Rough And Tumble Engineers Historical Association

Amid the fertile, rolling farmlands of historic Lancaster County lies an unobtrusive world of power. A place where people, progress, and preservation maintain a delicate balance. Where caring, commitment, and creativity count.
It´s the world of Rough and Tumble Engineers Historical Association. And as they celebrate their 40th anniversary, it´s a celebration of men and their marvelous machines. In recognition of innovation, dedication, and perseverance.
Rough and Tumble´s massive, sturdy engines attest to countless contributions and loving labor. They stand in tribute to the association´s history and our nation´s technology. And they reflect a collection - not only of material objects - but of members, volunteers, and folklore. An outstanding collection that documents the history of power.
But Rough and Tumble wasn´t created as a collection. It began as an event - a threshermen´s reunion that, for all intents and purposes, never totally ended. Yet while the camaraderie continues, the organization evolves.
The first Rough and Tumble social gathering was held in 1948 on the grounds of Arthur S. Young´s farm equipment dealership south of Route 30 at the east end of Kinzers, Pennsylvania. Steam engine enthusiasts had encouraged Young to have a show to display his collection of engines. As an officer of the Pennsylvania Threshermen and Farmers Protective Association, Young persuaded that group to provide free food and advertising for the event.
"Prior to that time, most threshermen had owned and relied on steam engines to conduct their business," said Titus Brubaker, who worked as a custom threshermen for almost half a century and served on Rough and Tumble´s original board of directors.
Early in the 20th century, when threshermen travelled from farm to farm, steel-cleated iron drive wheels on steam traction engines often damaged newly paved highways throughout Pennsylvania. This prompted attempts to keep steel-cleated rigs off the roads, and confrontations between threshermen and the commonwealth were common.
"To keep the engines on the road, the Pennsylvania Threshermen and Farmers Protective Association was formed," Brubaker said. Membership included farm equipment dealers, farmers, and threshermen organized to present agrarian interests to the state legislature.