Tractors the main attraction at Perryville's Old Timers' Day

PERRYVILLE, Mo. ­-- The distinctive John Deere two-cylinder "putt-putt" tractor engine sounded and an occasional shrill steam engine whistle filled the air Saturday at the seminary picnic grounds just north of Perryville.

It's the 35th year of the River Hills Antique Tractor Club's Old Timers' Day, and seventh year at that location. Club vice president Jerry Davis said Saturday's attendance was 500 or 600 people, about double that of any previous year.

He said bad farming weather helped the attendance. Farmers "didn't get to do anything else, so they're here," he said. Some 25 flea marketers showed up rather than a high of seven in previous years.

Old Timers' Day recalls a simpler life. Saturday's activities included wheat threshing, corn grinding, hay baling wood sawing and blacksmithing. Several tractor games were also played: tractor balancing, chain in the box, fish in the barrel, tractor basketball and others. Old lawn mowers, antique tools, a flea market, and old cars and trucks were on display throughout the day. A tractor parade and poker run were also held.

The picnic grounds are across the road from St. Mary's Seminary at the northern edge of Perryville. On the schedule for today are a church service onstage at 9 a.m., then a slow parade at 10 a.m. A tractor pull begins at noon. Contestants do not have to be regular participants.

More than 50 tractors are on the grounds. They need to be at least 40 years old to qualify for most competitions.

Davis said farm tractors started about 1939 when Henry Ford declared he wanted every farmer to be able to buy a tractor for $585, the same price as a team and 10 acres to feed the team. He, Harold Brock and Harry Ferguson got the Ford Model 8N on the market in a few months, "and sold millions of those before others came out."

Before that, steam engines with large belts transferred power to wheat threshers, sawmills, bailers and corn shredders.

Jim Withrow, a Sikeston, Mo., farmer, has put an 8-cylinder motor modification on his 1952 version of Henry Ford's 8N Model tractor. He did the modification last fall through this past March.

"If you're a farmer you have to learn to do a lot of things," he said.

"Kids now want to sit in air-conditioned tractor cabs," Davis said. "A lot of them don't even want to use the tractor unless the radio is working. Nowadays they can farm a whole farm in a day's time or less. It's getting too big. Young kids can't get in."

Group treasurer John Muench pointed to a gray Case tractor and said, "It used to take you a week with that to get a couple fields ready. Now they do it with a big tractor in about an hour."

Pertinent Address:

Perryville, Mo. 63775