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Thread Number: 5790
Honoring the Abderdeen Farm |
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Post# 120232 4/5/2006 at 22:45 (6,593 days old) by unimatic1140  (Minneapolis) |
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While we can assume that the Aberdeen Farm is probably is cleaned up and gone by now, I figured it was time to add a special photo album to the website to remember this incredible find. Back in 1997 I was told by John E. in St. Paul about this “Farm” that was actually an appliance graveyard located 5 hours west of Minneapolis near Aberdeen, South Dakota. John had recently found the farm through an old appliance repair person and he had gone out there to find a Bendix Duomatic and Bendix parts. When he described the 1000’s of Frigidaire washers out there that he saw I just had to go a check it out. I was amazed, eventually I pulled some wonderful things off this farm and gave them a thorough restoration. Many Applianceville members here have now been to the farm and also have some fond memories. I created a photo album which you can access through the link below. Other members might have some great pictures to add, especially close-ups of some of the machines. If you do please email them to me to include in the album. Remember most of the machines you see have been outside for 20 or more years. The first 22 pictures are actual scanned photographs I took back in 1997 when the farm was pristine, untouched by us as of yet. This shot is a before and after shot of my 1958 Frigidaire Unimatic, it took three months of hard labor to restore it… CLICK HERE TO GO TO unimatic1140's LINK 
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Post# 120233 , Reply# 1 4/5/2006 at 22:45 (6,593 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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| Post# 120234 , Reply# 2 4/5/2006 at 22:48 (6,593 days old) by westyslantfront () | ||
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Hi Robert. Very impressive pictures. I am sure you worked hard to restore the machines. Ross | ||
| Post# 120243 , Reply# 4 4/6/2006 at 00:00 (6,593 days old) by mustangman () | ||
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Farm Update How ironic this subject has come up. I e mailed syndets2000 (Robert) about the farm a couple days ago after seeing the video archive on this site. I wanted to know if it still existed so I could go there and look for treasures. | ||
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Post# 120247 , Reply# 5 4/6/2006 at 01:27 (6,593 days old) by peteski50 (New York) |
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Abderdeen Farm | ||
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Post# 120254 , Reply# 6 4/6/2006 at 02:49 (6,593 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK) |
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Field of Dreams | ||
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Post# 120275 , Reply# 7 4/6/2006 at 07:34 (6,593 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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Post# 120309 , Reply# 9 4/6/2006 at 08:58 (6,593 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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As far as the history of the farm it sort of goes like this: A husband and wife couple back in the mid-60's who owned this farmland decided to get into the appliance recycling business. They soon realized that they could make some good cash by taking in old appliances, the just never got around to the recycling part. The last time I was at the farm was in the fall of 2003 (I think), 2/3rds of it had been cleaned up. The couple had retired and passed the land onto their kids who were selling off the entire "collection" for scrap metal. I'm sure by now the farm is just a memory and corn goes once again on the field of dreams. Mike the machine behind the Dexter double tub washer is a Bendix Dryer. Jeff I surprised to hear there are vacuum junk yards like this, were these outside like the Aberdeen farm? The reason I’m surprised is that vacuum cleaners are much smaller and easier to dispose of than major appliances. Jimmy, you are so very right when you say "It truly was a unique experience", I have never experienced anything like it. Walking around the farm (the full version back in '97) took over eight hours to see the whole thing, and when you found something cool, at times it took over an hour or more just to find it again. There were at least 10,000 washers out there alone, not to mention the dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators and ranges. It was an amazing high, by the end of the day you were tired, filthy and had a cut or two, but it was like being in heaven. I will never forget those experiences as long as I live. I have never found another junk yard of its size and style again. I suspect with 21st EPA regulations that farms like this are a thing of the past. | ||
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Post# 120321 , Reply# 10 4/6/2006 at 09:56 (6,592 days old) by pulsator (Saint Joseph, MI) |
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| Post# 120327 , Reply# 11 4/6/2006 at 10:14 (6,592 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA) | ||
Going there in 2003 was both exhilarating and depressing. Even though many of the washers had been removed already, there was still enough there that every time you turned around it was another "Oh! Look!", and then "Ooo! Ahhh!" experience. And then you would really look at the machine, your heart would sink and it became a "What a shame!" pity party. Or you would think "Where on earth am I going to put this machine?" when you realized that you have no more room at home. Or you would curse yourself because you knew that you just couldn't save everything you found. Or you would find a keeper, only to realize that your dream machine is buried behind 20 or 30 refrigerators and there was no way to get it out. The sun doesn't go down there until 10pm, and you spend morning to night looking for machines and then struggling to get them out. You arrive back at your hotel sweaty and greasy from insect repellant. You undress carefully, checking your clothes and your body for ticks. You take a shower, go to dinner and relive the "Ooo! Ahh!" and the "What a shame!" moments. When it is time to leave the restaurant, you have a hard time getting up from the table because you are so stiff from a day of pulling machines out from the tall grass and from behind 20-30 refrigerators, hauling washers and dryers across 11 acres. You can't wait to get home with the things you found, and yet you kick yourself for all the things you left behind. God bless that place and the people who own it! | ||
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Post# 120342 , Reply# 13 4/6/2006 at 10:34 (6,592 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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2002
It was late April or early May 2002 when Robert and I were out there, my photo albums were all created on Yahoo that summer. Here is a link to a few pictures of when Jimmy, Peter and I went up in June, '02. Two trips in one summer and I don't think anyone else has been back there since. I'm sure it is all gone now, but the toxic waste of oil running from the machines into the ground is probably making for some strange tasting corn!
CLICK HERE TO GO TO gansky1's LINK | ||
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Post# 120380 , Reply# 14 4/6/2006 at 13:14 (6,592 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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So it was 2002, four years ago the last time I was there, I can't keep all these years of washer collecting straight anymore. For sure its all gone by now. So who else went hunting in the Field of Dreams, we know Greg (Gansky), Jimmy (Filterflo), Peter (PeterH770), John E, Jon Charles (Jetcone), Don Haggerty, Robert Stokes (Syndets2000), John Lefever, Don (Jetaction) and myself (Unimatic1140) made the trek at different times, who else? | ||
| Post# 120433 , Reply# 16 4/6/2006 at 16:40 (6,592 days old) by westytoploader () | ||
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And that 60's 18-pound Wards Signature with the spiral-vane agitator is one of my dream machines!! | ||
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Post# 120455 , Reply# 17 4/6/2006 at 18:37 (6,592 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Robert - well thank you very much for putting together this wonderful array of photos of the Farm. I have been to places like this when I was a young kid - back in the mid eighties. Dad was always into old cars, and there always seemed to be plenty of appliances strewn about with the cars. Those few days in 97 look to have been speechless - I find it hard to even write words to describe the photos! Thanks again - Ben | ||
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Post# 120605 , Reply# 18 4/7/2006 at 12:30 (6,591 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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| Post# 120626 , Reply# 19 4/7/2006 at 15:15 (6,591 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA) | ||
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Austin: I got an early Skinny Mini and a late 60's Philco dryer. Both are unrestored and in storage. When I went with Jimmy and Greg, since we all met in Omaha with Jimmy driving his own van and me flying in and riding with Greg, I went home with the least amount of machines. I did, however get a few agitators (Hotpoint Siloette and Blackstone) and some parts, including the variable speed Rollermatic mechanism. All this was shipped to me from Omaha. | ||
| Post# 120700 , Reply# 20 4/7/2006 at 21:45 (6,591 days old) by gregm () | ||
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great pics Robert amazing before and after pics Robert of those machines ........ those are true keepsakes ........... | ||
| Post# 120799 , Reply# 21 4/8/2006 at 14:16 (6,590 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River) | ||
I have a question to ask If u could turn back the clock to when Robert and the gang went to aberdeen washer farm in its pristine form: How many of the appliances that were there could have been brought up to working status with a cleaning and the fixing of the parts that killed them in the first place Might be 50% or more | ||
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Post# 120856 , Reply# 22 4/8/2006 at 21:40 (6,590 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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What vivid memories I have
ROBERT, just seeing it all again I could hear the wind rustle through the grass and I can smell it too. I was high as a kite the whole 3 days we were there. Imagine finding 7 acres of your favorite thing with no one around to bother you?? It truly is a timeless moment in my mind. It took me 2 years to restore my Control Tower machine you found me!! Bpetersx: The restoration rate would not be that high. Although Aberdeen gets 19 inches annual rain fall, all the solid tub machines held their water to winter and in that winter with the deep extremes the water acted like a hammer on the machines distorting the inner and outer tubs. That combined with the clear skies (19 inches rain/year) just turned all the plastic to yellow crust which just crumbled to the touch. Funny enough the steel was in good shape, easily repaintable. I saw frigidaire tubs pushed out in the bottom so deep by the ice that the tub lifted the tops right off the machine cabinet! That tub steel was very heavy gauge. Its nice we have the pictures here! Nice job Robert,nice addition to the site! Good on ya! jon | ||
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Post# 120907 , Reply# 23 4/9/2006 at 06:22 (6,590 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
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| Post# 120927 , Reply# 24 4/9/2006 at 08:11 (6,590 days old) by brent-aucoin () | ||
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Robert, The pictures in the album are great! It is exciting to see them over and over again. Thanks Brent | ||
| Post# 121021 , Reply# 25 4/9/2006 at 15:07 (6,589 days old) by alr2903 (TN) | ||
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wow I had forgotten some of the cool things. Robert thanks for that tour down memory lane. That poor pink westy has always tugged at my heart. Thanks for the Great pictures and all you do for us. alr2903 | ||
| Post# 121023 , Reply# 26 4/9/2006 at 16:19 (6,589 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River) | ||
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Post# 121039 , Reply# 27 4/9/2006 at 19:23 (6,589 days old) by trainguy (Key West, FL) |
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Re-chrome Pieces | ||
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Post# 121169 , Reply# 28 4/10/2006 at 09:52 (6,588 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Hi Rich, thank you. Actually all the chrome pieces needed was a good cleaning and polishing. The part on the WCI-58 that would have needed to be rechromed was the control panel top. That was rusty and pretty much ruined, but I got really lucky, I found another one that, for whatever reason, was thrown inside a Filtrator dryer out on the farm that was protected from the elements and it was just mint!
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| Post# 121207 , Reply# 29 4/10/2006 at 12:21 (6,588 days old) by bobbyderegis (Boston) | ||
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Wow! Seeing this farm in person must have been like Dorothy walking into Oz. I wish I could have been there. Bobby in Boston | ||
| Post# 121246 , Reply# 30 4/10/2006 at 17:06 (6,588 days old) by frontaloadotmy (the cool gay realm) | ||
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What a Jolt it must have been seeing that place the first time. I would have been weak in the knees! All one would need is a huge supply of color coded pennant flags on long sticks to mark certain treasures, and then return with trucks and trailers!!! | ||
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Post# 121288 , Reply# 31 4/10/2006 at 21:29 (6,588 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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| Post# 121343 , Reply# 32 4/11/2006 at 07:35 (6,588 days old) by mayken4now (Panama City, Florida) | ||
jon Jetcone | ||
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Post# 121749 , Reply# 36 4/12/2006 at 15:52 (6,586 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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Austin
We scoured that farm in 1997 for an APEX, I was dangling finding it FIRST over Robert's head all weekend!! He was nervous with my height I would spot it first so he followed me around all weekend! We never did see any sign of an Apex that I recall. I really think that machine is all in UNI's head NO ONE has really ever seen one -- ONLY him, and yet its the one machine not in his collection. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.......... slapped in newengland | ||
| Post# 121800 , Reply# 37 4/12/2006 at 17:27 (6,586 days old) by oldwasherguy (Ladson SC) | ||
apex | ||
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