Historic Farm Days marks 35th birthday

ALVIN, Ill. — As the nation was celebrating its bicentennial, five farming history enthusiasts came up with an idea that has since blossomed into a large organization and a popular annual event.

Bill White, Harvey Phillips and Dave, Daniel and Richard Allison met at White’s farm south of Alvin in 1976 to form the I&I Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Club and do their part to preserve early farming methods and equipment and the rural lifestyle.

The club has since grown to 350 to 400 members.

“During the early years, antique equipment shows, and bragging rights tractor pulls were held at Bill White’s farm. The club also set up displays at area shopping malls, county fairs, parades and other festivals,” said Chuck Stelter, I&I club president.

Club members initially approached the Champaign County Forest Preserve in 1986 about using an area at the Middle Fork River Forest Preserve north of Penfield to have the annual show. The land was cleared and wheat was sown that fall for the 1987 show.

The first Historic Farm Days show was held 35 years ago at the Middle Fork River Forest Preserve. The then two-day event featured wheat harvesting, plowing, threshing and antique equipment displays.

Over the years, the show grew to include a saw mill, blacksmith shop, tractor pulls and parts vendors. The show expanded to three days in 1992.

The club was able to buy the 12-acre Penfield Improvement Association property in 1996 which included the former Penfield Grade School and 12 additional acres. This was done through the generous support of club members and friends in the community who held fundraisers and donated and loaned money to the club.

The timing of the Penfield purchase could not have been better.

The 1996 show was supposed to be held at Middle Fork River Forest Preserve. However, County Road 22 was under construction and was not going to be finished in time for the show and two weeks before the show the decision was made to move it the Penfield grounds.

In just two weeks, the Penfield ground was cleared, the school was cleaned up and painted and all of the equipment was moved from the forest preserve to the new show grounds.

Over subsequent years, club members made improvements to the show site and persevered through challenges.

The school was renovated in 1996 and 1997. Other buildings were added to the show grounds over time, including a new club hall, sawmill building, band pavilion, pork palace, tractor pull track and grandstands, blacksmith shop, north shed, feature brand building, Methodist Church, log cabin and Maplewood one-room schoolhouse.

Historic Farms Days was expanded to four days in 2001.

The club has also faced some adversity over the years.

The Penfield Improvement Association building burned in 1997 and was replaced by the new club hall.

A tornado struck the grounds in 2004, destroying the north shed and damaging the tractor pull grandstand and announcer’s booth. The north shed was rebuilt.

Over the years, the club grounds have grown to approximately 120 acres.

The thousands attending Historic Farm Days July 7-10 can also visit I&I’s Agricultural History Museum in the former Penfield Grade School which is open throughout the show and by appointment.

The museum features antique tractors and machinery, antique tools, household displays, the corn room, the IH room, and anything else pertaining to early farm and country life.

The museum also features two tractors on loan from the Smithsonian Institute — the IH HT-340 gas turbine tractor and Hart Parr #3.

Each show highlights specific antique tractor and equipment brands in an eight-year rotation. Brands in the rotation are John Deere, J.I. Case, Allis Chalmers, Oliver, International Harvester, Minneapolis Moline, Massey Harris/Ferguson, and Ford.