BUCKLEY, Mich. — The Buckley Old Engine Show completed its 47th annual event Aug. 17. The four-day exposition draws more than 50,000 people to see history brought to life in exhibits and working displays that the Northwest Michigan Engine and Thresher Club has restored over time.

Now overseeing a sprawling 400 acres in Wexford County about a half-hour drive from Traverse City, the original club members likely never imagined the scope of today’s event.

“It started as a social club that turned educational,” said Jim Luper, general manager for the show. The first two shows were held on Joe Rebman’s farm in Copemish, put together by 13 collectors wanting to share their interest in old iron with the neighborhood.

“The first two shows were such a success that they took a chance when some land came up for sale, buying 70 acres to host the show and eventually other events,” Luper said.

Today, the show includes an expansive flea market, permanent buildings, a historical village and a working steam engine locomotive that provides rides to the public.

Roughly 2,000 campsites were used throughout the week, and 1,184 vintage tractors and steam engines were on display.

The tractor count did not include trucks and stationary equipment such as threshers and hand-loaded balers.

The club operates on volunteer services provided by its members. The only payment for services includes a grounds caretaker who is reimbursed with the use of a house and local school athletic boosters and the local civil air patrol organizations that are paid to coordinate traffic in the 40-acre parking lot.

A working village stands opposite the railroad station where visitors board for a mile-long ride on a real, early 1900s vintage steam locomotive, riding either in an open car or the deluxe closed car. The village shops include a dry-goods store where campers and villagers can purchase necessities including penny-candy and freshly ground coffee.

A barber shop offers $5 haircuts, while the old print shop provides nearly all the printed materials used by the organization. Fresh cider samples are available at the cider mill, and old time craft demonstrations are also part of the village; many demonstrations feature a hands-on element so visitors can experience some nearly lost arts such as rope making and weaving.

Modern crafts and an animal petting barn add a nice diversion for children and women looking for a break from the smoke and noise generated by historic equipment placed in motion.

“We have a nice blend of farm and industrial exhibits that make this show appealing to a lot of people,” Luper said.

Permanent exhibits such as the cast iron foundry, sawmill, wood planing mill, mechanical wood bowl carving and wooden shingle production have come to life when one of the members becomes interested and just takes charge by turning some pieces of stored history into a working exhibit. One such example is the oil drilling exhibition. An enormous gear is turned using steam power, demonstrating how oil was once extracted from the ground at a nearby Northern Michigan location. A stairway leading to an observation deck gives guests the opportunity to appreciate the operation’s magnitude from a bird’s eye view.

While collector items to some individuals, equipment newer than 1970 is not allowed for the exhibition. The oldest tractor on display this year was an 1897 Huber. 

“It is interesting to see the tractor’s evolution over time at shows like these,” Luper said. “No one truly had any idea what the end product would morph into when tractors were starting to be built. There are a lot of bizarre machines that just didn’t work.”

An example of a rare and odd machine displayed last week was a 1913 Bull. The company only built two models, the Big Bull and Little Bull and went bankrupt after a few years in business. “The tractor was a one-wheel drive; who ever thought that would be a good idea?” Luper asked.

Two European antiques garnered attention including a Porsche made by the automobile manufacturer and the IH Field Marshall made in Great Britain. The Field Marshall was a one-cylinder diesel that started with a hand crank or a shotgun shell. Luper said that the shotgun start for the tractor was a huge hit during the daily 3 p.m. parade.

In addition to the annual show and a fall swap meet, the club hosts a free educational field day for local schools. About 1,500 elementary students attend the annual event, and there is a waiting list of schools who would like to participate. Teachers in the area’s rural communities appreciate the opportunity to take a field trip away from school that includes a history lesson at no cost to the students.