18 - HIGH STACK

HIGH STACK

13 x 21 inches

(c. 1940—Burt County farmers stacking hay with a Jayhawk)

This Jayhawk lift stacked hay for livestock.

As a very young girl, I drove our small Ford tractor while Dad and his hired men used giant hooks to toss heavy, rectangular hay bales onto the flatbed trailer. I felt needed and important, while simultaneously being scared to death of doing it wrong and making Dad angry. For some reason, I seemed to trip his anger button often.

The new hay balers were thought to be an improvement, but the grueling work of twisting and throwing heavy bales onto a flatbed eventually crippled many strong men with a life of back pain.

Eventually, technology made improvements. Now machines lift massive, round bales with a forklift, thankfully saving many men from a lifetime of suffering. Over the years, hay storage cycled through many changes—now huge cylindrical hay bales are the norm. Being reminded of improvements gives us an appreciation for inventive minds like my father’s.

Thank you to the Nebraska State Historical Society for allowing me to use historical photos for inspiration.