On-farm museum preserves bygone era

POTOMAC, Ill. — Kenny Knight’s interest in refurbishing classic farm tractors has since blossomed into preserving other important pieces and their stories from the past.

Knight, an I&I Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Club director, started a private museum on his farm about 10 years ago and his collection now ranges from pocket watches and campaign buttons to horse-drawn equipment and tractors.

It all began when his friend, Glenn Miller, made him a toy combine and corn picker. Those first pieces greet visitors upon entering the museum.

“Glenn was a machinist in the Navy on a boat and he picked up how to do everything. We’re Minneapolis-Moline people, so this is ‘M and M’ stuff,” Knight said.

Other farm toys, some made from wood and others metal, have since been added to the display case.

“We had some of this stuff and then people started giving me stuff,” Knight said.

The museum includes historic items from both his paternal and maternal sides.

“My granddad, my mom’s dad, was a railroader with (Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad) in Bismarck, Illinois, where he ran the depot,” Knight said.

He has a model of the railroad depot and a photo of his grandfather at the depot at Bismarck. Most of the lanterns, torches and other pieces on display in this section are C&EI related.

Oil cans, field signs, keys, lighters, pocket watches, 100-year-old clay marbles, photos and old tools that have been found in fields are in a display case.

Knight’s dad sold vegetables and produce for a company and a banana box from that business is on exhibit.

“It was given to me by one of my nephews. I feel very fortunate to have that,” he said.

A poster promoting the 2003 Farm Progress Show at Henning, Illinois, is displayed.

“One of the hosts of that show, the Gernands, live just across the field from here — Teddy and Larry and the whole bunch. It’s history. I tell Larry that he had the Farm Progress Show even if it only lasted one day,” Knight grinned.

His mom sewed and Singer sewing machines and thimbles are featured.

Nearby is an early 1900s hand-turn washing machine, butter churns, including a Maytag butter churn, Maytag sausage grinder and Maytag motor oil cans.

His niece’s daughter lives in Switzerland and sent him a cowbell. There’s also a U.S.-engraved 10-pound ball and chain, and cannon ball.

“Some of the members in the tractor club are getting older, they’d ask me if I’d like to have something and I’d buy it,” he said.

“A landlord collected Native American artifacts. When he passed away his wife gave me his best stuff. These are game balls. Here’s a celt that they used to skin the bison and deer with.”

Heirloom Tractors

A pair of the family’s original tractors — a 1937 Minneapolis-Moline and a 1952 Minneapolis-Moline R — are fully restored and on display. Those were the first tractors he restored after being inspired while attending one of the early Historic Farm Days in the late 1980s, early 1990s and noticing there were no Minneapolis-Molines at the show.

“These ‘M and M’ tractors we farmed with were still in a sealed up shed over at Bismarck where I grew up,” he said.

Knight shared the story behind the 1952 tractor.

“My granddad had a little ground. My brothers got into FFA, so my granddad asked them if they wanted to farm the ground. So, they went to Brown Brothers in Bismarck. It was an International dealer and the neighbor had traded this in and they bought it along with a cultivator, plow and disk for $700-some. And Brownie said, ‘you can pay me when you get the crop out.’ Of course, he was pretty well assured because my granddad owned the farm and he worked at the depot,” Knight said.

Another showpiece is a restored 1931 International truck.

“A guy on Route 49 not too far from here restored this. He worked at Chanute Base. They had a sale, so I went there and this truck and couple of cars were being sold. I asked what they were going to do with the truck. They said they had to get rid of it. Do you have a price on it? They hated to price it, but they did. I said I had to go talk to my wife. It was Father’s Day weekend and she says, ‘Happy Father’s Day,’” Knight explained.

“The inside, outside and the motor are restored to their original condition. There weren’t too many International trucks. There are a lot of Fords and Chevrolets around.”

Pre-World War II license plates are also featured.

“We rented a farm in 1974. The landlord had these in the garage and he said he wanted to take them down because they’ll disappear. Here is every Illinois license plate from 1914 to 1940, he had the ones that were made of paper during the war, but they disappeared,” Knight said.

Looking up above the neatly arranged floor level displays visitors will see a horse-drawn planter, plow and cultivator, four original pedal tractors — Case, Ford, M-M and John Deere — machinery signs, various miscellaneous pieces from the past, and an electric train that circles the track.

Knight has hosted numerous guests and events since opening his private museum. He added a 16-foot by 32-foot gathering area with displays, comfortable seating and a restroom three years after opening the museum a decade ago.

“We have functions and people enjoy visiting. Not very long ago we had visitors from Idaho and they loved it. I had a couple people here this morning. My neighbor brought his grandson from around Geneva and is going to start college this fall,” he said.