The 1938 Wheat Harvest and the Machines That Shaped It

[MikePhua]

Harvesting in the Palouse Hills
In 1938, a film captured the wheat harvest in the rolling hills of southeastern Washington, likely in the Palouse region—a landscape famous for its fertile loess soils and undulating terrain. The footage, produced by Washington State University, offers a rare glimpse into pre-war agricultural practices, where horsepower meant mules and combines were pulled by crawlers or auxiliary engines. The harvest was not just a seasonal task but a community event, demanding coordination, endurance, and mechanical ingenuity.
The Palouse was one of the few regions in the United States where hillside combines were essential. The steep grades required leveling mechanisms to prevent grain spillage and ensure consistent threshing. These machines were often custom-built or heavily modified, with leveling racks and extended hitches to accommodate the terrain.
Mule Hitch Combines and Sack Sewing Crews
Before self-propelled combines became widespread, harvesting relied on mule-drawn combines. A full mule hitch could involve 26 to 32 animals, guided by skilled teamsters who understood the temperament and rhythm of each animal. The combine itself was a marvel of mechanical synchronization, with spike tooth cylinders, straw walkers, and grain elevators all powered by belt-driven auxiliary engines—often Hercules or Wisconsin units.
Grain was collected in sacks, which had to be sewn shut manually. Sack sewers rode platforms on the combine, tying off each sack with twine and tossing them onto the field. One man recalled working near Turlock, California during the Depression, sewing sacks in the dust and heat. Wheat, unlike oats, produced less airborne chaff, but the smut and fine particles still coated clothes and lungs. The work was relentless, and the pay minimal—often just a few cents per sack.
The John Deere Model 36 and the Rise of Hillside Combines
The film’s final scenes show a crawler towing what appears to be a John Deere Model 36 combine, identifiable by its left-side leveling rack. Introduced in the mid-1930s, the Model 36 was one of Deere’s early attempts to address hillside harvesting. It featured a spike tooth cylinder and a manually adjusted leveling system. Operators had to crank the rack to tilt the combine frame, keeping the threshing mechanism horizontal on slopes.
These machines were notoriously temperamental. Starting the engine often required a flat belt connected to a tractor’s belt pulley. One operator used an Oliver 77 to spin the combine’s engine into life—a ritual that marked the beginning of harvest season. Once running, the combine demanded constant attention: belt tension, bearing lubrication, and chain alignment were daily tasks.
Crawler Tractors and the Shift from Animal Power
By the late 1930s, crawler tractors began replacing mule teams. Machines like the Caterpillar Thirty or the Allis-Chalmers HD series offered consistent power and better traction on hillsides. Their low ground pressure and ability to pull heavy implements made them ideal for the Palouse. However, early crawlers lacked hydraulic systems, so implements were raised and lowered using mechanical linkages or hand cranks.
The transition from animal to mechanical power was not immediate. Many farmers continued using mules into the 1940s, citing fuel costs and maintenance complexity. But as wartime production ramped up, surplus tractors became available, and the shift accelerated.
Hay Season and the Toll on the Body
Beyond wheat, the summer also meant hay season. Farmers stacked square bales manually, often in lofts or on wagons. One man recalled earning three cents per bale in Missouri, working from dawn to dusk at age 14. The physical toll was immense—lifting 60-pound bales repeatedly, climbing elevators, and restacking loads. Years later, he attributed his chronic joint pain to those formative summers.
Others used New Holland bale wagons, which automated stacking and reduced labor. Still, many barns relied on manual loading, with hay elevators feeding lofts where workers arranged bales in tight rows. The work was hot, dusty, and relentless, but it built a generation of resilient laborers.
Preservation and Museum Exhibits
Today, museums like Fort Walla Walla preserve full mule hitch combines and related equipment. These exhibits showcase the complexity of early harvest systems, from sack platforms to leveling racks. Visitors can see the craftsmanship in wooden frames, riveted steel, and hand-forged components. The machines are static now, but they once roared across fields, driven by sweat and diesel.
Preserving these artifacts is vital. They tell the story of agricultural evolution—not just in technology, but in labor, community, and adaptation. Each combine, crawler, and sack sewing platform represents thousands of hours of human effort and ingenuity.
Recommendations for Restoration and Education
For those restoring vintage harvest equipment:

• Use archival footage and manuals to guide mechanical reconstruction
  
• Source engines from period-correct suppliers or rebuild existing units
  
• Replace wooden components with laminated hardwoods for durability
  
• Document oral histories from operators and sack sewers
  
• Partner with agricultural museums for display and interpretation
  
• Host live demonstrations during harvest festivals to educate the public
  

Conclusion
The 1938 wheat harvest film is more than historical footage—it’s a portal into a world where agriculture was raw, communal, and deeply physical. The machines were loud, the work was hard, and the dust was constant. Yet through it all, farmers adapted, innovated, and laid the foundation for modern mechanized agriculture. Their legacy lives on in the steel of hillside combines, the stories of sack sewers, and the rolling fields of the Palouse.