1584 Drayton Woods Drive Tucker, Georgia 30084
The second annual Inman Farm Heritage Days Antique Engine and Tractor Show was held September 18-20, 1998 at the Rick Minter Farm on Hill’s Bridge Road, Inman, Georgia. Inman is in Fayette County on Georgia Highway 92, between Fayetteville and Griffin.
The first show, held here September, 1997, was the result of cooperation by the newly formed Inman Pioneer Power Association, Inman Methodist Church, Georgia Antique Engine Club, North Georgia Two-Cylinder Club, West Georgia Two-Cylinder Club, and Minter family members and other neighbors.
The show was so successful that it just had to become an annual affair. This second show also far exceeded expectations, with over 250 exhibitors and an estimated ten thousand visitors.
Exhibitors came from all nearby states, with Bryan Nagel from Panama, New York, coming the longest distance. Since Inman is in a farming area, many of the over 250 tractors at the show were driven there. Mike Westbrook from Warm Springs, Georgia, drove his Silver King, towing an M-M pick-up baler more than forty miles on public roads to become distance-driven champion.
Demonstrations of grain threshing, baling, corn milling, wheat milling, blacksmithing, wood sawing, and water pumping were held during each day. The threshing machine, shown by Zane Bristol, was a 1930s International Harvester powered by his hand-cranked Fordson. Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin was pressed into service to feed the thresher for one demonstration. Any doubts about his farm background were quickly, totally erased.
Darryl Coleman’s freshly repainted 1920 Aultman-Taylor 20 HP steam tractor led the parades of too many beautiful green, red, gray, yellow, silver, orange, and rusty machines to mention singly.
Rare gas engines on display included a 1914 Woodruff, made in Winder, Georgia, about a hundred miles away. Also on display: a 6 HP Olds, a 6 HP Bulldog, a 6 HP Moody, a 1.75 HP Stickney along with a model of itself, two Domestics and several each of Internationals, Fairbanks-Morse, Stovers, Hercules, John Deeres, Maytags and ten Johnson Iron Horses, for a total of about 200.
The large hay barn was devoted to crafts, quilts, and ladies’ interests, about which this scribbler is not qualified to write; however, it appeared to be well-received and fully occupied.
Many youngsters were introduced to the pedal tractor pull sport. A large assortment of pedal toys and a miniature progressive sled owned by Wilson and Ethel Phelps saw almost constant use.
Inman Methodist Church operated the food service in a separate building newly erected exclusively for this purpose. They served good old country food including collard greens. Collard lovers snapped them up.
Sunday church service for Inman Methodist relocated for this day to the spot on the grounds, where in 1849, a brush arbor was erected. Church services conducted in this arbor led to the founding of Inman Methodist. The congregation and show visitors enjoyed a unique and moving experience.
Inman Farm Heritage Days for 1999 is scheduled for September 17-19. For more information contact: Rick Minter, 283 Hill’s Bridge Road, Fayetteville, Georgia 30215. Phone: A.C. 770-461-2840.
