Thresing Machines Along The Road

Since July of 2019 when my wife and I made many trips between Bismarck and Williston as we explored and moved to a new place, I thought of creating a map for the many threshers and old combines that can be seen from the road. Driving by at 60 to 75 miles per hour, I catch some and miss some. It would be interesting to have time to stop and discover what model and make each one is, or to photograph the more artful and aesthetically placed ones.

I need to explore whether anything has been written about this interesting phenomenon. When did it start? Why is it so widespread.? Threshing machines and combines are huge and mostly constructed of thin metal and hollow space. These two factors mean they survive in part because the amount of work versus the amount of metal one would get from salvage is not worth the effort. As a result, many survive to be placed by roads as signboards, artistic statements or potent symbols of the agricultural heritage.  There is an aesthetic beauty in a metallic sauropod standing high atop a hill along a roadside, the only thing higher than grass for miles around. I would argue they are a form of machine folk art that has existed almost as many years as the number of years they were useful tools of agriculture before being replaced by combines. 

I have started to record combines in the landscape as well. Though, all but the oldest lack the true archaic aesthetics that threshing machines exude. As their paint peels away and the patina of rusty hues blends them more with the earth, they will become increasingly beautiful with age. As we hit the road for our next trip, I hope to add more to the map below.