LIFTER, SUGAR BEET

Description: LIFTER IS ALL ORIGINAL MATERIAL EXCEPT ONE OF THE HANDLE BARS AND PART OF THE OTHER ONE. DEPTH CONTROL APPARATUS OR "COULTER" PULLY MECHANISM IS MISSING ON FRONT OF MACHINE. A BAR OF STEEL IS ATTACHED TO THE LIFTER AT THE END OF THE BEAM. ALL PARTS MADE OF STEEL ARE CONSIDERABLY RUSTY. HANDLES ON LIFTER ARE BROKEN. THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CURVED. RIGHT HAND HAS A SINGLE BLADE. ALL ORIGINAL WOOD (ONE HANDLE AND BEAM) IS VERY WEATHERED. PRIOR TO THE DISMANTLEMENT OF THE PERMANENT LETHBRIDGE STORY EXHIBIT (YEAR 2000) EXHIBIT TECHNICIAN BRAD BROWN DISCOVERED A CORRODED, RIBBON-SIZED PIECE OF TIN, STAMPED/EMBOSSED “SL-I4059”, AS PART OF HIS DAILY PATROLS OF THE FORMER GALLERY. THE NUMBERED, TIN OBJECT WAS LOCATED IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF TWO EXHIBITED PLOWS AT THE TIME; P19770324000, SUGAR BEET LIFTER; AND P19770326000, GARDEN CULTIVATOR. NO REFERENCE TO THE NUMBER AS PART OF EITHER ARTIFACTS’ DESCRIPTION EXISTS(ED). AN INSPECTION OF BOTH PLOWS TO DETERMINE IF THE NUMBERED OBJECT HAD BROKEN OFF WAS INCONCLUSIVE. WHILE THE SURFACE OF THE OBJECT BEARS SOME RESEMBLANCE TO THE SURFACE OF THE TWO PLOWS, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE DIS-ASSOCIATED OBJECT CAME TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLOWS AS A RESULT OF AN EXHIBIT VISITOR TO THE FORMER PERMANENT GALLERY.. THE NUMBERED OBJECT CAN BE FOUND ON FILE WITH ARTIFACT P19770326000.

History: LIFTER USED IN UTAH IN EARLY 1880'S AND BROUGHT TO RAYMOND AREA IN 1903 AND USED UNTIL FIRST SUGAR FACTORY CLOSED. HISTORY SHEET ON FILE.