Tractors join Kirkland's party
By ELENA GRIMM egrimm@daily-chronicle.com
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| Roger Gustafson of Kirkland backs his 1959 John Deere tractor into place to be displayed at the first tractor show at Kirkland's Fourth of July festival Friday. (Elena Grimm - egrimm@daily-chronicle.com) |
KIRKLAND – Two-and-a-half days before the region's largest fireworks show would paint the night sky, spectators were "oohing" and "ahhing" at other shades of green, orange and red: tractors.
A new addition was welcomed to Kirkland's long-running Fourth of July festival, a tractor show, hosted by the Kirkland Lions Club and alumni of Hiawatha Future Farmers of America.
"We're hoping for a good number of tractors," Lions' past president Wayne Fruit said as the show began at 2 p.m. "We have about 15 now. The first time, you don't know how many you're gonna get."
Later on Friday afternoon, trophies were awarded to the best restored tractor, the most original tractor, the oldest of the bunch and the one that traveled the farthest. Tractors of all shapes, sizes and colors were parked on a grassy area of Franklin Township Park.
People are drawn to tractor shows to see how they're made – and what mechanical and aesthetic changes have happened over the years, Fruit said. The oldest tractor at the beginning of Friday's show was built in the 1940s, but they could get one as early as the 1910s before the show was over, he said.
Some tractors are made today with the same amenities as cars.
Fruit's Caterpillar Challenger, for instance, has a cab, air conditioning, cruise control, auto steering and FM radio.
"A lot of people like to come and share their wares," Fruit said. "Every tractor's got a story."
Roger Gustafson takes pride in restoring old tractors.
"I grew up on tractors and always wanted one for myself," he said. After taking up restoration projects for friends, he finally landed one for himself: a 1959 John Deere row crop tractor, in such poor shape that the green and yellow paint was hardly visible.
It took not much more than a brand-new paint job to hide the tractor's age.
"It's still popular and 50 years old," Gustafson said.
Brian Koehnke of Clare also enjoys fixing up tractors, and now his daughter, Betsy, has picked up the hobby – though the 13-year-old admitted that riding horses is a more enjoyable pastime.
"I've been farming all my life," Brian Koehnke said. "I got my granddad's at home. It's a neat hobby, and fun going to shows."
