History of the tractors on our farm in southern Minnesota in more or less chronological order
Several years ago after talking to my brother about tractors on the farm I was inspired to put together a history as I remember it or have had it told to me. So I am posting a version of it for others to enjoy.
McCormick W30
I think this was the first tractor on our farm. It is an International McCormick-Deering W30. In the photo my Grandpa is riding the binder. Note the cane pole next to him. The W30 was very loud, so this cane pole was used to tap the driver on the shoulder to get his attention. Best guess is that this was taken about 1933. The model W30 was made from 1932-1940. I remember Dad commenting that this tractor was so slow it took a half hour to get from one end of the farm to the other. Because it was so slow, you could plow in high gear.
Manure Spreader
I think the old manure spreader in several pictures is the same one. It was probably converted from steel to rubber tires after the 1941 SC Case was purchased.
Barn
The barn was built in 1937. At the time it was the largest barn in the county (100 feet long).
1941 SC Case
The tractor looks to be rather new in some of the pictures and I believe it is a 1941 model because Case went to the spoke wheels in 1942 and it is not one of the early ‘center exhaust’ models. This was Grandpa's first rubber-tired tractor. The loader on this tractor was driven by the belt pulley.
John Deere B
I don't know for sure what year the B was built, I think about 1946 (plus or minus a year).
1949 SC Case
I am guessing that Grandpa traded the older SC in on the newer one because in 1949 Case came out with hydraulics. That must have been a huge improvement over the belt driven contraption for the loader on the 1941 SC.
1955 John Deere 70
Dad bought this tractor new with a 3 bottom plow in 1955. He was very proud of this tractor and even washed it to keep it looking good. I remember Dad telling me that Grandpa told him he was “crazy for buying such a big tractor”. It is still in use today and the guy is not interested in selling it.
How I found the 1949 SC Case in 2004
For several years I toyed with the idea of buying an old tractor. I thought it would be fun to have one like we had on the farm when I was a kid. Then I got to thinking... it would be really great to find one that we actually had and I remembered talking to a neighbor as an 11 year old boy at the farm equipment auction in August of 1965. At that time he told me that he bought the Case with loader for his son to move snow (he lived 100 miles away). So in early 2004 I did an internet search and found an address. I sent the guy a letter asking about the Case. He replied that he traded it in a couple of years ago on some other equipment. He said the dealer still had it and gave me a name and phone number. So I called and had them email pictures to me. I could see that it was in rough shape but I bought it anyway without even going to look at it. I live in Ohio now, so I just had it delivered to my brother’s place nearby.
The 3 color pictures taken on (4/27/2004) are of the 1949 SC Case as it was when I found it. I had the dealer remove the loader and scrap it; mostly because it would have been too difficult to move the tractor with it on there. The engine is stuck. Obviously the tractor has sat outside for years. The original build card shows SN 5321028 was built on May 18, 1949 in Racine Wisconsin. It was shipped on May 23, 1949 to Farmer's Supply in Glencoe, MN. I can't be sure that Grandpa bought it from there (it could have been shipped from there to another dealer).
Me with Pedal Tractor
When did I become interested in tractors? Maybe it started with the last photo. Probably a 1955 Christmas present.
Several years ago after talking to my brother about tractors on the farm I was inspired to put together a history as I remember it or have had it told to me. So I am posting a version of it for others to enjoy.
McCormick W30
I think this was the first tractor on our farm. It is an International McCormick-Deering W30. In the photo my Grandpa is riding the binder. Note the cane pole next to him. The W30 was very loud, so this cane pole was used to tap the driver on the shoulder to get his attention. Best guess is that this was taken about 1933. The model W30 was made from 1932-1940. I remember Dad commenting that this tractor was so slow it took a half hour to get from one end of the farm to the other. Because it was so slow, you could plow in high gear.
Manure Spreader
I think the old manure spreader in several pictures is the same one. It was probably converted from steel to rubber tires after the 1941 SC Case was purchased.
Barn
The barn was built in 1937. At the time it was the largest barn in the county (100 feet long).
1941 SC Case
The tractor looks to be rather new in some of the pictures and I believe it is a 1941 model because Case went to the spoke wheels in 1942 and it is not one of the early ‘center exhaust’ models. This was Grandpa's first rubber-tired tractor. The loader on this tractor was driven by the belt pulley.
John Deere B
I don't know for sure what year the B was built, I think about 1946 (plus or minus a year).
1949 SC Case
I am guessing that Grandpa traded the older SC in on the newer one because in 1949 Case came out with hydraulics. That must have been a huge improvement over the belt driven contraption for the loader on the 1941 SC.
1955 John Deere 70
Dad bought this tractor new with a 3 bottom plow in 1955. He was very proud of this tractor and even washed it to keep it looking good. I remember Dad telling me that Grandpa told him he was “crazy for buying such a big tractor”. It is still in use today and the guy is not interested in selling it.
How I found the 1949 SC Case in 2004
For several years I toyed with the idea of buying an old tractor. I thought it would be fun to have one like we had on the farm when I was a kid. Then I got to thinking... it would be really great to find one that we actually had and I remembered talking to a neighbor as an 11 year old boy at the farm equipment auction in August of 1965. At that time he told me that he bought the Case with loader for his son to move snow (he lived 100 miles away). So in early 2004 I did an internet search and found an address. I sent the guy a letter asking about the Case. He replied that he traded it in a couple of years ago on some other equipment. He said the dealer still had it and gave me a name and phone number. So I called and had them email pictures to me. I could see that it was in rough shape but I bought it anyway without even going to look at it. I live in Ohio now, so I just had it delivered to my brother’s place nearby.
The 3 color pictures taken on (4/27/2004) are of the 1949 SC Case as it was when I found it. I had the dealer remove the loader and scrap it; mostly because it would have been too difficult to move the tractor with it on there. The engine is stuck. Obviously the tractor has sat outside for years. The original build card shows SN 5321028 was built on May 18, 1949 in Racine Wisconsin. It was shipped on May 23, 1949 to Farmer's Supply in Glencoe, MN. I can't be sure that Grandpa bought it from there (it could have been shipped from there to another dealer).
Me with Pedal Tractor
When did I become interested in tractors? Maybe it started with the last photo. Probably a 1955 Christmas present.
