"Modern Power Farming" 1949

Jaymi R. (Hatch) Nickell shared this wonderful look back at farming practices in Weld County during the 1940s.

"This film features my father, Jim “Jimmy” Hatch (likely age 4), my paternal Grandfather George "Buck" Hatch, Great-Uncle Bill Hatch, Great-Uncle Oliver Pumphrey and Great Grandfather Joe Pumphrey," wrote Nickell, who asked we share this on the Weld County History Site.

The intro to the file reads, "A 1949 film production depiction of "modern farming" in Weld County, near Greeley and LaSalle, CO. This is a motion picture of varied types of farming operations in the State of Colorado. It was filmed by Oliver E. Pumphrey, an amateur photographer but, like thousands of other Friendly Mobilgas-Mobiloil Men, an expert in the lubrication requirements of farm machinery. The farmers shown are all customers of the Weld County Service Station, operated by Maurice McMahan. None of the scenes was rehearsed. Mr. Pumphrey filmed the activities shown just as they happened. The result is a motion picture of farming in one section of Northern Colorado that should interest farmers everywhere of all generations, alike."

Some of the familiar family names you may recognize: Hatch, Pumphrey, Fisher, Boehlander, McMahan, Sylvester, Elliot, Norris, Love, Swanson, Ewing, Swensen, Blake and listen for several others. You may also recognize the LaSalle water tower standing tall above the farmland in several scenes.