KENTLAND, Ind. – John Frederickson has a building filled with antique tractors, predominately of the Farmall red variety, as well as literature, and memorabilia. Last August he had an open house where around 500 people came through to view his beautiful collection. The museum in Kentland, Ind., was a former trucking operation that John bought three years ago and fixed up. 

John grew up two miles east of Penfield, Illinois. “That’s how I got involved with the I & I Club (that hosts the Historic Days show). I farmed with Dad for two years, after graduating high school in 1957.”

During his boyhood on the farm John didn’t start out with an interest in Farmall red. He grew up on a Ford 8N. When his dad bought his first new Farmall, a 1954 Super MTA, John said, “I thought I’d died and went to heaven. It was all IH after that.”

Cattle were a part of his farming days, and they are well represented in the museum as well. There is a picture of John, and his dad with Hereford cows on the farm. 

After high school and an agricultural course from the University of Illinois, he ended up working in the Watseka, Ill., area, where met his wife Pat who he has now been married to for the past 58 years. Eventually John got into the grain business purchasing the Kentland Elevator. Today John’s son Darrell manages the Kentland elevator.

John and Pat’s daughter Debbie Pfingsten lives in Florida, but works in the insurance business and John said, “Bounces in and out.”

He even had a toy store open in town, but it was only open for the Holiday season. However, the store closed when the Internet got big, because he said he really couldn’t compete once the Internet got rolling. John’s collection is full of a variety of toys. John collects toy trucks as well as farm toys. One neat truck that fits perfectly in his collection is the Fredrickson Truck. “Fredrickson Trucking Co. is out of South Carolina.”

Another neat farm truck is the Super Crost truck because they were made in Kentland and the models were made by Nylint toys. 

He has a toy Scout, and he even has a real one, a 1977 Scout that he had on display at his open house. Along with his other toys, John has Arcade toys and toys from the 1950s. John also has a nice collection of International Harvester construction toys as well. 

Besides the toys, John started adding in tractors around 2001. “I bought my first tractor then, and added seed corn signs, and later added implement signs.”

In the building, John said, “All signs on the wall are original except for one.”

Some of the neat items John has collected relate to his past. The collection not only includes items that John has collected, but a few tractors from Pat’s past as well. “We have Pat’s two tractors her dad bought during World War II, a Farmall H, and Farmall F12. They belonged to my wife’s father, George Goofey.”

The aforementioned Ford sign was purchased at Darrell Ebberstein’s sale. One wonderful sign is custom made one with the IH symbol and the words, “Welcome to Big John’s Red Shed”!

Pat’s favorite sign is right inside the museum door, it is a Purina Sow Show Pig litter sign! 

Over the years, John has collected a lot of tractors, but he said that perhaps his favorite is an early 1970s Golden Demonstrator a 1456 that he bought at the first Mecum Tractor Auction. John also has an International Turbo 4100 tractor, and an original 1568 from an area farmer. He also has a 1984 3088 with less than 900 hours. He also bought a White McCormick Cub adding, “They sold the Cub, A, and C all on the same day. I bought one and should’ve bought all three.” 

John added if someone would like to visit feel free to contact him by calling him at 219-863-1270.

Besides his building, John also is involved with the Half Century of Progress. Along with Russell Buhr, he is the Co-chair of the Half Century of Progress, which is the largest working tractor show in the US today. The Half Century of Progress takes place every other year and is set for August 24-27, 2023.