Corn Husking

 I've heard stories about corn husking contests... this one involves creative team spirit!  Emmett Touby and Albert Hensler went to town and borrowed a couple of white baker's uniforms.  Here's how they showed up for the contest.  I imagine this story was told again and again in farm circles.  My mother knew the story and we're passing in on to you!
Long before there were machines to do the work, the men had to do all the work by hand.  They would remove the ear from the stalk, strip the husks off and throw the ear into a horse-drawn wagon.  My dad tells a story about how Albert Hensler could have two ears of corn in the air while stripping the next ear off for husking.

Emmett Touby and Albert Hensler with their team of horses.

These husking tools were used to cut the ear from the stalk and the husk from the ear.  By harvest time the ears were hanging down on the stalk.  With one swift movement upward the ear was cut off, then a deft slash would separate the husk from the ear and the ear was tossed into the wagon.  There were local, regional and national husking contests, sometimes called "husking bees."

Husking tools (called huskers, pegs, or hooks) were made in different styles, but common to all were the blade and leather strap.  The leather was made to fit like a glove.  With the tool above, you would slip three fingers of your hand into the leather loops and adjust the fit with a leather lace on top.

HENSLER AGAIN WINS COUNTY HUSKING TITLE 

Harvests 30.28 Bushels To Take Championship for the Sixth Consecutive Year

KOKOMO TRIBUNE, 30 October 1936

Albert Hensler of Howard township, won the Howard county corn husking championship for the fifth straight year Friday when he husked 2,180 pounds in 80 minutes at the annual contest on the Guy West farm in Liberty township.
Hensler left 20 pounds of corn in the field, which reduced his net total to 2,120 pounds, or 30.28 bushels.  He had 3 1/2 ounces of husks per 100 pounds and since the rules allow five ounces there was no deduction on account of husks.
Five hundred persons took advantage of the ideal weather to attend the contest.  If Hensler's score turns out to be one of the ten best in the state, he will qualify for the state husking contest in Grant county, Nov. 6.

Roy Kuhns Is Second.

Roy Kuhns, Alto, was second in the contest, husking 2,080 pounds, with 39 pounds left in the field, for a net score of 29.15 bushels.  He had 5 ounces of husks.  Harry Angle, Flora R.F.D. 1, finished third with a net score of 2,041 pounds and 6 1/2 ounces of husks.

Roy Surface, Greentown, was fourth; Walter Julow, Kokomo R.F.D. 4, was fifth; Meredith Turnpaugh, Kokomo R.F.D. 4, was sixth; Raymond Hendrickson, Alto, seventh; and Elmo Redding, Flora R.F.D. 1, eighth.

Minor prizes were awarded by stores at Greentown, Kokomo, and Plevna.  Hensler has qualified for the state contest four times, finishing second in two of them, and was eleventh high man in the state two years.  The first Howard county contest was won by Ben Dye.

Officials for Contest

The judges were L.P. Shrock, Frank Graff, W.S. Lovejoy, W.H. Kendall, Ira Kurtz, John VanSickle.