Mother and I were headed out Hwy 177 near Egypt Mills when I spotted some old farm equipment and a sign that said “Chuck Maevers Memorial Grounds.”
“I wonder if that’s where they used to hold the old steam threshing events?” I asked her. She wasn’t sure.
So, I’ll have to ask you folks: is this by any chance the old Earl Kirchhoff farm? I found some really neat shots of the Seventh Annual Cape County Steam Thresher and Old Settlers Reunion that was held on that farm on July 2, 1967. I’ll run those tomorrow when I get a little more info.
Photo gallery of farm equipment
Here are the photos I shot Oct. 30, 2011. The 1967 shots are a lot more interesting. Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the left or right side to move through the gallery.
Only once, in my green youth, did I attend what seemed a major steam-threshing event. Though I have no memory of where it was (I rode along in the back seat), I have a vague idea it was west of Cape toward Advance or Marble Hill. I do remember the final approach to the site was down a long and dusty gravel road.
It is probably irrelevant to the land ownership of the 1960’s, but on my 1901 plat map of Cape Girardeau County, Mary Maevers owns 40 acres SE of Egypt Mills bordered N and NE by 120 acres owned by H. W. Kirchoff. H. W. also owns another 40 acres directly W of the Maevers. Birdie Maevers Fortenberry happens to be my neighbor, so I’ll check with her to see if she can answer your question.
The Chuck Maevers Memorial Grounds is where the Egypy Mills Antique Tractor Club holds it’s events. The grounds were more likely part of the Herman Lohmier farm. The club started up in the early ’80s and Chuck Maevers was their first president. When he died, the park was named after him.
Just got off the phone with a Kirchhoff relative who puts the farm you referred to about a half mile down County Road 651 from Egypt Mills. That is slightly East and South of the club grounds. This is part of my old bus route when I drove for Nell Holcomb School.
You would have to go down into and cross Flora Creek to get to the Kirchhoff farm. Hope this helps.
They have an antique tractor pull there every summer and also a picnic and other activities. I am pretty sure they go to a farm near by to do the wheat trashing demo. I had seen the machine days before they did the event. I have friends that live out there and attend the events.