LOGANSPORT, Ind. — Approximately 30 tractors made a 24.8 milk trip through some scenic areas of Cass County, on June 30 as part of the annual Tip Wa Antique Tractor Drive.

Beginning at the Cass County Fairgrounds, tractor operators travelled on windy roads, hilly roads, narrow roads, bumpy roads, gravel roads, muddy roads, and some places where there were no roads. 

As always, the day’s itinerary started out with a “Driver’s Meeting”, where participants registered and had coffee and doughnuts. Maps were handed out for the day’s route, and everyone received a little history of some of the sights they’d be seeing along the way. The story of how Cass County originated was shared, in regards to how it related to the Miami and Pottawatomie Indians. Some background on a few of the townships that were being travelled through was given. The history of the formation of the Tip Wa Antique Tractor & Engine Club was told, prior to a symbolic circling of the cemetery with the tractor caravan, where the late founder, Glenn Adair, is buried. 

Some of the area traveled was through a woods not accessible by car. A portion of the route took everyone on an abandoned county road in between a 340-acre bean field. Another was around the outer perimeter, and then down a waterway, of a healthy-looking corn field. The average speed was 11 mph.

Cole McCloskey drove his grandfather’s Oliver (Goodison, from Canada) model 60 on this year’s drive, while grandpa relaxingly rode on one of the “People Mover” wagons. Allen McCloskey is Cole’s grandfather, and drove this same tractor 18 years ago on the club’s first antique tractor drive. Incidentally, Cole was the leader of the drive, and navigated everyone back to the point of origin without difficulty.