helps me educate them on how easy they really have it [laughs]!" said Aaron Janz, of Burnsville. 

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The festival is a chance to make sure history lives, and runs, forever. 

"A lot of things have gotten lost over the years. How to make things, how things work, how to fit pieces together and make them together," Rieppel said. "People have come in and said, 'We appreciate what you do because we know how much work it takes to do this.'"

The Scott-Carver Threshers say they're already planning to add new machinery and experiences for next year.