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Part of the Sandwich Manufacturing Company Series
What Farmers Said About Sandwich Machines
Long before online reviews, star ratings, or social media recommendations, farm machinery companies relied on something simpler:
Letters from farmers.
The 1896 Sandwich Manufacturing Company Sheller Catalog included page after page of testimonials from customers describing how Sandwich machines performed in real world conditions. These weren’t polished advertising slogans written by marketing departments. Most were straightforward comments from farmers and custom shellers who depended on their machinery during harvest season.
Together, they paint a picture of a company whose machines had spread far beyond Sandwich, Illinois.
The letters came from:
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Nebraska
- Kansas
- Missouri
- and even New Zealand
And while the wording varied, the themes stayed remarkably consistent:
- speed
- reliability
- clean shelling
- durability
- and pride in ownership
“Shelling as High as 100,000 Bushels”
One Iowa customer described the scale of custom shelling operations made possible by Sandwich machinery:
“I have used your Four Hole Sheller for custom work for many years… shelling as high as 100,000 bushels in a single year.”
That kind of volume reminds modern readers that these were not small farm tools. Large mounted shellers represented serious commercial machinery capable of handling enormous harvests across rural communities.
“Would Not Be Without It”
Many testimonials focused on reliability.
Farmers depended on these machines during narrow harvest windows, when breakdowns could cost both time and money.
One customer wrote simply:
“I have used your sheller for several years and would not be without it.”
Statements like this appeared repeatedly throughout the catalog.
The machines were expected to:
- travel rough roads
- operate for long hours
- withstand dust, vibration, weather, and heavy seasonal use
And according to many owners, they did exactly that.
“Cleans Corn Better Than Others”
Several customers praised the quality of the shelling itself.
A testimonial from Wenona, Illinois stated:
“I get a number of outside jobs on account of being able to clean the corn better than others with other makes of shellers.”
In an era when grain quality affected market value, clean shelling mattered.
A machine that processed corn efficiently while reducing waste or damage gave operators a real advantage.
Fast Shelling and Heavy Work
The catalog frequently emphasized speed and output.
One Illinois customer reported:
“I shelled for my crop, cleaning corn for market and fast shelling.”
Another wrote:
“It does the work cleaner and faster than any machine I have ever used.”
For custom shellers moving from farm to farm during harvest season, speed translated directly into income.
The faster a machine could shell corn reliably, the more work its owner could take on.
Beyond the Midwest
Perhaps the most remarkable testimonial came from New Zealand.
Even in the 1890s, Sandwich machinery had reached customers far beyond the American Midwest.
One international user wrote:
“It is a splendid article and there is no other capable of competing with it either for quality or quantity of work.”
That single testimonial says a great deal about the reach of Sandwich Manufacturing Company by 1896.
What began as a prairie town manufacturer in northern Illinois had become part of a growing international agricultural economy.
More Than Advertising
Today, these testimonials provide more than sales copy.
They offer a direct connection to the people who actually used the machinery:
- farmers
- custom shellers
- machine operators
- rural business owners
The letters reveal what mattered most to them:
- reliability
- output
- efficiency
- durability
- and reputation
And more than a century later, many surviving Sandwich machines are still admired by collectors and restorers who appreciate the same qualities those early customers described in 1896.
Facts at a Glance
- The 1896 catalog included testimonials from customers across the United States and internationally
- Testimonials emphasized speed, durability, reliability, and clean shelling
- Some custom operators reported shelling tens of thousands of bushels annually
- Sandwich machines were used in both small farm operations and large commercial shelling businesses
- A testimonial from New Zealand demonstrated the company’s international reach