Long before I was born my grandfather, George Jacob Sr., ran the
family farm. When my father, George Jr., was old enough he started
a scrap yard and late model car business. That was also when he
started buying old engines.
Farmers weren’t using them anymore, and they brought them to
my father for scrap. He would pay from $25 to $50 for some of them,
and he never scrapped an engine, even if it was only good for
parts. At local auctions he was known as the ‘engine
man.’
Now a retired dairy farmer, my father has collected around 200
engines, including about any kind of 1-1/2 HP to 25 HP engine you
can think of. He can tell you where he got just about every one,
and he can also tell you a story about it. He collected a number of
New Holland engines over the years as well, and my grandfather used
to go around once a year and oil them up, turn them over – even
start a few. My grandfather and my father always liked New Holland
engines, and my father remembers bringing home a new 5 HP New
Holland to use in the barn grinding feed.
That First Engine
Growing up on the farm I was around engines all my life. I
remember going to shows and seeing all the neat engines, and I
bought my first engine, a 2-1/2 HP Ottawa, when I was around 16
years old.
When I was about 17 I received the best Christmas present ever.
Opening up a shoebox I found a crank handle, and I knew right away
it was from a New Holland. My father told me I could go pick out a
5 HP New Holland engine for my present. At that time he had four 5
HP engines in the barn, so when I went to the barn to pick one I
was like a kid in a candy store. I chose what I thought was the
best engine, a 19145 HP on a high wheel #14 truck with its original
battery box and a Hendricks magneto running off the flywheel – and
it still had (and has!) a lot of original paint and pin
striping.
There were so many other engines in the way you couldn’t get
to where the engine was sitting in the barn, and 10 years passed
before I finally pulled it out. My father and I worked on it, and
within half an hour we had it running, but not right. After a
little more work and some cleaning I finally got it running
smoothly. That was when I first became interested in New Holland
engines. That year I pulled it in a local parade and won first
place for the most original engine.
The next item I got from my father was a #6 New Holland feed
mill with all original paint and pin striping. The #6 was the
smallest feed mill New Holland made. I gave my father some money
down on it, and when I went to give him more money he told me to
wait. Next, I asked him about a 1915 2 HP New Holland he had. I
should mention that when I started to buy engines I bought any
kind, just as my father did, and recently I’ve been selling
some of these for more valuable engines. When we started talking
about the 2 HP I offered him a 1-3/4 HP air-cooled Associated, plus
some cash to make up the difference, in trade for the New Holland.
He agreed to take the Associated, but not the money. Living close
to New Holland, Pa., as we do, a 2 HP New Holland engine is worth
more than an Associated, but he was happy to make the trade,
anyway. This engine is also all original, mounted on a #13 truck
with its original paint and pin striping still showing.
In the meantime I purchased a New Holland rock crusher on an
original New Holland truck. The truck was made for a 5 HP engine on
front and a rock crusher on back, so I talked to my father about a
1912 5 HP engine and an original battery box he had so I could make
an original unit. I made him an offer and he said it was too high –
he wouldn’t take my offer, and I’m still waiting for a
decision from him.
There were two more items I was interested in; a New Holland
farmers saw and a 1918 1-1/2 HP low base, single-flywheel engine.
Once again I made him an offer, and once again he said it was too
high – I’m still waiting to hear on this, too! The farmers saw
has its original paint and pin striping, and it still says New
Holland on it. The single flywheel engine is all original, and you
can see its original paint and a lot of pin striping.
When we took the 1-1/2 HP out of the shed my father told me it
came out of a feed mill in Hereford, Pa. The feed mill was set to
have an auction, and a few days before the auction a fellow told my
father about an engine there. The engine had supposedly gotten away
from the fellows moving it when they slid it down some steps, and
the person who told my father about it thought they broke a
flywheel off because it only had one. On the day of the sale was my
father went to check it out, and what he found was a
single-flywheel New Holland.
Showing and Collecting
When my father was working the dairy farm we went to shows, but
we never had time to actually show anything. In fact, I just
started showing this year. I took all my New Holland items to the
Rough & Tumble show in Kinzer, Pa., and it was unbelievable how
many people commented and complemented me on how I kept everything
original.
I have also started collecting New Holland literature; I have
around 20 pieces of literature and 40 New Holland letterheads
dating from 1907-1919.
Cliff Moyer collects a large variety of New Holland items, and
he also sells New Holland decals and replacement parts. Cliff is
quite knowledgeable about New Holland engines, and he is trying to
get an idea of how many of the 10,028 New Holland engines made are
still out there. If you contact him he will date your engine and
put your serial number on the registry he is building. Right now he
has around 800 numbers recorded, and any New Holland’s you know
are out there would be a big help for Cliff’s registry.
Cliff’s address is: Clifford Moyer, 183 North Main St., Dublin,
PA 18917, or phone him at (215) 249-1490.
As you can see, New Holland’s are well liked in the Jacob
family. It started with my grandfather, then passed to my father,
and now to me. My 4-year-old son, Tyler, is starting to get into
the hobby – he helps me work on my engines and he even has a 1961
mid-engine Wheel Horse he calls his own. I have another son on the
way, and with any luck he will take a liking to this hobby, too. I
want to pass these New Holland items down to my sons and keep them
in the family, and my plan is to put together a complete set of New
Holland engines. I think I have a great start, and I owe it all to
my father.
So this story goes out to my grandfather, who passed away two
years ago at the age of 91, and to my wonderful father, who is my
inspiration. His generosity and knowledge will be passed down
through yet another generation, and I, and his grandson, Tyler,
thank him for that.
Contact engine enthusiast George Jacob III at: 2759 North
Charlotte St., Gilbertsville, PA 19525.