My pappy, William Easley, purchased this 1957 Model 860 Ford tractor from George Russell Farm Equipment Co. in Columbia, Missouri, in November 1957. I have the original invoice, which lists the purchase price at $2,276.
The 860 was Pappy’s main tractor for the next 25 years, as he used it for tillage and planting, pulling a 6-feet Ford combine and a 1-row Wood Bros. corn picker, mowing and raking hay, feeding cows in the winter and myriad other chores around the farm.
Eventually, the tractor showed signs of heavy usage. I have an invoice from Modern Farm Equipment Co., Fulton, Missouri, dated Feb. 16, 1973, in the amount of $727.03. For $557.03 worth of parts and $170 worth of labor, Modern Farm installed a new fuel valve and checked for leaks, changed all oil and filters, checked and repaired lights and wiring, installed a new water pump, packed the front wheel bearings and overhauled the engine. Pappy also spent another $65 to have the tractor steam-cleaned and painted. He had started reducing his farming operation by that time, and this was the last major work he had to do on the 860.
A working tractor again
After Pappy passed away, my mom sold the tractor at a farm auction in April 1982. By 1982, the farm economy had pretty much bottomed out, and no matter how much I wanted it, there was no way I could justify buying a fairly small, 25-year-old tractor that I really didn’t need, so I watched the tractor sell and went on about my business.
My neighbor, Bill Blackwell, bought the tractor and used it on his Christmas tree farm until he retired from the University of Missouri. At that time, he and his wife, Beverly, moved to Doniphan, Missouri, in the Ozark Hills to be closer to Bill’s mother. Of course, the 860 went with them.
After about 10 years, Bill’s mother passed away, and they returned to central Missouri, purchasing a small acreage near Hallsville. Bill used the tractor to brush-hog, blade snow and pull a firewood trailer until his death in 2016. The tractor then passed to his son, Randy.
Coming full circle
During the years that he owned it, Bill Blackwell always referred to the 860 as “Pappy’s tractor.” In January 2023, Randy asked if I would like to have “Pappy’s tractor” back. Naturally, I said yes, and we quickly agreed on a price.
On March 18, 2023, my son Greg and I made a 20-mile run and picked up the 860. Thanks to Randy, after 41 years on the Blackwell farm, the tractor is finally back in our family, where, hopefully, it will remain for many years to come.
Bill and Randy had taken excellent care of the tractor over the years, and it was ready to go to work the day we got it home. The 860 won’t ever do the amount of work that it has done in the past, but it will be fun to have around. From time to time, I will take one of my great-grandkids for a ride and try to explain to them the significance of riding on “Pappy’s tractor.” FC
Alan Easley is an occasional contributor to Farm Collector and the author of several books, including It Must Be True: PawPaw Said So. Contact him at 8300 E. Turner Farm Rd., Columbia, MO 65201; (573) 442-0678.
