‘Red Power’ on Parade

By Staff
Published on January 1, 1993
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The infield on the Marion County fairground during 'Red Power Roundup' at the 1992 Marion County Steam & Gas Engine Show. 296 International Harvester and 150 or more other tractors were displayed.
The infield on the Marion County fairground during 'Red Power Roundup' at the 1992 Marion County Steam & Gas Engine Show. 296 International Harvester and 150 or more other tractors were displayed.
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This T-340 Crawler was used in farming and is owned by Harry King of Perrysburg, Ohio.
This T-340 Crawler was used in farming and is owned by Harry King of Perrysburg, Ohio.
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Harry King brought 26 restored tractors to the Marion Show. Here he rides his Airport Mule manufactured by the Hobart Company based in Chicago.
Harry King brought 26 restored tractors to the Marion Show. Here he rides his Airport Mule manufactured by the Hobart Company based in Chicago.

3203 Norton Road Radnor, Ohio 43066

At the 1992 Marion County Steam and Gas Engine Society’s
Show, held June 18-21 on the Marion County Fairgrounds in Marion,
Ohio, there was an air of anticipation during the first days. The
morning hours were a rush with exhibitors registering, as the last
of the concessions moved into place and the flea marketers laid out
their wares. The sounds of a few sputtering gas engines and
tractors grew into a crescendo of many and the scents of gas, oil
and coal smoke mixed into a heady accent on the summer air. As
displays grew and grew, there was the feeling that something
special just might happen, and it did.

At the Thursday evening tractor pull, just after the first
contestant completed his pull, Don Willson walked to the center of
the pulling track and stopped the show. He called Troy Scott and
Martha Deyo up before the crowd. Troy is the young man who
organizes the Society’s tractor pulls and Martha was Troy’s
fiance. Don announced to the surprised couple that they were to be
united in mock marriage on the spot.

Doris Gregg, the mock minister, performed the ceremony, dressed
in a flowing black robe and holding the book of 150 Years of
International Harvester (the Bible of the IHC collector.) This turn
of events was especially humiliating for Troy, who is a
dyed-in-the-wool John Deere collector. It was a mirthful prelude to
Troy and Martha’s actual wedding, which was to take place a
week later.

At the Saturday night tractor pull David Gregg, an avid IH
collector and show organizer of the IHC displays, was cajoled into
pulling a John Deere and won the class, much to his chagrin. David
will need a little time to live that down. The Marion group enjoys
good natured fun and a good laugh, but even more, they enjoy
hosting special collector groups that bring in fine collections
like the one the International Harvester Collectors brought to the
Marion show.

The infield was a busy place as the Society’s fifteenth
annual show, held yearly over Father’s Day weekend, got
underway. The north end was completely filled with the
International Harvester Collectors’ displays. At least 296 IH
or related tractors were on display. Add to this display 150 or
more of the Society members’ tractors, and to that, gas engines
and various antique harvesting equipment; visitors had to get busy
because they had a lot of looking to do.

J. R. Equipment, Inc., a Case IH dealer in Upper Sandusky, Ohio,
brought in a 1660 combine and a mammoth four-wheel drive tractor.
These monstrous machines provided a vivid contrast to the exhibits
of antique tractors and harvesting machinery. It was easy to see
how far equipment design has come over the years of farming
history.

Fremont Hoover, president of the International Harvester
Collectors, was on hand to share information and sign collectors
into the organization. Mr. Hoover’s interest in IH equipment is
a natural outgrowth of using IH tractors on his father’s farm.
He would like to find a PD-40 power unit to complete a series with
tractor and crawler. His collection includes fourteen or more
tractors and some implements. Mr. Hoover believes that one way to
encourage first time collectors is to include them in local shows
and to help them to find affordable antique equipment as
restoration projects.

More than the collecting, Mr. Hoover enjoys meeting people
through promoting and heading up the IHC organization and attending
the shows. Once through a casual comment at a chance meeting with
an old army buddy he had not seen for a dozen years, Mr. Hoover
acquired a TD-40 and a WD-40. All collectors enjoy such happy
accidental leads.

Shirley and Fremont Hoover, when asked to share their hobby with
their son’s fifth grade class, took farm toys valued from $200
down to $2 and explained that this hobby was not only for adults,
but could be of interest to young people as well.

One of the IHC group’s members, Harry King, of Perrysburg,
Ohio, displayed twenty six tractors from his collection of more
than sixty. One of his special tractors is an Airport Mule
manufactured by Hobart in Chicago. Few were made, and it was used
to haul luggage and cargo at airports. Also among King’s
collection were the High Crop H, used in vegetable farming, and the
T-340 crawler, used in farming.

Dewey Hetzel, of Sycamore, Ohio brought in seven pieces from his
collection, one of which was a WK-40 on full steel, one of two at
the show. The other WK-40 was on rubber.

Harry Lee, from Elnora, Indiana, brought six tractors. His
Farmall IHC Twin got a lot of attention for its unusual look. The
twin is a combination of two tractors in a Siamese
configuration.

We were pleased to have Ed Brockman’s Huber steam roller in
action on the Pioneer Green this year. Ed hails from Detroit,
Michigan, but, of course, his Huber originally came from the Huber
Manufacturing Company based in Marion, Ohio. Huber equipment is
always a part of the Society’s show. Five steam engines were
used to power up the saw mill, threshers and corn shredders for
active demonstrations. These made a picturesque scene on the
Pioneer Green.

Crafters were set up in the Coliseum along with John
McNaull’s wooden McCormick reaper, one of only three or four
made, which doubtless was the oldest thing on the fairgrounds. Mr.
McNaull is from Ashland, Ohio.

Nick Jonkman, of Ontario, Canada exhibited an IH cream
separator, a display of IH literature and a special series of IH
wrenches. An antique IH truck, a 1947 IN KB6, exhibited by the
Schultz Motor Company of Tiffin, Ohio (an IH truck dealership), and
another antique truck, a Ford, which was used in the filming of the
movie ‘Hoffa,’ and owned by Steve Bower, of Caladonia,
Ohio, were added attractions. Mr. Bower also displayed newspaper
stories about the making of the movie.

In 1993 the Marion County Steam and Gas Engine Society will
feature John Deere equipment and all forerunners. We welcome all
John Deere collectors and Two-Cylinder Club members to attend the
show and ‘bring along a Deere.’ Collectors of all kinds of
antique farming equipment are always welcome and encouraged to
display at our show.

One of the Marion Society’s main goals is to share farming
history in visual display models so the present generation can
easily see how the vocation of farming was carried out in years
past. As the pool of American farmers shrinks and the
‘family’ form of agriculture gives way to corporate farming
it will be harder for people with a non-farming background to
visualize ‘how it was done back then.’ Join us next year
for this special experience.

The Show will be June 17-20, 1993. For information call
president Earl Scott, (513) 642-0574 or vice president Don Willson
(614) 482-2506.

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