HFD site of national Gathering of the Orange

PENFIELD, Ill. — An Allis-Chalmers Gathering of the Orange national show will be held July 9-12 during I&I Antique Tractor & Gas Engine Club’s Historic Farm Days.

Ron Repking, Triple A (All About Allis-Chalmers) Tractor Club president, and Chuck Whitaker, club vice president, are among the A-C show’s coordinators.

“There are usually two national shows a year. It was in Indiana and Illinois last year, and it’s in Penfield and in Jeffersonville, Ohio, this year,” said Whitaker, of Sigel in central Illinois.

“They’re scattered around quite a bit. They’ve been in Canada, as far south as Florida, and on the west coast in Washington state.”

‘Petting Zoo’

“We’re going to do everything we can to make it a good show. We’re leaning a little bit on a kid-friendly side this year. We’re going to have some stuff for kids to do at our booth and maybe try to get more of the younger kids involved,” said Repking, of Effingham in south-central Illinois.

“We’re going to have an area called the Allis-Chalmers ‘Petting Zoo’ with tractors for kids to get on and pretend they’re driving. They can get pictures taken with the tractors. We’re also going to have a pedal tractor and some kid games,” said Jodi Whitaker, Triple A Tractor Club treasurer.

Organizers won’t know until the show how many A-Cs will be exhibited, but they anticipate a large turnout.

“I’d like to see everybody show up. We like to see people there, bring their equipment, and even if you can’t bring your equipment, come on over and spend the day,” Ron Repking said.

“Come to our booth, tell your story and we might even sell you a thing or two. We will also have raffle items at our booth, and that will be given away Saturday,” Christy Repking said.

Multi-State

A-C clubs from neighboring states are also assisting with the national Gathering of the Orange.

“I want to add the fact that not just only our club will be there. We have a club that’s coming down from Wisconsin that’s going to be there for the weekend and one from the Indiana. We’ve always been pretty close to the Indiana bunch anyway, and they’re going to be there for the duration of the weekend. So, it’s not just us. We have other people helping, too,” Chuck Whitaker said.

Telling Stories

While classic farm equipment of all colors are the Historic Farm Days’ headliner, it’s the interaction between exhibitors and visitors and the stories shared that make this a special event.

The Repkings and Whitakers have their stories of how they became A-C enthusiasts and the family bonding it’s created.

“I was born with Allis-Chalmers. My dad had them. My brother took over the farm and he had A-Cs. It does get into your blood,” Ron Repking said.

“One thing I’d like to say about A-C people is they are very, very outgoing, very friendly. It’s just a good group to be around. They believe in having a good time and everybody enjoys everybody’s company. To sit down and talk to some of these people that you’ve never met and they tell you their story, that’s what it’s all about.”

One A-C tractor in particular spans three generations of the Repking family.

“One thing with our kids, they have restored a lot of the tractors. It was a family project. The boys got to know how to do this. It’s very family-oriented, family bonding. Our kids have tractors and everything like that,” Christy Repking said.

“Actually, my husband’s dad, Alf, bought a Allis-Chalmers D17. Our grandson is Alf and it’s now his tractor. So, it’s three generations. It makes it full circle.

“It’s just really a bonding thing. It’s so neat to have your kids and grandkids get back into it, and they enjoy it.”

“I was born in it, and when your grandparents had Allis-Chalmers equipment, it’s kind of like rooting for a ball team. If a family roots for one, usually that’s who you root for when you grow up and it’s part of your upbringing,” Chuck Whitaker said.

“It’s in your blood. It’s just the way it is. I’m not saying you didn’t have a choice, but in a way you don’t, but if you grow up around it, you love it. I wouldn’t trade any of it for anything.

“We find that out when we do a lot of shows. People always have a story, and that’s usually what it starts with. It’s ‘my grandparents had this, or my dad had this, and that’s how come I’ve got this.’”

“My father had all Allis-Chalmers tractors, and so I guess you could say I was born into it, and I was married into it, too. It was a great thing when my father-in-law found out that my dad had Allis-Chalmers, he thought this was going to be a great marriage,” Jodi Whitaker said.

“I was a neighbor to Chuck Whitaker. I was on one side of the fence and Chuck was on the other side,” Christy Repking said.

“I was an International person, and we always thought those orange tractors looked so funny when they were working the field right next to us, and, lo and behold, my husband, Ron, was always an A-C person, and I sort of married into that. So, we always say International now is an A-C wannabe, but I still like International because that’s what my whole family is.

“Chuck and Jodi now are our good friends, and it all happened because of the tractors, and we’ve known Chuck and his family forever because they were our neighbors with the funny tractors.

“I have to agree with Chuck, that there’s always a story behind something.”