Original churns like this are still turning up pretty regularly in antique shops. People buy them because they have the pretty glass jar on the bottom, and they put them on display, maybe fill the bottom with something like marbles.
The older ones are going to be strongly made as they were designed to be used fairly frequently.
I have seen a number of them from the 1930s to the '50s or so that used a small electric motor about like an A. C. Gilbert Company "Polar Cub" fan. These are neat, but take care not to drip machine oil in the butter. And any early motor like this is probably going to need a new power cord as the old ones will short out and throw sparks where the insulation falls off. Electricity is nice but for your purpose of doing it the old way, thankfully, the old crank-powered ones are far more commonly found!
(Edit: If push comes to shove you can pour the cream into a clean fruit jar, throw in a couple of glass marbles, and screw the lid on. Shake for awhile.)
I just recently found a 2003 facsimile printing of The White House Cook-Book, 1887 Edition. It has a rather longish chapter on butter.
TO MAKE BUTTER (Page 194)
Thoroughly scald the churn then cool well with ice or spring water. Now pour in the thick cream, churn fast at first, then, as the butter forms, more slowly; always with perfect regularity; in warm weather pour a little cold water into the churn should the butter form slowly; in winter, if the cream be too cold, add a little warm water to bring it to the proper temperature. When the butter has "come," rinse the sides of the churn down with cold water, and take the butter up with the perforated dasher or a wooden ladle, turning it dexterously just below the surface of the buttermilk to catch every stray bit; have ready some very cold water in a deep wooden tray; and into this plunge the dasher when you draw it from the churn; the butter will float off, leaving the dasher free. When you have colected all the butter, gather behind a wooden butter ladle, and drain off the water, squeezing and pressing the butter with the ladle; then pour on more cold water, and work the butter with the ladle to get the milk out, drain off the water, sprinkle salt over the butter,--a tablespoonful to a pound; work itin a little, and set in a cool place fora n hourto harden, thenwork and knead it until not another drop of water exudes, and the butter is perfectly smooth and close in texture and polish; then with the ladle make up into rolls, little balls, stamped pats, etc.
The churn, dasher, tray, and ladle, should be well scalded before using, so that the butter will not stick to them, and then cooled with very cold water.
When you skim cream into your cream jar, stir it well into what is already there, so that it may all sour alike; and no fresh cream should be put with it within twelve hours before churning, or the butter will not come quickly; and perhaps, not at all.
TO MAKE BUTTER QUICKLY (Page 195)
Immediately after the cow is milked, strain into clean pans, and set it over a moderate fire until it is scalding hot; do not let it boil; then set it aside; when it is cold, skim off the cream; the milk will still be fit for any ordinary use; when you have enough cream, put it into a clean earthen basin; beat it with a wooden spoon until the butter is made, which will not be long; then take it from the milk and work it with a little cold water, until it is free from milk; then drain off the water, put a small tablespoonful of fine salt to each pound of butter, and work it in. A small teaspoonful of fine white sugar, worked in with the salt, will be found an improvement--sugar is a great preservative. Make the butter in a roll, cover it with a bit of muslin, and keep it in a cool place. A reliable recipe.
