For ten years, Dennis Parker taught industrial arts in various
high schools. In 1979 he decided to return to his home area of
Volga, South Dakota. He was searching for a way to make a living
that would enable him and his wife to set their own hours and be
their own bosses.
Initially, the Parkers had planned to buy and renovate houses
for resale. However, a sagging real estate market quickly dashed
that hope. Instead, Parker decided to turn his childhood hobby of
toy tractor collecting into a new career.
Parker has at least 1,000 model vehicles all displayed on the
walls of his house. There are tractors from New Zealand, England,
Sweden, Germany, Japan and Hong Kong. He fused this interest with
his technical skill acquired in the industrial arts, and became a
miniature tractor manufacturer.
The first model to come from the Parker workshop was a 1937 John
Deere. As orders came in and expansion seemed in order, he added
two other models to his line: a 1951 Minneapolis Moline and a 1938
Allis-Chalmers. He currently has a Case on the drawing board which
he hopes to have ready before the end of the year. His models are
very popular probably because he is known to be a very fine
craftsman.
The dream of independence seems to have worked out for the
Parkers. They have built a foundry in their barn, and orders are
now backlogged. For more information write to Dennis Parker at Rt.
2, Box 72, Volga, South Dakota 57071.
