Last issue, we looked at a little wagon history, as well as the way wooden wagon wheels and the front and rear gears were made. Today’s focus is on the rest of the wagon. A pole, called a reach, connected the front gear to the rear. The reach was usually a 2-by-4-inch piece of white oak ...

After the pandemic-related cancellations of the 2020 show season, the 2021 season seemed bigger and better than ever. The prevailing mood can only be described as pure pleasure. Many shows truly became reunions, as friends reconnected after a year’s absence. And the pieces on display? ...

Most readers of Farm Collector probably aren’t familiar with the nomenclature of the wooden wagons found on nearly every American farm until the mid-1950s. Early man acquired knowledge of friction when he tried to move a large rock from here to there: The rock just wouldn’t slide. ...

They’ve never met, but Harlan Temple of Davis, South Dakota, and Josh Harmon of Mingo, Iowa, have more in common than cerebral palsy, a disorder that affects movement, muscle tone and posture. Both men’s lives have been shaped and greatly influenced by a debilitating disease, but a greater ...

Sammy Epps never imagined he would take up the hobby of restoring and collecting vintage farm equipment. However, when knee surgery took him off the tennis court and the pandemic converted him into a homebody, Sammy decided it was time to take up a new hobby. “I didn’t know anything ...

The John Deere 3hp Model E embossed engine is often described as the most elusive of all the John Deere hit-and-miss engines, and certainly commands the highest price. It appears production of the 3hp embossed Model E began on or about April 20, 1922, well before the date included in the ...

I was only 11 when I first drove a John Deere tractor. It was the summer of 1956. We were in a hay field on our farm, picking up bales with a wooden slide. The tractor pulling the slide was a 1936 John Deere A that belonged to our neighbor immediately to the south. I was thrilled to help the ...

Eli Esh, 9, is this month’s featured artist. The son of John and Mary Esh, Quarryville, Pennsylvania, Eli will receive a Farm Collector T-shirt: Congratulations, Eli! Honorable mention: Cheers to these young people who’ve also submitted artwork: Brendan Schwartz, Denver, Colorado, and ...

When Caterpillar delivered its new 60 diesel crawler for testing at the University of Nebraska tractor test facility on June 14, 1932, diesel fuel was so hard to find that No. 2 furnace oil was used instead. As Test No. 208, the Cat 60 was the first diesel tractor tested under the Nebraska ...

I would like to start this visit off by thanking everybody who has emailed, called or written me a letter. I appreciate it very much. I thoroughly enjoy hearing from everybody. It is hard for me to get back to everyone, but please know I read every bit of correspondence I receive. This ...