Back in Time - Fuel Break
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| John Deere "G" approximately mid to late 1950s |
It's difficult to tell what implement is hooked up to the tractor; however with the weights on the tractor's back wheels, I'd guess it is a plow, but I could be wrong. The wheel weights added traction.
The canvas cover (heat housing) around the tractor tells me this photo was taken in the Spring or Fall. The cover helped keep the driver somewhat warm since the tractor had no cab. The cover was not used in the Summer.
I can still "hear" the distinctive putt-putt of the tractor as it idled. Dad (shown in the first photo) usually topped off the tractor's gasoline before heading out to the field. The fuel tanks were in the middle of the yard under a dim yard light that was switched on and off in the house. Later, the incandescent light was replaced with an automatic mercury light with a light sensitive control.
When my brothers were young, they played basketball under the yard light. A hoop was hung on the light pole and remained there even when no one played anymore.
For your listening pleasure:
I come from a farming family, too (northern Illinois), although I never lived on the farm myself. I have many old tractor photos featuring my grandfather and my dad as a little boy. I have such a soft spot for vintage tractors. Thanks for sharing yours!
ReplyDeleteI love that first picture. Fletcher's grandfather had a farm in Virginia - grew peanuts and other crops and had a bunch of animals too. Fletch has such fond memories of spending time on the farm.
ReplyDeleteThat's neat - I never knew tractors had covers like that!
ReplyDeleteYou have some real treasure in this "working" photo from yesteryear. I really wish my dad's family had some old photos from the farm in Kansas. But I've never seen any, other than a few group photos taken as the older brothers were headed off to war. I'm guessing no one in the family had a camera. Love seeing these old photos and hearing the stories.
ReplyDeleteNow that brought back some wonderful memories of my childhood in Iowa. I have never seen a canvas cover like that though. I thoroughly enjoyed the video of the tractor too. I watched it three times!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments on my blog. Especially today. I was a bit worried that my words might be taken wrong.
Blessings,
Betsy
That is just amazing. How wonderful that you have those photos and those memories. My dad was a lineman and I can remember how he looked when he came home after a hard day's work of climbing poles in those big old boots he had to wear. Men in those days really worked for a living.
ReplyDeleteWhat a very cool photo! We call John Deere tractors Johnny Poppers because of that putt-putt sound they make!
ReplyDeleteWhat a treasure of a old photo!
ReplyDelete