PINCKNEYVEILL, Ill. – This year was the 64th show for the American Thresherman’s Reunion in Pinckneyville, Illinois. The featured tractor brand was J.I. Case. Lots of lovely Case tractors were onsite for this big event that took place August 17-20.

Besides tractors and engines, there was also a little steam. Bill Jansen had his 1911, 110 hp Case Steam Engine that originally plowed virgin soil in Alberta, Canada. This same steam engine was part of the three engines hooked together at the Half Century of Progress that pulled a 60-bottom plow setting a Guiness Book of World Records.

This is a rather rare engine that is not often seen in the Midwest. “It was used in Canada and the western states,” Bill shared.

Bill has been coming to the American Thresherman’s Reunion since he was five. His father was a steam engine operator and taught him to operate steam engines. He carried on the tradition with his own family. He and his wife Phyllis have four sons, and one daughter. “All of them know how to run a steam engine,” Bill said. 

At the show, his grandson 18-year-old Virgil was assisting him on this two-man job!

A little history of the show was shared by Charles Gutjar. “I’ve been in this show ever since it started. We started out with 21 steam engines and ten tractors in 1960. I’ve been hauling steam engines here for years,” he added.

There were many amazing Case tractors on display. There was a Patriotic Spirit of 76 Case tractor, model #1370 owned by Delbert Bauersachs of Pinckneyville, there was a 1927 Cross Motor Case owned by Bill Hughes and operated by Gary Beckmeyer of Carlyle, Illinois. Besides the early Case tractors, there were also muscle Cases like a cool 1470. A neat Case combine was decorated with sunflowers, and a lovely Case 350 hooked to a Case manure spreader was another showstopper. 

One rare tractor belonged to Joe and Mary Jo Peeper of Enid, Oklahoma. It is the last model “L” Case that was produced on May 17, 1940, with serial # 4405001. “When we bought this, we had no cue it was the last one,” Mary Jo said. 

Love of the Case brand is in Joe Peeper’s blood. “I have been collecting for quite a while. My dad, Herman, was a Case dealer in Apache, Oklahoma. We grew up around Case and had it on the farm. We farmed with traded in tractors.”

The L Case Joe said joined his collection ten years or so ago. He spied it at his annual show, and asked about it. It was quite a while before the owner would agree to sell it. The tractor took a bit of work to get it to the way it is today. The serial number was the clue to the historical value of the tractor. “You can send off to Racine for a build card,” Joe said. 

The build card will list what came with the tractor and where it was sent to. An interesting fact that Joe learned was, “When the owner first bought the 1940 L Case it came on metal. He sent it back and said, ‘I told you; I wanted it on rubber’.”

Case then replaced the metal wheels with rubber ones! “This tractor is one of my favorites,” Joe said. “I have got two other ones, Case LAs, and they have one serial number between them. They were built in 1942.”

The Case tractors built before the war Joe said will have a strip on the hood, but he said that the war tractors were missing the chrome because of the war effort. 

Joe is a retired farmer. “We grew wheat mainly, some milo (sourghum), and some soybeans. Enid, Oklahoma was once the wheat capitol of the world,” he added about his hometown. 

Joe said he started collecting around 1977 when he was living on the farm. “I went to the army, then Oklahoma State. I graduated from college in December of 1971, then got married on December 28th of 1971. It was a busy year.”

At the show, visitors enjoyed the flea market, and a bit of vintage farming. Tractors and implements, horses and mules all were out plowing. There was also a busy construction equipment site working ground as well. The American Thresherman Reunion also has a fall show in the fall, and an upcoming show with the Southern Illinois IH Chapter 32, Midwest Cub Fest & Cub Cadet Show September 15 & 16, 2023. For more information, check out their website at http://www.americanthresherman.com/