By CINDY LADAGE
Illinois Correspondent

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — As part of the ag history initiative accompanying the exhibit The Agricultural Vision of Abraham Lincoln at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, an antique tractor show took place July 25.

Located in front of the museum in downtown Springfield, tractors, implements and engines lined Sixth Street, one of the main downtown thoroughfares. The museum’s Sam Cooper contacted Dorothy Cowan about arranging a few tractors for the show.

She and her husband, Bob, contacted members of the Lincoln Land Antique Tractor and Engine Club, to which they belong, and the Jacksonville, Ill., Prairie Land Heritage group as well.

“We got about 15 tractors and three engine displays,” Bob, a Case admirer, said. “I got started collecting Case because that is what I had when we started farming.”

The Cowans own a 1941 SC Case tractor. Shirley and Marvin Copenbarger were also at the show with a few Case tractors – a half-scale 1938 Case RC that Marvin made, as well as a 1923 Case Crossmotor.

“I made the half-scale RC around 2000,” said this amazing craftsman. “I spent one winter off and on. I started on it in October and had it made by April. I have made 14 miniatures and now I am on number 15; it is going to be a Case Agri King. I am just getting started on it.”

A visitor to the show and a Case fan, Ray Ackerman, who now lives in Springfield, said he was originally from Morton, Ill. “I used to drive a Case when I was 12,” he shared. “It pulled a two-bottom plow.”

Several other makes and models were on hand. Lloyd Fraase of New Berlin, Ill., brought his Massey Harris 44, along with a New Idea corn picker and wagon. He is part of the Massey Collectors club.
Frank Camilla of Sherman, Ill., brought a 1948 Farmall Super A. The restoration was a father-son job. “My son, Frank Jr., painted it and I did the detailing,” Camilla said.

He is an International Harvester fan because, “That is mostly what we farmed with.”

Along with the Massey and IH, Mike Hall of Chatham, Ill., brought a little Persian orange to the mix with his 1949 Allis Chalmers WC.
“That’s what Grandpa used to farm with,” he explained.

No show would be complete without a John Deere tractor, especially the amazing Dain on temporary display inside the museum. The Dain is an all-wheel-drive John Deere named after Joseph Dain, the engineer who designed it. The tractors were built in 1912 as prototypes.

Paula and Larry Stacker of Jacksonville filled out the show with their 1947 John Deere D that Larry painted. “I started painting tractors as a hobby,” he said, adding that it has become a full-time business. “I have 10 or 15 more to do.”

Butch Watts from Murrayville, Ill., had his John Deere A at the show. While he brought green to this show, he said, “I like them all; I have red ones, too.”

Carl Davis of Ashland, Ill., brought his 1952 John Deere A. Merriane and Harry Savage, also of Ashland, had another IH tractor, their 1961 560. “My dad sold this tractor out of his dealership Savage Implement,” Harry said. “It went out to Ashland about three miles. I got it back and restored it.”

Keeping with the IH theme, Eugene Letterly from Latham, Ill. – which he said “is just a wet spot in the road” – brought his 1955 300 with a one-horse drill that he said is a 1923 or 1924 model. “They used it to drill between corn rows and plant wheat and rye when the corn was still standing,” he said.

Besides JD green, Richard Nichols of Shirley, Ill., brought his 1951 Oliver 77, like his father had when he was farming. Some collectors like a bit of variety in their collecting. Dale Lair of Ashland brought his McCormick WD6 and his Massey Harris Challenger.

One historical implement that has ties to Illinois was Robert McMath’s George Brown corn planter.  Made in Galesburg, the planter was probably an 1860s or 1870s piece.

McMath, from Clinton, Ill., did a bit of research and found that George Brown was a carpenter by trade. In 1848 he conceived of turning a cultivator into a corn planter.

For those wanting more information about the planter and a chance to see one on display, the Illinois State Museum is offering From Humble Beginnings, Lincoln’s Illinois 1830-1861. The display includes a rare George Brown 1855 corn planter, number 158 of 300 made, as well as archaeological artifacts excavated from the site of the museum and other historical materials.

The exhibition runs until Jan. 10, 2010. For information, call 217-782-7386.

Paula Stucker added that this is not the end of the show season. Prairie Land Museum will be having its Steam Show and Fall Festival Days. This will be the 40th show for the club, Sept. 25-27, featuring Oliver tractors.

While not located in the middle of a busy street in front of a presidential museum, the club does have a few museums of its own and its own grounds that will be filled with everything a tractor admirer could wish to see.