New Items at the OPS

 Baker's Table - The art of baking bread spread across Europe thanks to the Roman Empire. Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread was common 100 years ago. These baker tables were hand-crafted and the one pictured here has two flour bins. These tables were in use before the Hoosier Cabinets of Indiana. These were three-part cupboards from early 20th century until the1920s.

 Tool Box & Tools - Studying antique tools provides a glimpse of human development and cultural preferences throughout history. Collectors vary: studying and cataloging, preserving, investing, using, collecting works of art or admiring fascinating mechanical design specimens

 Enamelware & Enamel Table - Enamelware is the term used for items that have a porcelain enamel finish. Enamelware grew in the 19th century. The process is thousands of years old. Electrolytes, metal oxides, water & clay are all used to make enamel. The enamel mixture is: feldspar, borax and quartz heated at high temps until they become liquid. A smelter is used to achieve the high temp. The mixture is poured between two high-pressure rollers that squeeze out excess moisture. Strips of glass are smashed to leave material called "frit". The frit is used to coat the material. Both the enamel & base are heated in a furnace which allows the materials to bond together.

Flax Crimper - Flax or linseed is a food and fiber crop grown in cooler regions. Flax fibers are taken from the stem of the plant and are two to three times stronger than cotton. Flax fibers are smooth and straight. Europe and North America depended on flax for vege-based cloth until the 19th century when cotton overtook flax as the most common plant used for making linen paper.

Commemorating 40 Years in Business--8 Signs Have Been Painted!

A Big Congratulations to Dennis & Barb--The Olde Plow Shoppe has been in business for 40 years--this April 2013! Eight signs have been painted this 4th of July weekend in celebration. Have you stopped in to visit? Many customers still come in saying they have driven by many years and decided to stop this time. It is quite the museum!

Olde Plow Shoppe History

 Upstairs cottage

 Old stove where many customers like to cozy up to in the winter.

 New entrance drive.

Above photo: before Hwy. 47 expansion.

History: The building "Olde Plow Shoppe" was built in 1900 and ran as a general store until 1969.  The original owner was Charlie Ganschow and in the 1950's was taken over by his daughter and son-in-law, Ruth and Eddie Simonson.  The back addition of the store was a cheese factory and started operating in about 1908 until the farmers started a co-op cheese factory across the road.  The Dickman's bought the building in April of 1973.  From 1969 until 1973 it was owned by a couple of other people who did some remodeling of the upstairs apartment.   The upstairs has now become the owners' cottage near the lakes for fishing and family and friends' visits.

Dennis's Potato Gardens

Most years Dennis plants a potato garden. This year he has:
Pontiacs - top-notch mashing, thin red skin, shallow eyes, crisp white flesh
Kennebecs - large, light tan skin, uniform shape, fleshy insides, thin skin
Norkotahs - early maturing, released in 1987 by North Dakota State University, white flesh, long
                     oblong shape, medium to heavy russeted skin
Burbanks - large, dark brown skin, few eyes, dry white flesh

Fruit Jars & Copper Boiler

Dennis's antique business started with him collecting old bottles & fruit jars. He purchased a price guide book and began buying other items. Copper boilers were used for boiling water on the old wood stove for doing laundry, washing dishes and bathing.