The American Thresherman Association is strongly rooted in Pinckneyville’s history. Exhibitors, vendors and spectators will travel from all across the United States, and sometimes even from other countries to gather and reminisce about simpler times. Last year marked the 60th annual show. In 1959, the group formed in Highland, Illinois, where they held their first two shows. For their third year, 1962, they moved their show to Pinckneyville, where they have gathered on every third weekend in August since to exhibit equipment and demonstrate the operations of that equipment. They assemble with old friends and make new ones as they proudly tell stories about the equipment on display. When asked why they continue to put on this show year after year, Board members will tell you that it is because they never want to lose track of the past. The Board and The Association’s members want others to realize how our ancestors worked the land and how the “Progress of Power” revolutionized the agricultural history of our country. Members feel keenly that it is important to maintain this equipment from our history, to demonstrate the beginnings of our agricultural history and to educate the current generations.

The show will starts Wednesday, August 16th with a show preview and a tractor parade through town at 5:00 p.m. On
Thursday, August 17th the show opens for full activity & demonstration daily and goes through Sunday, August 20th. The majority of the activities and demonstrations will begin on Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m.

This year features Illinois J. I. Case Collectors and Side Shaft Engines. An antique auto show & swap meet will be Sunday, August 20th, all vehicles prior to 1968 are welcome.

Show attractions Include:
Blacksmithing, steam engines, wheat threshing, a veneer mill, saw mill, grist mill, dynamometer, gas engines and tractors, baker fans, plowing with steam engines, tractors and horses, rope making, broom corn threshing and broom making, and feature tractor plowing events. There will be a kids’ tractor pull on Saturday, August 19th as well as a large flea market. Illinois Tractor Pull Association tractor pulls will be held Thursday through Saturday nights at 7:00 p.m. Worship Services, The Antique Auto Show and Swap Meet, Antique Tractor Pulls will be held Sunday August 20th.

Exhibitors are encouraged and are always welcome. Besides exhibits and activities located within the fairgrounds, the ATA utilizes several acres to the west of the grounds where field demonstrations will be held. These will feature the giants of the prairie. Two Case 110-horsepower steam traction engines will pull gang plows and turn the soil much as they did when they broke prairie grounds one hundred years ago. Special plowing events for the Feature Tractor are again planned for Friday and Saturday. There will be earth moving activities on site using crawlers and heavy equipment of all kinds. There will be several huge “prairie” gas tractors on display and in demonstrations in the field, you won’t want to miss any of it!