Vernon Boge is part of Iowa’s International Harvester Collectors Club, Chapter 5. He was set up at the 2010 Summer Farm Toy Show in Dyersville, Iowa, recently with his local chapter, where many of the club’s members participated in the 50-mile tractor drive.

One late afternoon, the tractors and some of the drivers were on hand to talk with visitors enjoying the display of various tractors. “I bought (my) 1974 International Harvester 1066 at a sale on January 6,, 2005, and paid $8,500 for it,” Vernon said. “Gary Sneller owned it before, and I bought it just like it is. It works beautifully.”

Adding only some rubber, exhaust and “little things like that,” the tractor is pretty much just as Gary sold it. One convenient item that Gary built onto the tractor was a set of steel stairs.
Since the tractor became part of the Boge collection, it has been around the block, so to speak. “It has been in lots of rides and parades,” Vernon said.

The entire Boge family enjoys the 1066; in fact, this event and the tractor exhibit was a family thing. Along with Vernon and his brother John were Vernon’s sons Joe and Jeff, and grandson Ethan, age seven. Vernon has four children – two girls and two boys – and a total of 12 grandchildren, eight boys and four girls, so this was just a small portion of the Boge family.

Everyone was excited to see the tractor all decked out because they had worked together over a two-day period to get the1066 to its show-ready look. The tractor was freshly washed and polished after just recently finishing fieldwork – this beautiful Farmall is not just a pretty boy, but a working man’s tractor.

“We use it in the field. We use it for plowing, disking, cultivating and hauling grain on the road,” Vernon shared.

This was the eighth year that the Boge family participated in the Summer Toy Show. The 1066 has been a favorite ride for many of those years. Ethan, hanging out on the tractor seat, said he had ridden in the fields with his dad and grandfather.

When asked what his favorite part of the 1066, said, “I like when it goes fast!” (At seven, Ethan is already becoming acclimated to speed. He rides on lawnmowers and motorcycles, dad Jeff said.)
The 1066 is not Vernon’s only tractor. This IH collector said he also has a 1952 International Harvester C, a 1953 International Harvester Super M and a 1954 Super H, along with a 9N Ford.
Why IH? “His father bought M years ago,” Joe said.

Vernon said Joe now owns the Farmall M that has been in the Boge family for three generations. Joe also has a new 2009 Cub Cadet Zero Turn lawnmower, and Jeff owns a 1981 Cub Cadet lawnmower and houses Vernon’s 1981 Cub Cadet 782.

While Vernon farms, he also has worked as a carpenter and at a livestock sale barn. Jeff is a tool-and-die maker and Joe is a plumber.

Vernon is also a bit famous in this neck of the woods. His ground abuts the site of the movie “Field of Dreams” that starred actor Kevin Costner. “I was in the ‘Field of Dreams’ four times,” Vernon explained.

The family started to gather their things as the Friday afternoon turned to evening. With a second day of the show and a parade on Saturday, the Boges needed a well deserved rest before taking the hardworking 1066 out again to star for visitors at this exciting summer show, where IH was king.

Readers with questions or comments for Cindy Ladage may write to her in care of this publication.