Tractor Trivia
Remember the Good Old Days
By Auctioneer Eric W. Mickelson
When my folks were around we would often go for breakfast on Saturday morning. Sometimes in Oklee, Gonvick, and often in Gully. One time Patty and I were heading to Gully to meet my mom, dad, and friend Joanne for breakfast. As we drove down the sloppy gravel road I looked across the country side and my eyes happened to stumble across an old abandoned house. I stared down the house, I have seen it before, to my knowledge it has been abandoned all of my life, but it is still standing. Whenever this happens my mind wanders, wondering who lived there, what kind of farm they had, did they have kids, how many……..and of course what kind of tractors they used!!
It reminded me of a friend and former work colleague of mine. If he was asked how are you doing he would answer, “Better than I deserve!!” I like to steal that answer because…..isn’t it true!
Every generation hopes to make it better and easier for their children and I think for the most part that is probably true. It makes me think of agriculture. I grew up on a dairy farm west of Oklee. We milked with surge buckets and hauled milk cans to town.(Better than the days of milking by hand of course!) Now today east of me the Vettleson’s Dairy is all robotic!
The Larson Brothers north of my homeplace in Garnes Township talked about their days of farming with horses.(As well as many other “pioneer farmers!) Then came big clumsy steam tractors and after that larger gas tractors. Eventually the tractors became more streamlined and nimble. Soon we had power steering, cabs with heat and AC. Now we of course have auto steer and GPS technology.(Things I have never had!) I even have a friend who has told me when he heads to the field for a long day he has to decide what movies to bring along!
Somehow in all the gains and advances that have occurred over the years, that yes-we are extremely thankful for, something also may have been lost. Don’t get me wrong I am thankful I don’t have to milk by hand etc. and farmers and ranchers today do work very hard at their jobs. But, that extremely hard physical work of days gone by not only made them tired and sore but there I think also was a certain sense of accomplishment due to the fruits of their labors. I have a deep, deep respect for those pioneer farmers who broke the prairie, those who lived through the depression years, and don’t forget the years of rationing during WWII.
You see if I didn’t have such a great life today, I would lament about how I was born 30 years too late! I think maybe it was growing up with the sound of two cylinder tractors, working with my mom and dad in the fields, looking at dad’s tractor books…..I’m not sure but I like to “Remember the Good Old Days!” I love to sit around the “round table” at the cafe and listen for one of those “Good Old Days” stories. Most of them seem to transform into remembering some parts of those old days as “NOT SO GOOD!” Pitching bundles, making loose hay, milking by hand…..yes, I guess some of it doesn’t sound so good! But, I guess I am a romantic when it comes to the old days and the farm and I want the younger generation to know about it.
Thank you to pioneer farmers and farmers today, what you do and have done means a lot to me!
How about a little tractor trivia!
1.What year did Farmall come out with the model H?
A)1935 B) 1939 C) 1941 D) 1953
2. About how many H’s were manufactured?
A)259,000 B) 299,000 C) 350,000 D) 390.000
3. The John Deere model B came out in what year?
A)1935 B) 1939 C) 1941 D) 1953
4. The John Deere model B was manufactured in ____________________.
Moline, IL B) Chicago, IL C) Waterloo, IA D) Rock Island, IL
5. The WC Allis Chalmers came out in what year?
1933 B) 1935 C) 1939 D) 1953
6. The WC was manufactured in ____________________.
Moline, IL B) Milwaukee, WI C) West Allis, WI D) Rock Island, IL
Answers: 1. B. 1939 2. D. over 390,000 3. A. 1935 4. C. Waterloo, IA 5. A. 1933 6. C. West Allis, WI
Eric Mickelson
Green Magazine
RIchard's Publishing
Oklee, MN 56742