Celebrating Deere dealership’s century-long heritage

ROANOKE, Ill. — In celebration of 100 years of John Deere in Roanoke, Heritage Tractor is hosting an Antique Tractor Show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 27 at the dealership, 1520 County Rd 2100 E, Roanoke.

The community event includes food, ice cream, bouncy house, touch-a-truck and other activities to honor a century of local heritage.

In 1926, Samuel Martin started the dealership from the family farmhouse. His farming operation started out just like most others in the 1920s, with a horse and a plow — but Martin was quick to embrace the latest technology: a John Deere tractor.

One John Deere tractor turned into a dealership headquartered out of the family farmstead in Roanoke. A shed served as their service bay, the basement held parts and a spare bedroom functioned as an accounting office.

As the company — then called Samuel F. Martin Implement — grew, so did Sam and Barb’s eight children.

In the early 1950s, Sam sold the dealership to his sons Lewis, Bob, Gene, John and Wayne, forming Martin Brothers Implement.

Lewis and Bob carried on the family business together until 1981, when they made the decision to split into separate entities.

Bob formed Martin Equipment, focusing on construction equipment, just a few miles down the road in Goodfield, while Lewis stayed true to the dealership’s agricultural roots and continued selling tractors.

Shortly thereafter, Lewis’ son, Lewis Martin Jr., purchased the business from his father — the third generation of Martins to serve the Roanoke agricultural community.

In addition to the Roanoke location, he expanded to three other locations: Martin Implement Co., Lexington; Martin Farm Equipment Co., Carthage; and Martin & Kroencke, Quincy.

Fifteen years later, in 1996, Gary and Karen Rogers and their son, Ben, purchased four dealership locations from Lewis Martin Jr. and continued expanding.

Ben Rogers, great-grandson of founder Sam Martin, continued to run the business, adding on six more locations in 2014.

In 2025, Martin Tractor and Prairie State Tractor joined forces as Heritage Tractor bringing together decades of experience and expertise to serve Illinois customers.

While the Martin name changed, the legacy that Sam started back in 1926 did not, said Derek Dummermuth, Heritage Tractor owner and CEO.

The name Heritage Tractor not only speaks to the history of each location, but also promises to be around for generations to come, he said.

Each store retains its hometown atmosphere — especially in Roanoke, where the dealership is just a stone’s throw from the old farmhouse.

In 2026, 100 years after Sam’s budding business began, much has changed, especially the technology behind each new John Deere.

But some things never have, Dummermuth said. A commitment to customers, community and doing the job right has defined this dealership for a century, and it will continue to do so for generations to come, he said.

Traveling Tractor Tour

In addition to this historic milestone, Heritage Tractor is launching its summer Traveling Tractor Tour, which will travel more than 600 miles from northern to southern Illinois to donate $1,000 to local non-profits in 20 different communities.

To kick off the tour, the Heritage Tractor team will gather on June 26 to present a $1,000 check to Roanoke-Benson FFA Chapter, an organization selected by local employee votes.

The John Deere 8R tractor used for the tour features an American flag and a 250 tribute flag, symbolizing that hardworking communities make up the fabric of the nation.

“Our devotion to people stretches far outside the walls of our stores,” Dummermuth said. “We want to see our people succeed — our employees, our customers and the communities they all call home. This initiative is just a small nod to that.”