Labor Day is often the end of the road for some of the year’s antique tractor shows and events. Collectors increasingly have to move indoors as fall and winter approach. In Pardeeville, Wis., Art Woodward, along with other collectors, bring their tractors to round out the motor vehicles at the Pardeeville Car Show. This year was the 15th for the show. Art, who lives in nearby Rio, brought his Graham Bradley tractor to town, and he invited Kent and Annie Jansen from Sigel, Ill., to bring their 1910 Sears car. Like the Graham Bradleys, the car was also sold through the old Sears catalog. Kent and Annie donned period costumes and drove around the Chandler Park grounds in their antique. They were a hit in Pardeeville and ended up winning first place in their class. The setting at Chandler Park is lovely. Situated along Park Lake, it is quite extensive with lots of room. Cars and trucks of all makes, models and years were on display, from the classic to the “muscle.” Tractor brands included Farmalls, Allis-Chalmers and one cool tractor owned by Paul Kohlwey – a Rock Island. Paul shared some information about the history of the Rock Island Plow Co.: “The tractor was made in Rock Island, Illinois; they made implements. They teamed up with the Heider Company, who was making tractors for them. Then the Rock Island Company bought Heider and changed the tractor name to Rock Island, I think, in the late (1910s).” As for his 1926 tractor, Paul said the G2 the oldest serial number Rock Island, at No. 26. The company was later sold to Case. The G2 tractor uses a four-cylinder Waukesha engine. “Waukesha made engines for a lot of companies,” he noted. “This one is a 15-25.” Paul found the beautiful G2 Rock Island in a shed. He had known the owner for years and was able to buy it. The bad thing he soon found was that when he first started it, she ran – but was also full of mice. “I had to clean it from top to bottom, put gas in it, change the oil, et cetera. I’ve had it for about five years now,” he added. Quite beautiful in its work clothes, so to speak, thankfully Paul plans to leave the G2 in original condition. Tinkering comes naturally to Paul because he is a plumbing, heating and air guy from Rio, Wis. Besides the Rock Island, he also has a Rumely Oil Pull, A-C crawler and John Deere A. Tractor collectors would also enjoy the farm trucks on display at this show in Pardeeville. Down the road a ways is the Pontiac, Ill., Central States Threshermen’s Reunion, which is also held annually over Labor Day weekend. This show was first staged in 1949, making this the second-oldest steam show in the United States. Like many shows over the weekend, it was plagued with a bit of rain so some of the fieldwork was canceled, but the show was a huge A-C draw, with the Gathering of the Orange taking place. One of the collectors who had his tractors on display was Dave Appelton from Kaukauna, Wis. He had a neat 1966 D21 that he and his sons, Thomas and Jacob, built from scratch. “They helped me,” Dave explained. “One is a machinist. The engine for the D21 came from Iraq, from a generator mortar.” There were several scale-model A-Cs on display as well, like the 1930s WC. “This is a 2/3-scale tractor made out of horse machinery and automobile parts. This is a yard ornament, not a working model,” read the sign on one tractor. Under the feature tent there were a lot of A-C items including a 1958 Shop Mule belonging to Bob and Kim Schrank; another favorite is the A-C Chore Boy. And outside there were loads of other activities going on, like steam engines revving up, men making hay bales and much more. Labor Day wraps up antique tractor shows – now we have the toys! Readers with questions or comments for Cindy Ladage may write to her in care of this publication. Learn more of Cindy’s finds and travel in her blog, “Traveling Adventures of a Farm Girl,” at http://travelingadventuresofafarmgirl.com |
