The Campbell farm in Minnetonka. Photo: City of Minnetonka Historical Society
Imagine the clang of a dinner bell echoing across the Minnetonka countryside—a signal that the threshing crew was coming in hungry from the fields. In the 1800s, threshing, separating grain from the stalk and husk, was often done with the help of a steam- or animal-powered threshing machine. The cumbersome work fostered a sense of community as neighbors helped one another and took part in hearty, home-cooked meals.
The following excerpt from History of the First Hundred Years of Minnetonka Town by Dana Frear, Minnetonka’s first town historian, captures this moment in time:
“In Minnetonka in the 1800s, some boys made it their business to follow the threshing machine from farm to farm to help their communities. This was partly for the fascination of watching the operation of the threshing machine, to help where they could and especially to get the big dinner always served to the crew at noon.
“Neighbors always exchanged work with both men and teams during threshing. The women helped one another in preparing the dinner. It was quite a lark for town boys and girls to visit their farm relatives during threshing time. The girls came in handy in the kitchen and dining room, especially dishwashing.
“Occasionally, a newly initiated young farm wife, perhaps fresh from the city, would try to serve a too elaborate dinner to the threshers and would find herself swamped with too many kinds of food served with too much fussing and style. Threshing crews wanted ample helpings of plain meat, potatoes, vegetables, bread and butter, pie and plenty of coffee; something that would stick to the ribs and last until the next meal.”
Mariah Wise serves as president of the City of Minnetonka Historical Society. Discover more at cityofminnetonkahistory.org.
