The Oliver H. Kelley Farm on the banks of the Mississippi near Elk River MN is a working farm utilizing 1860’s agricultural techniques. It’s a Minnesota Historical Society site. As we were walking from the visitors center to the homestead we noticed farm workers in Nineteenth Century garb making haystacks. Once we’d spent some time in the house learning a bit about the family and touring the root cellar we went out into the farm yard where we struck up a conversation with Leslie,
a young woman with a history degree who is employed full time on the on this site as a farm worker and interpreter. As we were talking we were all keeping an eye on the sky and the incoming storm. Our concern was getting back to the truck before the rain and she was worried about getting the oats shocked to protect them from the wet and assure winter feed for the animals. Before we headed back we stopped into the house again to see the sewing machine the staff uses to construct their clothing. It’s a genuine Howe!
Although Elias Howe patented the sewing machine in 1846, the Singer sewing machine is much more familiar. We did head back to the truck just as the first raindrops fell and headed north into the storm.
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