Illinois & Indiana Antique Tractor Club
From WikEd
Identification (time period/major theme)
The Illinois & Indiana Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Club (I&I) was founded in 1976 near Alvin, Illinois. The group was named the Illinois & Indiana Club because Alvin, Ill., where the Club was started is located less than five miles from the Illinois/Indiana border. Today, in 2007, the organization’s home is in Penfield, Ill.
Today I&I is a major contributor to explaining and displaying positive popular perceptions of agriculture. After 31 years of celebrating agriculture history the club continues to expand upon the audiences it reaches and activity involvement. Growing from just a few members with big goals to, according to Greg Miller, I&I membership secretary, the group has significantly grown and today hosts 426 members located in 10 states. With such strong support from members, volunteers and surrounding communities, I&I is truly working to teach people the importance of agriculture and its true perception.
The I&I Club is most known for its Historic Farm Days, held each July in Penfield, Ill. Historic Farm Days features a wide variety of attractions allowing visitors to become immersed in the history of agriculture. The show features not only antique tractors, tools and trucks, but also a museum and two tractors on loan from the Smithsonian.
History of I&I
The I&I Club was organized by a group of friends who wanted to get together to remember the days gone by. In its beginnings I&I was a small tractor show and tractor pull in an I&I members yard. However, after several years of existence, membership declined and there were not enough members to sustain the annual show. During this time of depletion, the Club’s primary activities included exhibiting their historic tractors at fairs, centennials, malls and other celebrations. Throughout this time period the Club also began to look for a permanent site for the organization. To guide the members through the process of developing a permanent site and mature the organization, the group established goals that continue motivating their activities today. These goals include:
• Preservation of farming methods of the past
• Preservation and restoration of Yesteryears Equipment
• Annual Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Show
• Creation of an Agriculture History Center at Penfield, Illinois
• Seasonal events and activities at Penfield
In order to implement the ideas and achieve the goals established by the original members of I&I, they needed to increase membership and volunteer involvement. Additionally, the Club needed to establish a permanent residence to allow for growth. During the summer of 1986, I&I Club members decided to approach the Champaign County Forest Preserve District regarding renovating and improving a site at Middle Fork River Forest Preserve, which would allow the Club to create an Agricultural History center. The group aspired to develop a formal museum and host several yearly activities.
Late summer of 1986, the Champaign County Forest Preserve District approved the idea for the Agricultural History center and allocated $6,000 to allow for repairs to the buildings on the premises. This money also permitted for reinstallation of electricity and building a fence across the front of the property. The new property, commonly known as the Old Robeson Farm, included an area referred to as the Levi Wood House, two cattle sheds that would be converted to machine storage and additional structures for demolition.
During the fall of 1986, the Club planted 12 acres of wheat to prepare for the I&I summer show. The wheat would be used for harvesting and threshing demonstrations during the show and also to showcase plowing techniques. Also during this, a main exhibit area was created, while the District aided in building repairs and installing water, electricity and restrooms. The Club was well on their way to hosting their first summer showcase.
That summer the show hosted approximately 1,100 visitors. The show was deemed successful and set the stage for I&I to continue hosting its summer show. In 1990, the Club began featuring popular tractor brands. The idea to feature popular and unique tractor and equipment brands was a huge success, and the Club again saw record attendance. For 1990, the featured brand was International Harvester.
For 1991, John Deere equipment was featured. The show hosted over 200 tractors and again record crowds.
The 1992 show captured J.I. Case, which was celebrating its 150 Anniversary of the company’s emergence into the farm equipment business. J.I. Case is one of the oldest farm equipment companies.
Allis Chalmers was the brand of choice in 1993. The Club reported an “exceptional turnout of exhibits.” The show hosted a rare Fairbanks Morse tractor.
In 1994, a blacksmith shop was added to the show, allowing the building and activities to become a permanent fixture. Massey Harris and related brands were featured, which provided many restored tractors and combines. Also, to add to the excitement of the show, four men from Scotland attended the show. They read about the I&I Club’s summer show in a Massey Harris collector’s publication.
Oliver and Hart-Parr was the featured brand 1995. There were over 120 Oliver tractors on display thanks to the assistance of the Midwest Oliver and Hart-Parr Collectors. Many changes awaited the I&I Club in 1996. These were not only subtle changes, but many challenges and opportunities arose for the organization. In March of 1996, the I&I Club decided it was time to take total control of their summer show. Despite positive relations with the Forest Preserve District the Club felt it was time to acquire their own property. With this, the Club consulted the Penfield, Ill. Improvement Association. The property in Penfield included, according to the Club’s website, “a heated and air conditioned meeting hall, lighted softball field, and area for parking” (http://www.antiquefarm.org/mainsite/index.html). After several legal steps and proper consultation I&I found a permanent home for their organization.
With their new home the Club needed more room for exhibits, demonstrations, parking and storage. With this, the Club advanced upon the opportunity to purchase the former Penfield grade school. The school was adjacent to the land purchased by the Club and had closed down after the 1990-91 school year. According the Club’s website I&I the organization wanted to buy the school and in four months, thanks to generous donations from the Club’s members nearly $20,000 was raised. Thankfully this purchase did go through as then the Club quickly decided to host the 1996 show at the new I&I site, although previously arranged to be held at the former site at Middlefork Forest Preserve. The first show to occur at the Penfield site was not scheduled until 1997.
As the countdown began to plan the 1996 I&I Historic Farm Days show, several steps had to be taken to prepare the show site. According to the website, “Several buildings had to be moved along with threshing machines, combines, corn shellers, and the saw mill, as well as cleaning and making repairs to the school building.” Due to great support from volunteers, I&I relocated their blacksmith shop, PA and Information Booth, storage buildings, sawmill, threshing machines and additional equipment six miles from Middlefork to Penfield.
With all the hard work of the I&I team, the 1996 featured brand was the Minneapolis Moline and the B.F. Avery Collectors group, who were holding their annual convention at the show. The ’96 show resulted in an excellent turnout of “M-M equipment and about 100 pieces on display including tractors, uni-tractors, a UDLX, equipment and an experimental articulated tandem tractor. Tractors were brought in all the way from New York and North Dakota.
Additionally at the ’96 show were, “Deeres, Internationals, Olivers, and tractors of all colors and brands on display.” The Club was able to run the sawmill, threshing machines, a steam tractor and an informal tractor pull. The tractor pull was an unplanned event, as due to the new location the Club was unable to entertain plowing events. However, the tractor pull became another yearly attraction.
In 1997, the show featured Ford and Ferguson tractors and Ford cars and trucks. Additional annual events were added to the shows regular schedule which included live entertainment, the Marvin Lee Band. The Methodist Church also incorporated a Sunday morning service with breakfast to follow. International Harvester tractors, trucks, farm equipment and anything IH related was featured at the 1998 show. Also, the Corn Items Collectors Club was featured. That year 730 tractors visited I&I, of which 526 were IH, 67 IH trucks, 38 IH lawn and garden tractors and several gas engines. Also, the event hosted a talent show and Louie the singing farmer.
The Ladies Auxiliary of the I&I Club formed in the spring of 1997. To aid with the 1998 show, the Auxiliary strived to aid in clean up of the grounds and restore the Penfield grade school. The Ladies Auxiliary fist debuted at the 1998 Historic Farm Days and provided several activities including a quilt exhibit, Senior Citizens Bingo, petting zoo, kid’s games, Ladies Household exhibit and Sunday morning church service. The 1998 show also saw record attendance.
Yellow and Green (John Deere), accompanied by Chevrolet trucks were the features of the 1999 show. In ’99, Friday became known as Senior Citizen Day and offered a Bing game that afternoon. Tractor restoration clinics were offered as well as live entertainment on Friday and Saturday evening.
The 2000 show featured J.I. Case and Caterpillar. In preparation for the 2000 show I&I Club members, “constructed a permanent building for the blacksmith shop and moved the new tractor pull track to its own location.” To showcase the Caterpillar brand feature, a “rare experimental Caterpillar four wheel drive tractor” was added to the show. This Caterpillar “tractor is not operable having been robbed of many parts, and was actually recovered from Cat’s own ‘bone yard’ and give a coat of paint for the exhibit.”
Allis Chalmers was the 2001 show’s featured brand that brought tractors, combines and implement to Penfield. The Club added a grandstand area at the tractor pull site. Additionally, the secondary feature of the show that year was “orphans and oddballs.”
The 2002 Historic Farm Days was a major show as the International Harvester Collectors decided to host their Red Power Roundup, their national show at I&I. The show hosted visitors from all over the world who viewed over 1,400 tractors from across the nation. The Club showcased the “only IHC turbine tractor in existence from the Smithsonian,” which drew great amounts of visitors. 400 Cub Cadets also visited the show, and sponsored a plowing demonstration. A Hume Tractor also was present, which was exciting as it was built in Hume, Illinois. This Hume Tractor is housed in Ontario; Canada is the only known Hume tractor in existence.
Hart-Parr and Oliver were again featured at the 2003 show. The Hart-Parr Oliver Collectors Association held their annual show at Penfield. The Hart- Parr Model 3 tractor, made in 1903, which is considered the oldest operating gas engine tractor in the world, took center stage as “Old No.3” at the show. The Club hosted a birthday celebration for the 100 year old tractor, which was on loan to the club through 2005. Today, the Club continues to house the tractor. According to the Club’s website, “Although not the first tractor manufacturer, Hart-Parr was the first commercially successful venture into the agricultural tractor market.”
Today, the I&I club continues to depict the history of agriculture through its Historic Farm Days summer show. As told by this history of the Club, the organization continues to grow. The I&I Ladies Auxiliary, in addition to the quilt exhibit, petting zoo, and Ladies Household Exhibit, also began assisting with the entrance gates, tractor registration and merchandise stand. As a completely new venture as well, the Auxiliary also started a Root Beer Float Stand and a Pork Palace. The Auxiliary also organizes fund raisers such as soup suppers and fish fries. They also sell engraved bricks which are sold and placed in the I&I Club Hall Patio. Other activities include food sales at the annual Swap Meet/Toy Auction/ Fish Fry every March and a food booth at the Gifford State Bank Craft Sale. A monthly 50/50 raffle was established as well as an annual quilt raffle.
To further explain the Ladies Household Exhibit, this exhibit is full of interesting piece of agricultural history. The center has spinners, weavers, a military corner, homemade butter and much more. Currently, the Auxiliary has four officers and their goal continues to be, “to assist the Club preserve the history of agriculture, to enhance the summer show with family activities, to encourage the men with their work in the club, and to aid in the development of the Museum.” The ladies meet the same time as the men, the second Thursday each month.
The I&I Historic Farm Museum is open the second Saturday of the month, April through September, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The first display in the museum was in a machine shed at the Middle Fork Forest Preserve. The first display was made of antique household items that Club members donated. In 1996, after the purchase of the Penfield site, the exhibit was moved to the grade school. In 1997, the museum was first opened during the Historic Farm Days show.
In 2003, the I&I Club officially established a permanent Agriculture History Center. The exhibit today hosts modern conveniences of the past used by farm women. Another room of the museum is used by the Chapter 10 I-H Club, to showcase International Harvester supplies and merchandise. The I&I Club and the Corn Collectors also occupy a room that is filled with planters, seed bags and corn items. The museum also includes a Penfield Gallery of pictures from historic Penfield and a patriotic tribute that honors all club members who served in the military. Set up the in gymnasium of the school is a permanent display of antique machinery.
As noted in earlier in the history of I&I, while the Club was still located at Middlefork Forest Preserve, the Club maintained a blacksmith shop. As noted in the 2007 Historic Farm Days program, “At the center of most farming towns stood a blacksmith shop around which the local economy was centered. Before the industrialization of our country, the blacksmith was the hardware store and repair shop for the entire community. The blacksmith was a needed resource for the community to operate. The blacksmith made nails, hardness hardware, hinges, chains and any other needed item made of the ‘black metal’ which was iron. Iron was then improved with the addition of carbon to make steel which became the working material for much of the mechanization of our farms and our everyday lives. The work of the blacksmith was the start of the manufacturing industry which we now enjoy and celebrate with antique farm tractors and gas engines.”
I&I chose to honor the history of the blacksmith with a working blacksmith shop in the center of the Club’s grounds. This shop represents what might have served a rural Midwestern farm community in the second quarter of the last century, maybe 1930 to 1950. Many of the guest tractors and engines at the I&I show represent what a blacksmith worked on. The time of blacksmith shops was truly a transitioning time, as there was shoeing of horses and basic hardware items were being made at factories. With this transition blacksmiths made specialty modifications doing repairs and maintenance and blending into a changing economy as specialists. These new specialties included mechanics, welders, farriers, knife makers, machinists and tool makers. The I&I Club invites all visitors to visit the blacksmith shop during their Historic Farm Days Show to see demonstrations and try out the forge, hammer, anvil and “black metal.”
Another distinctive feature of the I&I Club territory is an 1850’s log cabin East Bend Post Office. When the post office was discovered, it was part of a demolished house, and after careful dismantle it was relocated on the I&I grounds. According to a pamphlet from the I&I Club on their historic museum, “Hand-hewn logs, are being used to finish the building, which had only three walls when save, and a chimney will be built. Thompson Dickson was the first postmaster from 1853 to 1857.” The Club received a Special Heritage Award from the Preservation and Conservation Association (PACA), to honor the area historic preservation and restoration projects.
Today, the I&I Club continues to remain strong, with 426 members in 10 states, according to Greg Miller, I&I membership secretary. The Club continues to add to its collection of historic farm memorabilia and in 2005, obtained the Penfield Methodist Church. This is significant because the church dates back to 1879, when the first membership book dates back to, listing 25 names. On June 5, 1889, Simeon H. and Artimesia Busey, of Urbana, Ill., gave the ground for $1.00 for the plot for the church to be built. The church was called the Penfield Methodist Church. In 1968, the church was renamed the United Methodist Church of Penfield. After several years with the Penfield community though, in 2005, the church merged with the Armstrong and Potomac Methodist Churches. This resulted in the closure of the United Church of Penfield, which is why it was donated to the I&I Tractor Club. This Christmas, according to Jane Piatt, vice president of the I&I Ladies Auxiliary, the ladies plan to host a Christmas open house, displaying old holiday traditions.
For more information on the I&I Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Club please visit their website at, http://www.antiquefarm.org/.
Influences On Creator
As discussed throughout the history of the I&I Tractor Club, the group has come a long way. As mentioned I&I began near Alvin, Illinois around 1978. The Historic Farm Days summer show started out with a small tractor show and tractor pull on one of the member’s farms. With this the key influences on the creators of the I&I Tractor Club were to create a larger show and attractions for tractor enthusiasts such as the club members themselves. The goal of the creators was not necessarily educate on the history of agriculture in the beginning, but again, more geared towards reminiscing and viewing historic tractors. As the event grew, the Club took on more opportunities to educate the public about historic agricultural practices and sites, but the majority of the Historic Farm Days visitors are Club members and show exhibitors. The Club began as a social event and continues to provide this aspect for its members. As the Club continues to grow it is working to improve the educational aspects of the show and provide a diverse historical picture of agriculture.
Overview Of Interpretations Of the Era/Issues
Farming is a critical part of our world and it is necessary that its success be recognized and celebrated. The I&I Tractor Club is doing a great job of celebrating the history and success of agriculture and more importantly, bringing together a great number of people to do so.
As the Club continues to generate more interest and attributes to its site, the number of members and Historic Farm Days attendees will rise. With great support from surrounding communities and business, the show will continually succeed. The diversity of things to see at the show, such as the museum, hundreds of tractors, saw mill, blacksmith shop, tractor pull and more, the event will attract more people.
As our generations get farther and farther removed from the farm and historical farm practices, it is important that all witness the great foundation of today’s agricultural practices. As mentioned several times in David B. Danbom’s book, Born in the Country A History of Rural America, one of the many important factors of rural life throughout time was to unite rural dwellers. Historic Farm Days and the I&I Tractor Club its part to unite people with an interest in antique tractor collecting. The I&I Ladies Auxiliary does a great job portraying the role that women played on the farm and throughout agricultural history. With the home display showing the various tools and utensils they are showing visitors what life was really like for women in various times throughout history. Additionally, the Auxiliary is showing what the inside of a home may have looked like for farmers and their families in the past. This is important for visitors to see as it shows the vast advancements made through time to improve not only agricultural production but also overall life on the farm.
I&I continues to focus on bringing people together, or in other words, kinship, by brining together people who love tractors and comparing the brands and years of tractors. Kinship is often discussed in Danbom’s book, as it was critical to settlement and community development. Rural life thrived on the need for community and family despite families or neighbors often being a great geographical distance apart. The I&I Club continues to foster kinship, by working with members from all over the world and especially Penfield’s surrounding communities.
Rural culture is another significant role exhibited through the I&I Club. Efforts to portray the past are clearly exhibited by I&I. The museums, church, blacksmith shop, windmill, tractor poll and overall Historic Farm Days show display the many cultural institutions created by farmers. Again, the home was not only a place for the family to gather, but for a farmer, the home is where the family’s economic livelihood develops. Additionally, the use of the Penfield Grade School and United Methodist Church of Penfield display the many aspects of rural culture, both historically and recent. The concept of the I&I Club is another component of rural culture so often mentioned by Danbom. Agriculture societies, both professional and non-work related greatly added and continue to add to the kinship and community aspects of agriculture.
Although the educational component is not as strong and focused as some analysts may feel it should be, I&I is doing its part to preserve agricultural history by sustaining historical pieces of machinery and agricultural practices not seen by many today.
Critique/Conclusions
The I&I Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Club is a wonderful organization for anyone interested in historical farming practices, antique tractors, tractor restoration and preservation, historic farm life or just being involved. Historic Farm Days is a wonderful way to bring people together from all over the world to celebrate the organizations five key goals:
• Preservation of Farming Methods of the Past
• Preservation and Restoration of Yesteryears Equipment
• Annual Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Show
• Creation of an Agriculture History Center at Penfield
• Seasonal Events and Activities at Penfield
As the organization has achieved and continues to work to further achieve these goals, it is necessary they not loose focus. With the introduction of the Historic Farm Museum and Church the Club has a lot to give to show and site attendees. With the strict focus on preservation and restoration, a great deal is lost in finding better ways to educate the Club’s visitors on how or why things work. More focus cold be geared to the history of mechanization, as so often mentioned in Danbom’s book. Mechanization is a critical component as to why I&I exists today and has so much to offer. Better educating visitors on the history of mechanization, such as how prior to the 1820’s wooden plows were used and then in 1819, Jethro Wood introduced iron shares, as presented in a presentation by Dr. Debra Reid, instructor of ACES 179. Regarding the lack of education regarding mechanization and demonstrations at I&I, long time member Chris Elliott said, “This is why the Club is weak. We do not show enough of how this work and how far agriculture has come. We can do a lot to improve how and what we teach our guests.”
As the brand feature tractors change each year as well, the Club could further emphasize the history of the brand and how it impacted agriculture as we know it today. John Deere obviously began and developed much differently than Caterpillar, which both began as producers of agricultural machinery. Adding more of a focus to the featured brand and how it influenced and continues to influence agriculture today.
Overall, the I&I Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Club is doing a wonderful service to the public to show historical features of agriculture. To further improve the Club, greater emphasis on how the events at Historic Farm Days relates to visitors from a historical and present perspective would greatly add to what visitors take from the Club.
Featured Brands
Featured Brands:
1990 International Harvester
1991 John Deere
1992 J.I. Case
1993 Allis Chalmers
1994 Massey Harris
1995 Oliver & Hart-Parr
1996 Minneapolis Moline
1997 Ford & Ferguson
1998 International Harvester tractors, trucks, farm equipment or anything IH
1999 John Deer Products & Chevrolet Trucks
2000 J.I. Case & Caterpillar
2001 Allis Chalmers
2002 International Harvester- Red Power Roundup National Show
2003 Hart-Parr & Oliver
2004 Oliver
2005 Minneapolis Moline
2006 Ford
2007 John Deere
2008 J.I. Case Collector’s National Show
References
Danbom, David B. Born in the Country A History of Rural America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University, 2006.
Elliott, Chris. “Information on I&I: Interview with Chris Elliott, I&I Club Member.” 28 Sept. 2007.
I&I Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Club. The Illinois and Indiana Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Club. 13 Oct. 2007 < http://www.antiquefarm.org/mainsite/index.html>.
Piatt, Jane. “Information on I&I: Interview with Jane Piatt, I&I Ladies Auxiliary vice president.” 29 Sept. 2007.
Reid, Debra. “ACES 179 History of Agriculture in Illinois Since 1860.” University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 2007.
Name, Hometown
-Karlie A. Elliott, Rankin, IL
