Atkinson, Illinois 61235
The Antique Engine and Tractor Association, Inc., of Atkinson,
Illinois showed that 1986 was a very good year to them! We’re
picking up from our story in the Gas Engine Magazine of May 1985,
page 30, with a comment made from a member concerning a concrete
floor area. It was suggested that concrete used for the kitchen and
food serving area would be cleaner and also be helpful for the
ladies and, at the same time, be better under foot.
This became a project of leveling the area, framing it in, to a
size of 22 feet by 45 feet. At the same time, another member
contacted the local ready-mix company and explained our project. He
was told they would be happy to help and complete the floor
area.
On August 19th concrete was poured in the forms and also put
into an outside display form for a flag pole with a mounting area
beside it to make a permanent display of a gas engine base to the
flag pole.
On Sept. 10th the kitchen area was readied and stocked with food
for show time.
At the flag pole base a time capsule was prepared by the club
president and the mayor of Atkinson. Local papers of interest and
club items were inserted and sealed with a dated cap. As the flag
pole was placed upright, the capsule was installed, the pole was
bolted into place, and the engine was mounted to complete the
display.
The flag flown on the pole was the coffin draping flag of a
members’ brother, and the comment was made that he would enjoy
knowing the flag’s symbolic freedom was again being shown.
September 13, 1986 arrived-the first day of a two-day show along
with a little rain and the smell of pancakes and sausage on the
grill at 6:00 A.M.
The morning’s program began at 9:00 with the release of
twenty-five balloons with the Club’s logo given by the Bank of
Atkinson in support of the Club’s 25th show. On the balloons
were an honorary membership card and a return address.
The day and the program got better. With 90 plus gas engines and
15 plus tractors and many working displays operating, we almost
forgot to notice that the rain left about 11:00. The food line was
in full swing, with large hot dogs, hamburgers from the grill,
funnel cakes, homemade pies, bake sale items, popcorn, etc.
About this time an eleven-year-old daughter of the Black Powder
Group president took three Club balloons, tied them together and
included a card with her name, return address, and the date and let
them go!
Show activities continued until the 4:00 P.M. starting time of
our annual consignment sale. Many fine items and good bargains were
had again this year, with the auction continuing until about 8:00
P.M
The social bonfire was going by this time and many had gathered
around to get warm and enjoy the conversation and merry tales that
flowed into the evening darkness.
Sunday began at 6:00 A.M. with a’ clear crisp sunrise and
the aroma of pancakes, sausage and coffee flowing from the
Club’s food building area!
Around 10:30 the sky divers plane buzzed over the show grounds
telling all they were ready to put on their show. Five colorful
descents were made, each with a different color smoke trail, and
all landed on the ‘X’ marked between the engine and tractor
area and the thresher area.
Many enjoyed recalling their own threshing days as they watched
displays operating with steam and gasoline power of the past.
At 2:00 P.M. the parade up town and our own Power of the Past
Parade combined and flowed through the show grounds. Very good
ideas in the parade were enjoyed by all.
About this same time a 16-year-old girl named Rhonda House of
Germantown, Ohio found the three balloons in a field across from
her home with Linda Libby’s name and return address. Those
balloons had traveled approximately 400 miles in 24 hours. Through
writing to each other, the girls found they share and enjoy many of
the same interests and plan on being pen pals.
At 3:30 the time had arrived for the lucky raffle tickets to be
picked. One for a queen size handmade quilt and one for a 3 HP John
Deere engine complete with trucks.
With a clean up of the grounds that evening, and all put away
for the winter, the next item of Club interest was the fall
banquet. More than 60 attended and at this meeting next year’s
project was discussed-a 1933 4 cylinder Cooper-Bessemer from a
Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America pumping station for
preservation on the show grounds. The target is for it to be
completed for the 1987 show dates, September 12 and 13.
Guy and Donna Harper, RR 4, Greenfield, IN began collecting in
1982 with a 1937 F12 Farmall with ‘rust and mud and hole and
missing parts.’ The family now has 8 tractors, and their sons,
sons-in-law, daughter and grandchildren all work on the tractor.
The family loves to go to tractor shows and have made a lot of
friends. Two of their tractors are shown here, a 1937 F-12 and a
1939 F-20.