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2010-02-09

2010-01-19

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Thursday, September 10, 2009 11:47 AM

File photo/The Ottawa Herald

Fred Lowry, Salida, Colo., drives his 1963 Oliver 1950 through the gates of Forest Park, 518 S. Forest St., Ottawa, in 2007 in preparation for the Power of the Past Antique Engine and Tractor Show. This year’s event will begin Friday and run through Sunday.

‘Power’ keeps growing

By BRIAN WILLIAMS, Herald Staff Writer

Photo by Brian Williams/The Ottawa Herald

Massey Harris tractors and Monitor engines are the theme tractor and engine of the 15th annual Power of the Past Antique Engine and Tractor Show. This restored 1948 Massey Model 30 tractor will be drawn for during the tractor show, which will be Friday through Sunday at Forest Park, 320 N. Locust St., Ottawa.

Each September, the tractor population seems to grow larger in Ottawa.

When the 15th annual Power of the Past Antique Engine and Tractor Show opens its three-day run Friday at Forest Park, 320 N. Locust St., Ottawa, Richard Mullins, Power of the Past president, expects about 500 tractors.

That’s a far cry from the 10 on display at the first show in 1995 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds. Not only has the number of tractors grown each year, but so has the Power of the Past membership.

“Nine of us started out. We didn’t have but $50 in the till. Now we’ve gone from nine to over 400,” Mullins, who is in his 12th year as president, said.

Now, Power of the Past claims members from 15 states.

“We have members in Colorado and California, but we only get to see them once a year,” Mullins said.

The growth in the interest of tractors comes from both the young, who are interested in the past, and the old, who can recall their youth from the farm machines.

“They remember the tractors their dad had. They get older and think it would be nice to have one,” Mullins said. “We provide them a place to show it.”

That description fits Phil Wiederholt, Osage City.

He remembers when he was 13 and lived on a farm south of Ottawa. It was 1949, and that was the year his father bought a brand new Ferguson TE-20 tractor.

As he grew older, he left the farm and eventually spent 33 years with Hallmark Cards and retired in 1994.

By 1980, he had enough money to buy an 80-acre farm. Wiederholt knew there was one thing his farm had to have.

“I bought me one of those little guys,” Wiederholt said with a smile as he pointed to a picture of a Ferguson tractor.

Although his love of Ferguson tractors that began as a 13-year-old lay dormant for much of his adulthood, it has awakened.

Wiederholt, who is the Ferguson Enthusiasts of North America president, will have his Ferguson tractor at the show along with several other members of his club.

Although tractors and antique engines are the focus of the weekend, several other activities are available for all ages. Horse drawn rides, a petting zoo and horse drawn feed grinding, hay baling and rock crushing demonstrations will be Friday through Sunday.

For those with competitive spirits, a kiddie tractor pull be 9:30 a.m. Saturday and a garden tractor pull will be 2 p.m. Saturday. Women can compete in the ladies shoe throw and skillet toss events at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

A free ham and bean supper will be 4 p.m. Friday and a hog roast will be 4 p.m. Saturday. Food will be served as long as it lasts. Homemade ice cream will be served all three days.

The theme tractor and engine of this year’s show is the Massey Harris tractors and Monitor engines.

“There’s not as many of them as there are John Deere. There’s not quite as many in this area,” Mullins said about the Massey Harris brand of tractor.

As the featured tractor, a restored 1948 Massey Model 30 tractor will be drawn for during the show. For more information, go to www.powerofthepast.net

Power of the Past Antique Engine and Tractor Show schedule

(All activities at Forest Park, 320 N. Locust St., Ottawa.)

FRIDAY

• 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. — Breakfast.

• 8 a.m. — National anthem.

• 9:30 a.m. — Kiddie tractor pull.

• 10 a.m. to dusk — Horse-drawn rides, homemade ice cream and petting zoo.

• 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. — Threshing

• 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. — Horse-drawn feed grinding.

• Noon and 3 p.m. — Hay baling.

• 1 p.m. — Parade of Power.

• 3:30 p.m. — Rock crushing.

• 4 p.m — Free Ham and bean supper.

• 5 p.m. — Barb Esbenshade.

• 5:30 p.m. — Mickey Rockers Stigall.

• 6 p.m. — Butch Carter.

SATURDAY

• 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. — Breakfast.

• 8 a.m. — National anthem.

• 9:30 a.m. — Dave and Kate Wooge.

• 9:30 a.m. — Kiddie tractor pull.

• 9 a.m. to dusk — Horse drawn rides, homemade ice cream and petting zoo.

• 10 a.m. and noon — Auction.

• 10:30 a.m. — Johnny Walker.

• 11 a.m. — Bayley Hartman and Band.

• 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. — Horse-drawn feed grinding.

• 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m and 4:30 p.m. — Threshing.

• 11:30 a.m. — Bayley Hartman and Band.

• Noon and 3 p.m. — Hay baling.

• 1 p.m. — Parade of Power racing models.

• 2 p.m. — Garden tractor pull.

• 2:30 p.m. — Ladies shoe throw and skillet toss.

• 2:30 p.m. — Horse powered hay baling.

• 2:30 p.m. — Derek Craft.

• 3 p.m. — Alan Cunningham.

• 3:30 p.m. — Jason Franklin.

• 3:30 p.m. — Rock crushing.

• 4 p.m — Hog roast.

• 4:30 p.m. — Jamie Jamison.

• 5 p.m. — Rusty Coffman.

• 5:30 p.m. — Butch Carter.

• 6 p.m. — Travis Marvin.

SUNDAY

• 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. — Breakfast.

• 8 a.m. — National anthem.

• 8:30 a.m. — Church services with the Rev. Scott Dickinson.

• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Horse-drawn rides, homemade ice cream and petting zoo.

• 9 a.m. — Rusty Coffman.

• 9:30 a.m. — Threshing and racing models.

• 9:30 a.m. — Russell Main.

• 10 a.m. and noon — Hay baling.

• 10 a.m. — Jim Frye.

• 10:30 a.m. — Rock crushing.

• 10:30 a.m. — Stan Milliken.

• 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. — Horse-drawn feed grinding.

• 11 a.m. — Melody Milliken

• 11:30 a.m. — Horse powered hay baling.

• 1 p.m. — Parade of Power.