Garfield Farm to host antique tool show

Submitted by Garfield Farm Museum

Members of the Early American Industries Association and the Mid-West Tools Collectors Association will hold their annual Antique Tool Show and Sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5 at the Garfield Farm Museum in Campton Hills.

This is the only joint show by these two organizations in the Midwest open to the public. More than 30 different collectors will have their tools on display and for sale.

In the past, skilled craftsmen used specific tools for their livelihood and for their survival. These craftsmen, such as coopers and blacksmiths, were indispensable to their communities, and their work was dependent on their tools. Each piece of equipment was vital and had a specific purpose. As society became more and more mechanized, the need for these craftsman and their tools vanished. By understanding the use of these tools, one can gain an understanding and respect for them.

Many antique tools most people come in contact with are a mystery. They might not know what the tool was used for or even who or how it was used. Not only can the public view, and even buy the tools at the Antique Tool Show and Sale, the collectors have an understanding and experience that they share with the show’s guests.

Most tool organizations hold private shows available only to their members. However, Garfield Farm Museum has opened its gates to host the Early American Industries Association and the Mid-West Tools Collectors Association’s annual Antique Tool Show and Sale to give the general public the unique opportunity to view, and even buy, rare antique tools they might never have seen before.

Visitors and novice collectors will find this rare chance to discover the wide variety of collection themes and to learn the value of tools. Many visitors have come to the show with an unknown tool and have left with a wealth of knowledge. Tours of the 1846 teamster inn and tavern begin at 11 a.m. and continue after the show until 4 p.m. Refreshments will be available. Admission for adults is $6 and $2 for children 12 years and younger.

Garfield Farm Museum is a historically intact former prairie farmstead and teamster inn being restored by volunteers as a 1840s working farm. The museum is located five miles west of Geneva, off Route 38 on Garfield Road. For information, call (630) 584-8485 or visit www.garfieldfarm.org.