Every two years Davenport, Iowa, is the site of John Deere enthusiasts flooding the streets and filling the River Center Convention Center. This event spills over onto the street and into the nearby hotels, like the Blackhawk Hotel where a lawn-and-garden Deere was on display and a Deere small grain elevator filled the lobby reaching to the second-floor balcony.

The event took place March 21-24, and the inside of the Convention Center was decorated as well, with a beautiful windmill, tractors and even an old shed filled with items that would be found – well, in an old shed.

At the Gathering, an array of vendors were set up as well as several interesting workshops and tours all geared toward the Deere collector. One tour celebrated the museums at the Iowa River Landing in Coralville.

The Johnson County Historical Society is in charge of the Historical Society Museum, which is home to its 10,000 historic artifacts. Several items in the museum hail back to farm history, such as the Aspinwall Potato Planter circa 1900 and artifacts that share the story of the Mormons’ trek westward from Iowa.

For more information about the museums that the Johnson County Historical Society has available, log onto www.johnsoncountyhistory.org

There is also an Antique Car Museum of Iowa which showcases more than 70 automobiles dating from 1899 to 1995, with several relating to antique tractor history – like the 1912 International Harvester truck used as a depot to hotel transfer. There is also a 1909 IHC High Wheeler and an early Velie buggy. The Velie buggy is connected to the Deere Co. and family both.

The Antique Car Museum of Iowa website is www.antiquecarmuseumofiowa.org

Another cool tour was of Jon Kinzenbaw’s amazing collection, which includes the Kinze Innovation Center and factory. The tour was led by Gary Roberts, who has been working with Kinze for 10 years and takes care of the tractors and tours and the five buildings in which the equipment is housed.

Gary explained that two tours are usually offered each year, once in June and once in the fall. There is a two-year wait list for a tour.

The first room of the tour houses some really neat items. ‘”This is where the Kinze Power Products first Twin line planter was built,” he said. “This was where one of the most popular planters was done. The electric planter was done and anything super-secret is done here. It is where Kinze builds his models.”

The tour included the H room, and much more. In some spaces tractors were placed above other tractors. There were also some other brands along with the heavy IH collection.

Then there are the Deeres. Lots of beautifully restored John Deere tractors are also part of the mix, with perhaps the neatest item being a rare 4010 cutaway tractor that actually runs.

It was easy to recognize the Kinze plant with the grain carts topped one on top of one another. Visitors saw a film and toured the Innovation center and the factory. For information about making reservations for a tour or to stop by the Innovation Center or gift shop, it is located at 2172 M. Ave., Williamsburg, Iowa; call 319-668-1300 for information.