Description: The postwar era brought about great advancements in farming technology, including the corn combine seen here, photographed by Joe Munroe in 1975. These technologies led to greater yields from the land and increased production. Thanks to these advancements, corn production grew from 3 million bushels a year in the 1940s to 6 million bushels a year by 1975 . Joe Munroe's career began in 1939 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He served in the Air Force during World War II and then joined Cincinnati-based Farm Quarterly magazine. Though raised in Detroit, agriculture became an important subject of Joe's photographs. He moved to California in 1955 and free-lanced, taking magazine assignments and selling his own work. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: P400_B11_F01_001
Subjects: Joe Munroe; Corn; Agricultural technologies; Corn harvesting machinery; Farm equipment
Places: Grand Island (Nebraska)
 

Description: Even with technological advancements in the years following World War II, some farms still picked cotton by hand. The three workers pictured here, photographed by Joe Munroe in 1960, carry sacks with them that they will fill throughout the day. Munroe's career began in 1939 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He served in the Air Force during World War II and then joined Cincinnati-based Farm Quarterly magazine. Though raised in Detroit, agriculture became an important subject of Joe's photographs. He moved to California in 1955 and free-lanced, taking magazine assignments and selling his own work. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: P400_B11_F01_002
Subjects: Joe Munroe; Cotton picking; Farming; Cotton-picking machinery; Farm equipment
Places: Plainview (Texas)
 

Description: Joe Monroe captures the advancement of mechanized cotton picking machines across a field in this 1961 photograph. These machines could pick as much cotton in an hour as one person could in three days. By the 1960s, most cotton farms used this method of harvest. Joe Munroe's career began in 1939 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He served in the Air Force during World War II and then joined Cincinnati-based Farm Quarterly magazine. Though raised in Detroit, agriculture became an important subject of Joe's photographs. He moved to California in 1955 and free-lanced, taking magazine assignments and selling his own work. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: P400_B11_F01_003
Subjects: Joe Munroe; Cotton picking; Farming; Cotton-picking machinery; Farm equipment
Places: Bakersfield (California)
 

Description: Photograph showing several men working with a steam-powered sorghum reaper attached to a water tower, used in producing molasses at an unidentified farm in Ohio, ca. 1910. The Circle Family Glass Plate Negative Collection came in with the records of John Circle, who served as Franklin County Surveyor between 1981 and 2000. The plates are thought to be part of the family history but have no identification. The images are agricultural but have no other known history. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV82_002
Subjects: Agriculture--Ohio; Agricultural machinery; Farm life; Food production
Places: Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing several men working with a steam-powered sorghum reaper used in producing molasses, at an unidentified farm in Ohio, ca. 1910. The Circle Family Glass Plate Negative Collection came in with the records of John Circle, who served as Franklin County Surveyor between 1981 and 2000. The plates are thought to be part of the family history but have no identification. The images are agricultural but have no other known history. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV82_003
Subjects: Agriculture--Ohio; Agricultural machinery; Farm life; Food production
Places: Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing several men working with a steam-powered sorghum reaper attached to a water tower, used in producing molasses at an unidentified farm in Ohio, ca. 1910. The Circle Family Glass Plate Negative Collection came in with the records of John Circle, who served as Franklin County Surveyor between 1981 and 2000. The plates are thought to be part of the family history but have no identification. The images are agricultural but have no other known history. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV82_004
Subjects: Agriculture--Ohio; Agricultural machinery; Farm life; Food production
Places: Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing a young boy next to a steam-powered sorghum reaper used in producing molasses, at an unidentified farm in Ohio, ca. 1910. The reaper is stuck in the mud, and written on the negative are the words "Here Today Away [crossed out] Maybe Tomorow" as well as the date "Oct-20 1912." The Circle Family Glass Plate Negative Collection came in with the records of John Circle, who served as Franklin County Surveyor between 1981 and 2000. The plates are thought to be part of the family history but have no identification. The images are agricultural but have no other known history. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV82_005
Subjects: Agriculture--Ohio; Agricultural machinery; Farm life; Food production; Children
Places: Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing several men working with a steam-powered sorghum reaper used in producing molasses, at an unidentified farm in Ohio, ca. 1910. The Circle Family Glass Plate Negative Collection came in with the records of John Circle, who served as Franklin County Surveyor between 1981 and 2000. The plates are thought to be part of the family history but have no identification. The images are agricultural but have no other known history. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV82_006
Subjects: Agriculture--Ohio; Agricultural machinery; Farm life; Food production
Places: Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of four men and a young girl seated on a steam engine pulling a thresher, on an unidentified farm in Ohio, ca. 1910. The Circle Family Glass Plate Negative Collection came in with the records of John Circle, who served as Franklin County Surveyor between 1981 and 2000. The plates are thought to be part of the family history but have no identification. The images are agricultural and have no known history. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV82_008
Subjects: Agriculture--Ohio; Agricultural machinery; Farm life; Food production; Children
Places: Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reverse reads: "New Idea, Inc. manufacturers of farm implements. Coldwater, Mercer County. Credit - Mumm Romer Robbins & Pearson, Inc." In 1899 Joseph Oppenheim with the help of Henry Synck invented the first mechanical manure spreader. Oppenheim conceived the idea of a practical manure spreader during a game of paddle ball. He subsequently developed a model from a cigar box and demonstrated the feasibility of distributing manure in a "wide spread pattern." Manure was loaded into the spreader. A mechanism moved the manure to the rear where it was distributed by paddles. Oppenheim's future son-in-law, Synck, worked with him to perfect the invention. After months of "trial and error it became obvious he (Oppenheim) had solved the problem of manure spreading...... that he had created a "New Idea." .....and that a name and an invention had been born!" Oppenheim died in 1901 and was buried in Maria Stein. Following his death, his wife, Mary Ellerbrock Oppenheim, invested in New Idea and made decisions to move the company forward. The "New Idea Spreader Works" was established and built in Maria Stein. The "New Idea" caught on quickly because it relieved farmers of the back-breaking chore of manually distributing manure from a wagon. Mary Oppenheim died in 1907. New Idea continued to grow and in 1908 the company moved to Coldwater, Ohio, where a railhead existed to ship the completed spreaders. Henry Synck remained involved with New Idea. In his older age, Henry Synck sold New Idea to Avco, a conglomerate that was subsequently acquired by Textron. In a complicated series of transactions, Textron subsequently divested New Idea to Allied Corporation, another conglomerate (White-New Idea) who subsequent divested it to AGCO Corporation. New Idea has continued to produce a broad spectrum of farm-related machinery. Unfortunately, the Coldwater, Ohio plant established by the Oppenheim family and Henry Synck was closed in 1999 as the manufacturer sought to reduce costs and consolidate manufacturing in fewer locations. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F02_002_001
Subjects: New Idea, Inc.; Farm machinery; Industries--Ohio--Springfield; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Coldwater (Ohio); Mercer County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph is part of a series of photographs taken by the Ohio Department of Agriculture documenting farms in Ohio. This photograph shows two men using a machine on the Allen farm, owned by F.L. Allen near Kinsman, Ohio. On his 250 acres, Allen grew potatoes, apples, and peaches. He also owned a ditching machine and had 22 miles of ditching on his farm. Later, Allen became state director of Ohio Farmers' Institutes under the State Board of Agriculture. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA726AV_B01F08_002_1
Subjects: Agriculture--Ohio; Farming; Farm equipment; Machinery; Rural Life
Places: Trumbull County (Ohio); Kinsman (Ohio);
 

Description: Photograph by Joe Munroe showing an unknown farm in winter. A farm worker is seen driving a tractor. Joe Munroe's career began in 1939 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He served in the Air Force during World War II and then joined Cincinnati-based Farm Quarterly magazine. Though raised in Detroit, agriculture became an important subject of Joe's photographs. He moved to California in 1955 and free-lanced, taking magazine assignments and selling his own work. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: P400_B25_FO4_001
Subjects: Joe Munroe; Farm life; Farming and rural systems economics; Snow; Agricultural machinery;