Steam-powered history comes alive at Illinois Amish Heritage Center
•August 12, 2026•
by Ariana R Cherry
In 1786, Scottish inventor Andrew Meikle developed the first successful mechanical threshing machine, transforming the way farmers separated grain from chaff. More than two centuries later, visitors experienced that history firsthand during Steam Threshing Days, held Friday, July 31, and Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Illinois Amish Heritage Center near Arthur.
