Antique Tractor Show Goes On; Heat Doesn't Deter Fans

Farm history came alive for a group of homeschoolers at Dollinger Farm in Channahon. 

During the Antique Tractor Show on Friday a group of about 20, adults and children, received a personalized tour by steam tractor driver, Tom Runty. 

Runty drove his huge belching steam engine, and started out by loading coal into the engine compartment.  He towed the group in a People Mover, a colorful red hay rack with seats.

Runty, of Maple Park and formerly of Coal City, pointed out the huge steam tractors, of which seven are brought to the grounds and used during the show.

“It used to take a whole crew of men, traveling farm to farm, to get grain hulled and cleaned," he said. "Farmers had to wait until the traveling crew showed up.”

He explained that the equipment was so big and expensive that individual farmers couldn’t own such machines.

The homeschool group seemed intrigued by all the different kinds of tractors and types of farm implements that were spread over a few acres at the pastoral Dollinger Farm. It was not uncommon that the group members were startled in their seats when Runty started the lumbering engine and sounded its classic shrill whistle.

Parent Christine Drumm from Channahon, whose father-in-law happens to be a member of the Threshermen group, said, “Tom was an awesome.  It was a very educational; he took his time and made it a family experience.”

After riding, the group scattered, some took their children to ride pedal tractors and pet animals. Others went to see the start of the threshing demonstration. Others visited with Dave Cattron, a retired junior college faculty member, to see him demonstrate how rope is made.

Trying to stay cool was the byproduct of being part of Thursday's show. The crowd comes to see the tractors and spend a day walking around. But the men and women who own and run the machines know that the weather doesn’t stop the show from happening.

Running a steam engine has always been a hot job; the engine burns coal to provide power to run. But running a steam engine Thursday when the temperature was in the upper 90s outside has to be a labor of love.

Joe Martin of Mokena, in his overalls and straw hat, annually brings his big steam engine to the show. His solution is, “Drink a lot of water, I got water and fruits [with me].”

His brother Tom of Crescent City, IL., had another idea: “Put a little salt on your watermelon, and you’ll be good to go. It’s just going to be going slow.”

Both men reflected on the idea that in bygone years, the steamers provided early power to run farm equipment and do some threshing. In those days, the crews worked all days, regardless of weather.

Reflecting somewhat on their age, they are both in their 50s, the Martin brothers said it would be the younger men who would be tossing bales and hay shocks. Men their age would be the ones with the bow ties and derbies, the bosses and owners of the steam engines.

The Threshemen have put an awning over the grandstand so fans of the tractor parade can sit in the shade.

Bob Satterlee of Channahon is another veteran of the show. He doesn’t have as many rigs as he used to but proudly displays his Minneapolis Moline. The golden yellow tractor has been in his family since 1951 and has been refurbished twice.

Any person attending the show can talk to the members and tractor owners like Satterlee and hear about early farming and the history of individual tractors. 

For those interested in attending, the show goes through Sunday.  It opens at 9 a.m. and goes until 6 p.m. daily and until 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Pedal tractor pulls will be at noon on Saturday and Sunday.

The garden tractor pull is Sunday at 10:30 a.m. All the tractors parade daily at 1:30 p.m. The antique tractor pulls have had a change in schedule; please, call ahead to check the status (630) 800-0591.