By CINDY LADAGE
Illinois Correspondent

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — While a new exhibit profiles Abraham Lincoln and his agricultural experiences and influence, the display also offers a great chance for antique tractor collectors to view a special all-wheel-drive John Deere tractor.

This is the only known intact Dain tractor. Named after Joseph Dain, the engineer who designed it, the tractors were built in 1912 as prototypes. The Dain tractor is on loan to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum from Deere & Co. in Moline, Ill.
The tractor entered the museum via a unique method. “Air Float Corporation from Decatur used compressed air,” Dave Blanchette of the museum said. “Their custom-made pad lifts like an air hockey game. Because of the marble floor, the steel wheels would have marked them.”

According to Blanchette, “The tractor was the result of six years of experimental work, including some technologies that would not be seen again on John Deere tractors until the 1980s. About 100 all-wheel-drive tractors were built before production ceased, following John Deere’s acquisition of the less expensive Waterloo Boy line of tractors.”

The advanced features he referred to include a gear-driven water pump, key ignition, on-the-go shifting, shiftless speed changing and positive traction. Though advanced, the features made the Dain too expensive for most farmers, at a steep original $1,500 price tag.

The Dain is not the only Deere item at the exhibit; there is also one of the last self-scouring plows that John Deere himself made in 1853. For those who love antique tractors and toys, a display shows the progression of agriculture. The toys include an International Harvester 1924 1.3-hp Farmall.

Toys also include a John Deere 16-hp Model A and a Froelich 16-hp tractor, and an 1892 Case Steam Track built in 1914. It was noted that Lincoln did not live to see the importance that steam power had on the farm.

The Agricultural Vision of Abraham Lincoln exhibit will be on hand until Aug. 31, 2010, focusing on American agriculture from the 1700s to present. Many little-known facts are included in this top-notch exhibit.

Special programs will be held as part of the exhibit’s stay at the museum. An antique tractor show is planned for July 25, on the streets adjacent to the Presidential Museum. For more information, visit www.presidentlincoln.org