Among Dick's especially unusual Hubers is a one-of-a-kind 1937 Model L delivered from the factory with a custom-built extra-capacity fuel tank for an Indiana farmer. He also has a 1935 Model SC, which is an unusual row-crop version of the Model S (C stands for cultivator), and a 1935 Model S Modern Farmer he has restored to perfection. The tractor is rare today: Dick says just a couple hundred were built. Dick's Huber collection also includes a Model 40-62 Industrial with rear duals. That tractor was originally delivered with hard rubber tires. Dick also has the 33rd Huber-built CO-OP tractor – out of a total of 34 (or 36, depending on which reference you consult). This machine dates to the mid-1930s and is essentially a Huber Modern Farmer Model S, but it is painted CO-OP red. The Duplex Printing Press Co., Cockshutt and possibly others built later CO-OP tractors (see July 2005 issue of Farm Collector).
The most unusual tractor in Dick's collection may well be his GO friction drive model. The GO tractor was built by the General Ordinance Co. of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1919. The machine was previously also sold under the names Denning and National, but according to Dick, those companies went broke. Dick says his GO is one of eight known to exist in the U.S. and one of two that run. Dick found his GO on one of his Huber forays into Ohio. Like the Heider, the GO tractor makes use of a Rockwood friction transmission built by the Rockwood Manufacturing Co. of Indianapolis, and requires sliding of the engine to change speeds.
More than machines
“I like to get as much information about the tractors I collect as possible,” Dick says. “So our literature collection is now pretty substantial also.” “Substantial” is really an understatement, but what is true is that if Dick needs detailed information about a Heider, Huber, Rock Island or any of a number of additional brands, he need only look through his library to find it.
“When you are in the restoration business, it helps to have numbers, instructions and pictures,” Dick adds with a chuckle. “The rest of it you figure out as you go along.” At this point Dick isn't really searching for any specific machines to add to his collection. He does continue to look for literature, but he won't rule out adding a machine or two. For Dick, getting into the restoration business was the best therapy his ailing back could get. FC
– For more information: Dick Bockwoldt, (563) 843-2270.
– Oscar “Hank” Will III is an old-iron collector and freelance writer and photographer who retired from farming in 1999. He splits his time between his home in Gettysburg, Pa., and his farm in East Andover, N.H. He can be reached at (717) 337-6068; e-mail: willo@gettysburg.edu
Heiders Muscle In
The Heider Manufacturing Co. was rooted on the Heider family farm north of Templeton, Iowa where, in the late 1800s, young Henry Heider became known for his ability to repair machinery, harnesses and other horse-hitching devices. By the time he was 21 years old, Henry had patented an evener that facilitated a 4-horse hitch, and by the time he was 24, his hitch repair and evener manufacturing business had outgrown the buildings on the farm. In 1903, Henry formed a partnership with his older brother, John, who was well into a career in banking, and the brothers moved the fledgling manufacturing business to Albert Lea, Minn., where demand for their goods literally soared, and rapidly outstripped their production capacity. By 1905, the Heider Manufacturing Co. was located in Carroll, Iowa, just a few miles north of Templeton, where they produced a line of wooden ladders, a large number of horse-hitch items (including a new 6-horse evener) and replacement parts. In 1908, Henry began serious work on a tractor design, and by 1911 the Heider Model A was offered for sale. The single-speed, friction-drive tractor was painted green and silver, and sported red French and Hecht wheels and a 4-cylinder Rutenber engine.
Heider's Model B tractor was released in 1912 as a 4-plow tractor. It featured the same 40-hp Rutenber engine as the Model A, but it had better weight distribution and an improved overall design. The Rock Island Plow Co. had become Heider's largest tractor customer by 1913, and the small company initially struggled to supply Rock Island's demand. In 1914, Rock Island and Heider entered into a formal agreement with Heider listed as the manufacturer and Rock Island the distributor and principal sales agent for the tractors. |