Boyens club historian Antique Engine and Tractor Association,
Inc. 3919 Greenbrier Drive, Bettendorf, Iowa 52722
It was the year for the windmill at the Antique Engine and
Tractor Association Inc. of Atkinson, Illinois’s 1998 Show. The
windmill is a 1926 four-leg, 36 foot tall, eight foot diameter
wheel from Chicago Air Motor. It has a 55 gallon barrel sump under
its head, too to make itself an actual water pumping display. The
bucket never runs over!
The show starts off featuring young and old. The Genico FFA
members were shown around, and then a member gave a slide
presentation of The Evolution of the Farm Tractor. At the same
time, older folks from local rest homes were driven to the displays
with a member in the bus explaining the displays to them.
Displays included sawmilling, oat threshing, corn shelling, corn
binding, silo filling, and cedar shingle saw milling, with each
senior person given a shingle.
Friday evening at 5:00 the annual threshermen’s dinner
started and was served just as it was in olden days, with two
meats, three potatoes, three breads, salad, dessert and a drink.
All of the 312 folks ate just like threshers did–and came away
with a very full feeling!
Saturday, Show Time! with 118 tractors, 168 gas engines, and 100
related displays demonstrating how farming was done. Added to the
activities was tractor pulling throughout the day. The featured
tractor was Allis-Chalmers; the featured gas engine was the
Stover.
Sunday’s show time was more of Saturday’s activities,
plus the fireman’s parade, with garden tractors pulling. At
3:00 p.m. was the club’s raffle, drawing for first prize which
was $300 in cash, second prize was a child’s pedal tractor made
by Allis-Chalmers, and third prize was a Longaberger basket with
dish, and many prizes of model farm toys. The flea market was busy
all three days.
There’s no gate fee, so come and see us September 17-19,
1999. We are the hosts for Northern, Illinois IHC Collectors
Chapter #2, Collectors.