The Alfalfa Arch was constructed across Atlantic Avenue in honor of the Corn and Alfalfa Exposition held in Morris on December 10-12, 1913. The Expo was dedicated to the promotion of corn and alfalfa growing as well as the general virtues of diversified farming.
A group of men look on as two men carve an ox carcass on an outdoor table. The men are, left to right: Mr. McGrath, Ed Hall, Homer Wooldridge, John Brooks (in white coat, center), John Towey, Ed Stoyke (in white coat, foreground), Henry Ringey.
The family is taking a break in the field with their dog and puppies, as well as a small wagon and buggy. The woman holding the puppies is "Liisa of Kalajoki." In his "History of the Thomson Farming Area," written in Finnish in 1935, John A. Mattinen wrote that the Fred Johnson farm was also known as Liisa of Kalajoki's farm and that Liisa (who died in 1924) was Fred's mother.
The typical farm had a house, barn, and several other buildings for chickens, hogs and grain storage. Several horses and cows are also seen as well as rows of corn starting to grow in the field.
Five men have been busy loading a straw bundle wagon and are taking a break. The straw bundles will be later threshed in a threshing machine. The men are sitting on and around the large steam engine. One man is sitting on the large wheel used by the belt to power the threshing machine.