Bossier City, Louisiana 71111
My dad started me out in the field driving our model ‘T’
pickup to the house while he drove tractor and machinery home after
finishing a field. I was so small I had to stand on the floorboards
to see ahead. He would release the emergency lever and put it
part-way down and I would push in the low pedal. This way I would
never get out of a fast walk. Of course, the tractor moved even
slower. I would hold down on low pedal until my leg would get tired
and slip off. This, of course, would kill the engine. So when my
father would catch up he would patiently restart me home again and
he would return to the tractor. I probably killed the pickup at
least 8 or 10 times in the couple of miles before we would get
home.
Incidentally, this happened around Tangier, Oklahoma in
northwest Oklahoma where I grew up. Finally, I graduated to where I
could put the old ‘T’ in high gear and drive home. I
learned this when I could not hurt anyone or anything. I credit
this to good teaching and lots of patience on the part of my dad.
In fact I will say I have never caused an accident in over 50 years
of driving. I have been hit three times when there was not a bar
ditch to get into to get out of the way. Anyhow I learned my love
for driving trucks and tractors this way. I still say a good
tractor and plow that turns over God’s good clean earth is the
most satisfying and pleasant smell there is.
Soon we acquired an old 1928 Chevrolet 1?-ton truck with a
100-bushel grain bed on it. On the way to the grain elevator we had
to drive over a very steep overpass across the Sante Fe Railroad in
the city of Tangier. Well those who know of the 28 Chevy and its
old vacuum tank know they always caused trouble. So before we would
get to the top of the steep grade the heavy load would take its
toll and cut off the gasoline supply and down we’d go backwards
to the bottom. Also they had lousy brakes. So we would have to back
way up the road and make another run for it. Very little traffic so
this didn’t cause too much of a problem. People knew the
problem and they wouldn’t pull behind you until you made the
grade. When we would start down the other side in low gear it would
hold it down enough to make the sharp bend at the bottom to take
the road into the grain elevator.
The old elevator was powered by a big old one cylinder gasoline
engine, hit and miss type. This is where I got my love for the
sound of the old hit and miss engine. I always said that when I
grew up I was going to get one of those old engines and put it in
the front yard and let it run for all to hear. Of course, my wife
cancelled this idea of a front yard engine. Anyhow, I did get one
of those engines (in fact 70 of them). I have several mounted on
trucks so I may pull them outside and run when I wish. Then they go
back under cover as I hate to see any machinery out in the elements
unprotected.
Think now it might be time to get on with my engine story or
tractor as the case may be.
The year was 1974. I lived in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at the
time and worked for the Federal Aviation Agency as an electronic
technician. I decided that I wanted to build a tractor. I have no
welding equipment and never had the occasion to learn to weld, so
this project would entail getting a partner.
A buddy of mine, Herb Little, who incidentally I had talked into
becoming an ‘Engine Nut’ like myself, and I decided we
would build one. We made a deal that for doing the welding and for
his work, I’d give him my 1938 model A John Deere tractor.
We took off for Fargo, Okla., to see a friend of mine to get
parts with which to build. There we purchased an old Nash
Metropolitan car. We also got a model ‘T’ frame. This now
gave us the skeleton to start. We took the body off the Nash to get
the transmission, differential, steering gear and brakes. We also
used back wheels to move it around. Then we drove to Wichita,
Kansas where I swapped Harold Ottoway out of an old 3 HP hit and
miss John Deere gasoline engine-a 1930 model in pretty sad shape.
This was to become the power plant for the tractor. We started
assembling this equipment and got the project off the ground.
About this time proceedings for a medical retirement came up for
me from F.A.A. and in June of 19751 was medically retired.
My wife works for Sears and is required to transfer quite often.
This move sent me to Wichita Falls, Texas and put the brakes on
tractor building. I was not well a lot of the time and time
passed.
In January 1976 my wife was transferred to Temple, Texas. This
proved good for me as I became associated with the Texas Early Day
Gas Engine and Tractor Association. (I also belong to the Oklahoma
Steam Thresher Association of Pawnee, Oklahoma, and The Bayou Old
Time Engine and Power Association of Louisiana.) I made many good
friends in the Meridian, Texas, area of this association. These
Texas engine people are fine people and very good friends. In fact,
most engine people are good people!
Every once in a while I would be in Oklahoma City and do a
little work on the little tractor. Herb, in the meantime, moved to
El Reno, Oklahoma, so this almost stopped work on the tractor
entirely.
Then in March of 1977 they operated on me at Temple, Texas, for
cancer. I was sent to M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital and another
operation was performed on me in April of 1977. In the time from
then till now I return to Oklahoma City and Houston for continued
treatment and checkups. I am happy to say I feel very good most of
the time. Can’t do much work but putter when I feel up to it.
This cancer put an urgency on building my tractor. I wanted to get
it done so I could drive it in the show at Pawnee, Oklahoma, before
I departed this earth.
During 1976 I restored an old model ‘H’ John Deere
tractor. Time slipped on and progress on the little tractor got
slower and slower.
In May of 1979 I found a ‘GP’ regular tread J.D.
tractor. It was within 10 miles of where I had lived for 23 years
and I didn’t know it existed. I had been hunting one to restore
for about 6 years. Well, I traded for it. In June I went with my
trailer to get it. With the help of Herb Little and V. R. Lawson we
tried to get the ‘GP’ overhauled enough to get it off the
trailer when I got to Louisiana. Vince did a lot of rebuilding gas
parts etc. But the tractor had some problem requiring a complete
tear down and overhaul. I called my good friend in Meridian, Texas,
M. H. Sylvester, and asked if I could bring the tractor down to his
shop. He is retired and has a nice machine shop. He agreed, so to
Meridian I drove.
Parts are not available for this old 1929 ‘GP’, so Mr.
Sylvester made new valves for it and several other parts. The
problem in the engine was the governor was so worn out it was
locking up and stopping everything from turning. This he rebuilt.
After many long hard hours and three days we had it running. The
carburetor had problems but it would run halfway. So home I
went.
At this point I see I left out part of my story so I will pick
this up now. In August 1977 we were transferred to Pineville,
Louisiana. Then in June of 1978 to Bossier City, Louisiana. You can
well imagine how these moves upset my tractor building.
I had machinery and engines in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana.
Finally, I have them all home from Oklahoma. I still have a 1934
big 4 J.D. mowing machine and a 1905 J.D. 1-bottom sulky plow at
Meridian, Texas. Hope to get this home soon.
In June while in Oklahoma I persuaded another engine collector
friend to finish welding on my little tractor so I could get it to
Louisiana and finish it. His name is Wayne Welliver and when he
does something he does it good. He agreed to do this as Herb was
working at two jobs and was newly married and didn’t have time
to work on the tractor.
In the meantime I returned to M.D. Anderson Hospital for a
checkup and on the way home I stopped in Lake Charles, Louisiana to
see a friend of mine, John Morse. He built my carburetor parts up
on the ‘GP’ carb. so it would run better. Still needs a
float valve though as I can’t make this one hold. But anyway
the ‘GP’ runs fine!
In November I went again to Fargo, Oklahoma, and picked up more
parts that I needed to complete my tractor. Wayne had the welding
done, so I brought it home with me. So for about a week I finished
putting it together. Parts used in it are John Deere,
Allis-Chalmers, Chevrolet truck, model T Ford, Nash, A combine and
a few miscellaneous other parts. Next I spent two weeks and $50.00
of paint to paint the tractor.
I call the tractor a 1921 model ‘Z’ J.D. after my
birthday. It is complete now with the exception I need some good
tires. It runs very well and certainly causes a stir, excitement,
and curiosity around here.