Tractor Trivia

      Marvin Cook of East Sparta, Ohio, was a  tractor collector.   He lived all 99 years of his life in the same house.  Marvin was a dairy farmer and specialized in red and white holsteins.  The thing about Marvin that caught my eye was he also started the Cook Tractor Museum.  Over the years about 50 tractors were added to his collection.  Marvin’s philosophy on tractor  collecting was get what no one else has and people will remember you.  If you have things that everyone has you will soon be forgotten.  So Marvin Cook strove for the rare and unusual.  He has several tractors in his museum, including the Farmaster that we talked about last week, that are tractors that actually failed.  According to his son the ultimate in tractor failure was the American tractor.
      In 1947, the American Steel Foundry decided they would get into the tractor business.  They manufactured a diesel tractor, which was rare for this time.   The company made five tractors, sort of prototypes,. They were all sold and suppose to go to France.  One of the tractors got sent to Nebraska for the Nebraska test.   It failed miserably!  They were apparently plowing with the American and the rear end would get so hot you could fry an egg on it.  They kept buckets of water in the furrow to pour over the overheating rear end!  
      The tractors were not certified or approved by the testers in Nebraska.  The company was disappointed and mad.  They went back and destroyed all the paperwork involved with the tractor and it was thought that the tractors were destroyed too.  Somehow Marvin Cook found one in a fence row somewhere!  Apparently three of these tractors survived.  American tractors were diesels.  Diesels were kind of in their infancy at this time.  So another common problem with early diesels was if you live in a cold climate they were difficult to start.  So it seems that the American tractor was doomed from the start.  Thanks to Marvin Cook and the Cook Tractor Museum for saving one so we could hear the story.  Yes the company failed, but to me when your a tractor…..there are no failures, just different levels of success!

How about a little tractor trivia.

 The American Steel Foundry that made the American tractor was located in ________?        A)  Columbus, OH     B)  Marion, OH   C)   Canton, Ohio   D)   Plymouth, OH

   The American Tractor featured a  _______ cylinder diesel engine.
 A) 3 cyl    B)   4 cyl    C)   6 cyl    D)   8 cyl

      3.   The American tractor was painted what color?
 A) Green     B)    Blue     C)   Gray     D)   Red

      4. The Silver King tractor was made in ________________?  
 A) Columbus, OH   B)  Marion, OH    C)  Canton, OH    D)  Plymouth, OH

 
 5.  Where were Huber tractor made?
 A) Columbus, OH   B)   Marion, OH     C)   Canton, OH     D)  Plymouth, OH

Answers:  1. C. Canton, OH   2.  B)  4 cyl   3.  D. Red   4.   D. Plymouth    5. Marion, OH
 

Eric Mickelson

Green Magazine

RIchard's Publishing

Oklee, MN 56742

218-791-9157