When you get a chance, make sure to stop by the museum to see our Outdoor Exhibits with new ADA ramps, pathways, and interpretive signage. One of our eye-catching implements is the 1951 John Deere #8 cotton harvester.
This model machine was the first self-propelled cotton harvester in the world to harvest two rows at a time. The harvester is powered by a 43 HP Hercules gasoline engine. By comparison, John Deere cotton pickers today can harvest up to 12 rows at a time and have more than 500 HP. When harvesting, it moved at 2 MPH and could pick up to 17 acres a day. The cotton basket on it can hold up to 1,200 pounds of cotton, enough to make 2,400 T-shirts! In 1952 it retailed for $14,500.
This particular cotton picker was donated to the museum after being used at the Skousen Ranch in Coolidge.
