A threshing stone is a
roller-like tool used for the
threshing
Threshing, or thrashing, is the process of loosening the edible part of grain (or other crop) from the straw to which it is attached. It is the step in grain preparation after reaping. Threshing does not remove the bran from the grain.
History ...
of
wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
. Similar to the use of
threshing boards, the stone was pulled by horses over a circular pile of harvested wheat on a hardened dirt surface (
threshing floor
Threshing (thrashing) was originally "to tramp or stamp heavily with the feet" and was later applied to the act of separating out grain by the feet of people or oxen and still later with the use of a flail. A threshing floor is of two main type ...
), and the rolling stone knocked the grain from the head of wheat. The
straw was removed from the pile and the remaining grain and
chaff was collected. By a process called
winnowing
Winnowing is a process by which chaff is separated from grain. It can also be used to remove pests from stored grain. Winnowing usually follows threshing in grain preparation. In its simplest form, it involves throwing the mixture into the ...
, the grain was tossed into the air to allow the chaff and dirt to be blown away, leaving only the grain.
History
Evidence of the use of threshing stones in various forms date from the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
era, but eventually it became the method of threshing grain by the
Molotschna
Molotschna Colony or Molochna Colony was a Russian Mennonite settlement in what is now Zaporizhzhia Oblast in Ukraine. Today, the central village, known as Molochansk, has a population less than 10,000. The settlement is named after the Molochna ...
Mennonite
Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radi ...
farmers in the
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
from about 1840 to 1900. The threshing stone became the preferred method used to knock the grain from the head because it was less labor-intensive than the use of the traditional
threshing flail.
In the 1870s, approximately one-third of all
Russian Mennonite
The Russian Mennonites (german: Russlandmennoniten it. "Russia Mennonites", i.e., Mennonites of or from the Russian Empire occasionally Ukrainian Mennonites) are a group of Mennonites who are descendants of Dutch Anabaptists who settled for abo ...
s immigrated to the
Great Plains of North America. The immigrants in central
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
brought the threshing stone technology with them, and contracted
stone mason
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
s in the
Florence, Kansas
Florence is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. The city was named after the daughter of the third Governor of Kansas Samuel J. Crawford.Century of Pride, 1872-1972 : Florence Kansas Centennial; Florence Centennial Book Committe ...
area to construct stones made of
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
.
The use of threshing stones quickly faded as they were superseded by mechanized forms of threshing, especially by
threshing machine
A threshing machine or a thresher is a piece of farm equipment that threshes grain, that is, it removes the seeds from the stalks and husks. It does so by beating the plant to make the seeds fall out.
Before such machines were developed, thre ...
s, and eventually all farmers quit using them by around 1900 to 1905.
Physical description
The threshing stone is a
cylindrical stone with teeth carved into it. Stones made in
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
were approximately 29 to 30 inches long, 23 to 24 inches in diameter, with 7 notches (and rarely 8) resembling
gear
A gear is a rotating circular machine part having cut teeth or, in the case of a cogwheel or gearwheel, inserted teeth (called ''cogs''), which mesh with another (compatible) toothed part to transmit (convert) torque and speed. The basic ...
teeth, made of
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
, and 600 to 800 pounds in weight.
Some smaller stones may weigh less than 400 pounds.
Locations
In 2011, over 90 threshing stones have been located. Numerous stones in
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
are located at private residences as family historic artifacts.
The following is a list of locations where threshing stones may be viewed by the public.
Museums:
* 4 at Zmeinogorsk Museum of Mining in
Zmeinogorsk
Zmeinogorsk (russian: Змеиного́рск, Town of snake's mountain) is a town and the administrative center of Zmeinogorsky District of Altai Krai, Russia, located on the Korbolikha (the Aley's tributary) and Zmeyevka Rivers. Population ...
(Russia).
* 3 at Mennonite Heritage and Agricultural Museum in
Goessel, Kansas
Goessel is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. It was named after Captain Kurt von Goessel (1852–1895) who went down with his ship, the Elbe, in the English Channel after it was rammed. As of the 2020 census, the population of ...
.
* 3 at Mennonite Settlement Museum in
Hillsboro, Kansas
Hillsboro is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. Hillsboro was named after John Gillespie Hill, who homesteaded in the area in 1871.Hillsboro Kansas, The City on the Prairie; Wiebe, Raymond F; 1985. As of the 2020 census, the pop ...
.
* 2 at Kauffman Museum at
Bethel College in
North Newton, Kansas
North Newton is a city in Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,814. It is located between the north side of the city of Newton (separate entity) and the south side of Interstate I-13 ...
.
* 2 at Inman Museum in
Inman, Kansas
Inman is a city in McPherson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,341.
History
For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, most of modern Kans ...
.
* 2 at
Mennonite Heritage Village
Mennonite Heritage Village is a museum in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada telling the story of the Russian Mennonites in Canada. The museum contains both an open-air museum open seasonally, and indoor galleries open year-round. Opened in 1967 and ex ...
in
Steinbach, Manitoba
Steinbach () ( Plautdietsch: /ˈʃte̞nbah/ or /ˈʃte̞nbax/) is a city located about south-east of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Steinbach is the third-largest city in Manitoba, with a population of 17,806, and the largest community in the Eas ...
, Canada.
* 1 at Halstead Heritage Museum in
Halstead, Kansas
Halstead is a city in Harvey County, Kansas, United States. Halstead was named in honor of Murat Halstead, a respected Civil War correspondent and newspaper editor. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,179.
History
For ...
.
* 1 at McPherson Museum in
McPherson, Kansas.
* 1 at
Kansas Museum of History in
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central U ...
.
* 1 at American Historical Society of Germans from Russia in
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...
.
Various:
* 4 at Buhler High School in
Buhler, Kansas.
* 2 at Administration Building and Bookstore at
Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas.
* 1 at
Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church near Goessel, Kansas.
* 1 in Mennonite Centennial Memorial Monument in
Peabody, Kansas
Peabody is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. It is named after F.H. Peabody, of Boston, former vice-president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Peabody is well known in the region for its Independence Day Celebration o ...
.
Other uses
The ''Thresher'' is the official mascot of
Bethel College in
North Newton, Kansas
North Newton is a city in Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,814. It is located between the north side of the city of Newton (separate entity) and the south side of Interstate I-13 ...
and named after the threshing stone.
References
Further reading
* ''Leave No Threshing Stone Unturned''; Glen Ediger; 192 pages; 2012; .
External links
Top questions about Threshing StonesHistory:
Threshing Stone HistoryResearching Threshing StonesPhotos:
Threshing Stone photosInman Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Threshing stone
Harvest
Agricultural terminology
Agricultural machinery
History of agriculture
German-Russian culture in the United States
Mennonitism in Ukraine