The American Tractor Museum at Perryville, Missouri, population 8,600, is a must-visit destination if you’re an old-iron or tractor aficionado. Perryville, seven miles west of the Mississippi River and 70 miles south of St. Louis, is easily accessible off I-55.
Perryville and Perry County were named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the Naval hero of the War of 1812. Churches outnumber taverns, and it’s been tabbed as the “Best Place to Live In” for the state of Missouri. Perryville’s high school teams are dubbed the Pirates, but the people are welcoming and friendly.
The American Tractor Museum opened in August 2020, founded by Arley Berkbuegler and Kenny Buchheit. Arley was an iron worker for many years, is a mechanical genius, and has earned a steam engine certification. Kenny is the second generation of Buchheit, Inc. which has multiple divisions, including an Agri Division, a feed manufacturer; Buchheit Retail, a string of farm supply stores; and Buchheit Logistics, a trucking and warehouse company; and a metals and cabinetry division.
Arley and Kenny are long-standing pillars of what Perryville calls “the 573 community,” after the phone area code. The museum displays 80 years of innovation, from the 1890s to the early 1970s, all under one roof and magnificently displayed. The presentation, artwork, and backdrops are outstanding.
Kenny’s experience in agriculture goes way back. He says, “I helped thresh as a kid. It was a big event. I got my first tractor around 2000.” Kenny credited Arley with being the driving force behind the collection. Kenny has been amassing tractors for some 25 years and decided in 2020 to open the collection to the public when the right space became available. The building also houses the Perry County Heritage Tourism director’s office and the Catalyst Center.
Arley and Kenny are eager to show a parade of old-time tractors and farm machines. Their workshop is on the Kenny Buchheit farm, near the town of Biehle, nine miles south of Perryville.
Arley and Lori Heberlie, executive coordinator and communications director, granted my wife, Ann, and me an interview in early November. They graciously supplied us with information, answered all our questions, and gave us the grand tour.
How it started
I asked Arley how the American Tractor Museum got going. He replied, “One day, I got a call from Kenny, and he asked me if I wanted to work on tractors, and that’s how it got started. We began breathing life into long-dead and forgotten machines of the past. We restore these huge machines to a nearly new condition.”
I asked where these tractors came from. “The core of the collection in the beginning,” Arley replied, “came from Kenny Buchheit’s private collection. Many are donated, some we get at auctions, and a few are advertised in magazines. Every tractor on display is in operating condition. If not, it doesn’t go into the museum. Sometimes we purchase whole tractors just to get some parts we need. We went up to Fargo, North Dakota, and bought an old tractor just for the wheels. Same kind of thing on a trip to Flint, Michigan.”
Their integrity has put Arley and Kenny in good standing with the community of tractor restorers. Arley added, “We deal with quality people, honest folks, trustworthy guys that you can trade parts with. We’ve gotten some good tips from the Amish, especially those in the Millersburg, Ohio, country.”
What’s in the collection?
The museum holds 63 tractors at the present time and is expected to expand to 100 this summer. Some tractors date back to the early 1800s. Arley said, “We get visitors from all 50 states and many from overseas. We recently had visitors from Switzerland. We may not be the largest collection, but we have one of the most unique orphan tractor collections in the world. Many are one-of-a kind.”
Decor and layout
The recommended path through the museum is marked, with panels of tractor information. A visitor can scan the QR code and receive further info. A wall shelf shows pedal tractors. The museum is clean, well-lit, climate-controlled and has an inviting atmosphere.
Graphic designer Alissa Ernst worked in the advertising department and has done the artwork and the panels that tell a bit about each piece of machinery. Alissa now teaches graphic design at Perryville High School. My American Tractor Museum guides gave Ms. Ernst high praise for her work.
Numerous unused parts are put into wall decorations. The artistic dioramas are easy on the senses. You can take an on-site, self-guided tour using your cell phone and move at your own pace, walking up to any tractor to take pictures and videos.
Most difficult job
I asked Arley what the most difficult refurnishing job was. “That has to be that Huber 40-62. It was a mess, completely in pieces. Parts were in five-gallon buckets. We had to rebuild the engine from scratch but ended up with a real nice tractor.” What do those numbers 40-62 mean? “That’s 40hp on the drawbar and 62hp on the belt. Hubers were made in Marion, Ohio from 1927 to 1941.”
Arley added, “Well, we had this one. It was frozen, no movement of the crankshaft and pistons. I removed the head, put a little diesel fuel in there, added some penetrating oil, and threw in a match. And you know, the heat caused the cylinder wall to expand enough to get those parts moving.” Arley continued, “Take ’em apart, clean ’em, sometimes make new parts, and getting the paint right. It’s slow, meticulous toil. It’s a labor of love. But the satisfaction is tremendous.”
Arley was born and raised on Hubers and watched his father work on several. Another of Arley’s favorites is the Big Avery 1911 steam engine. “I got my steam engine certification to improve my skills for that one.”
Partnership
Arley and Kenny have known each other for some time, as they were classmates in grade school. Both are pushing north of age 85, but the years haven’t dimmed their enthusiasm for old iron, taking a rusting machine and restoring it to its full glory in meticulous detail.
Arley says, “We couldn’t do this without understanding wives while we’re out running around. My wife and I have a daughter and three sons, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. There’s a real deal of pride, taking a rusting piece of junk and turning it into the working machine it once was. You’ve accomplished something. It takes a lot of time, from two to eight months.” Arley’s wife passed away in 2022.
Oldest threshing machine
A prized possession is an 1896 Cape Threshing Model 1030. It’s the first model ever created and the only one in existence. It was found on a farm near Cape Girardeau, near the town where it was manufactured by the Cape Threshing Co.
On the wall behind the threshing machine is an oats field mural and straw stack that are an oat field mural and straw stack that are so realistic it appears the blower pipe is building up the straw stack. The folks at the American Tractor Museum have done a marvelous job of displaying this 127-year-old threshing machine. You know it’s old when the thresher body is made of wood instead of metal. All the belts are in position. A team of horses are hitched to a grain wagon (disclosure: the horses are plastic).
A 1911 two-cylinder Avery steam engine, built in Peoria, Illinois, is belted to the thresher. Grain sacks are hooked to the bagger, ready to be filled. That Avery steam engine is no lightweight, coming in at 24,180 pounds with 22hp at the drawbar. This Avery Steam Traction Engine tractor is the only one in existence.
Kaiser Traveler
The 1949 Kaiser Traveler car will also catch a visitor’s eye. It was intended to go from luxury ride to farm truck; take it to church on Sunday and put it to work on Monday. A rear door opens, transforming the back of the car into a large cargo area if you fold down the rear seat. The Kaiser Traveler, built from 1949 to 1953, can take a pig, sheep, or calf to market and can truck feed, seed, fertilizer, and groceries back home. There’s even room for the kids.
Oliver tractors
Two Oliver-77 tractors, a 1950 and a 1951, which were used in the filming of the 2005 Walk the Line, a movie about the life of Johnny Cash, are housed in the American Tractor Museum. Cash, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is strung out on amphetamines, and drives a six-cylinder Oliver-77 tractor into a lake behind his new house in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The set is beautifully designed, with Cash music playing, photos, and video.
Hanomag R16
Hey, faithful readers of Farm Collector, remember that Hanomag R16 on the cover of the November 2023 issue of Farm Collector magazine? Well, American Tractor Museum has one and it’s in splendid shape. Built in Germany, the R16 implies 16hp.
Uncle Sam tractor
They have a 1920s, one-of-a-kind Uncle Sam 20-30 tractor. The Beaver engine runs on kerosene. Uncle Sam tractors were built in Menasha, Wisconsin. The company claimed the Uncle Sam could easily pull three 14-inch plows at either 2.5mph or 3.75mph. The Uncle Sam will be on display in the new addition.
Hart-Parr
Charles Hart and Charles Parr developed their two-cylinder gasoline engine tractor in Charles City, Iowa. They built 15 of them in 1903. The oldest weighs around 14,000 pounds and is currently in the Smithsonian.
American Tractor Museum has two Hart-Parrs on display, and they’re dandies. A 1924 Hart-Parr 12-24 is named Miss Rhonda No. 1 in honor of Kenny’s wife. It’s dual-fuel, and one of the smallest the company manufactured, with 17hp on the drawbar. The word “tractor” was coined by Hart-Parr in 1906. Before the word existed, the machines were called “traction engines.” This one is set in a picturesque winter scene.
A green 1927 Hart-Parr 28-50, Miss Rhonda No. 2, sports two engines, placed side-by-side. Drawbar power is 44hp. First tested in Nebraska, the Hart-Parr 28-50 was a large tractor for its time, with nearly 65 belt hp. The Hart-Parr company merged with Oliver Farm Equipment Corp. in 1929, but they kept the Hart-Parr manufacturing entity for a few years and continued making this model until 1930.
Oliver Hart-Parr 70 Row Crop
An Oliver Hart-Parr 70 Row Crop, with two-row cultivators is a must-see feature. So skillful is the display, it seems to be sitting smack dab in a cornfield. This machine came out a few months after Oliver and Hart-Parr merged in 1929. The tractor on display, with a 17hp drawbar and 27hp belt, was made in 1935 in Chicago.
Case 10-18 Cross Motor
One of the oldest tractors in the inventory is a 1918 Case 10-18 Cross Motor, with several of the tractors reaching the century mark. Several models of the Case 10-18 were built from 1916 to 1928. The 10-18 model was powered by kerosene and had a two-speed transmission. Fairly advanced for its time, the tractor was powered by an overhead valve engine mounted transversely in the frame to simplify the drivetrain. Hence the name, “Cross Motor.”
1919 Moline Universal D
Max’s Tractor Shed on RFD television featured the American Tractor Museum’s 1919 Moline Universal D, weighing 3,590 pounds, with 9hp on the drawbar and 18hp on the pulley. The four-cylinder tractor features an electric starter, lights, and a two-way plow. The Moline Plow Co. built these tractors in Moline, Illinois, from 1918-1923.
Sticking out from the wall
Roll-O-Matic “knee action” front wheels were introduced in 1947. The John Deere Roll-O-Matic system offered a smoother ride than a traditional narrow front end. It’s similar to a semi-independent front suspension. Roll-O-Matic reduced a lot of front-end bouncing and steering wheel jarring. When one wheel hit a bump, a gear would force the other wheel down, keeping it in contact with the ground. This would prevent the tractor from hopping, as would occur on a typical tricycle-front tractor. The American Tractor Museum displays the Roll-O-Matic by having it just stick out from a wall.
Expansion
The American Tractor Museum held a groundbreaking ceremony for its expansion project on June 8, 2023. An additional 12,000 square feet will nearly double the size of the museum. A grand opening is planned for the Spring of 2024, and Max Armstrong has committed to attend the grand opening event. How’s that for star power! For 42 years, Max Armstrong and Orion Samuelson partnered together, first on WGN radio, and later on the TV show U.S. Farm Report, then creating the show This Week in Agribusiness.
On the American Tractor Museum website, you can buy tickets, find the hours of operation, and download a brochure. The nominal entry fee is $10 for adults, $5 for kids 6-13, and free for kids 5 and under. One can easily spend a couple of hours browsing this extraordinary collection. They welcome bus tours and tour prices are discounted. If you haven’t been there, put it on your bucket list. I’ll even give you a travel tip, no charge: If you’re in Perryville, a good place to eat downtown is at Mary Jane Burgers and Brew. FC
Contact information: American Tractor Museum, 508 N. Main St., Perryville, Missouri 63775; Phone: (573) 250-2219; info@americantractormuseum.com.
Larry Scheckel grew up on a family farm in the hill country of southwestern Wisconsin. He and his wife, Ann, are retired teachers living in Tomah, Wisconsin. Contact him at 1113 Parkview Dr., Tomah, WI 54660; email: Lscheckel@charter.net; online at larryscheckel.com.