Keeping past alive with family heritage tractors

RANTOUL, Ill. — Reflecting on that first truck, car or tractor can unlock a flood of memories of work and joy from our youth.

For farmers, it was that first tractor they learned to drive to help their parents or grandparents, bringing ear-to-ear smiles with a sense of freedom, pride and delight.

The Half Century of Progress Show will showcase those days gone by with this year’s theme of “Family Heritage Tractor” that will feature tractors that have been in the same family for generations or ones that were once owned by the family and later found and returned home.

Russell Buhr, a co-chair of the Half Century of Progress Show, has one such tractor that’s been in the family for 75 years.

“Dad bought a new Farmall M in 1948. We’ve always had it in the family on the farm. It’s my sister’s now. We fixed it up and keep it going for her. That’s what I learned to drive on, too. It was the big tractor at the time. It was always fun plowing and cultivating with that,” Buhr said.

“Also, if somebody had a tractor and then found it later and brought it back, that’s kind of a big deal, too, to get the tractor that their dad or grandpa always had and then they bring it back. That’s sometimes like trying to find a treasure, too.

“It’s always fun when you find something like that and can bring it back. They traded it in and got a better tractor or a different one and then wished they had that thing back. It was may be two states away and somehow they find it.

“The tractors don’t even have to be refurbished. A lot of people still use the thing.”

Since the word got out about the heritage tractor theme, “there’s a lot of people talking about it,” Buhr added.

“When they hear about it they get the wheels spinning and they say, ‘Oh, gosh, I think we got that one,’ or they know a neighbor that always had one so they tell their neighbor.”

The family heritage tractors will be on display at one location throughout the show Aug. 24-27 at Rantoul and will be featured in the parade one of the days.