Spring show season is off to a fast start. We were at the mall in West Burlington, IA the last weekend in February; Oliver was the featured tractor. Malls are really nice for tractor shows; it can be cold outside and nice and cozy inside. The next week we were at Boonville, MO for the Missouri Allis-Chalmers club’s annual swap meet, people from all over the Midwest, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Ohio, Minnesota, Alabama and Arkansas as well as Iowa and Illinois. It was a wet one Friday but the sun came out on Saturday, the place was packed with dealers as well as those seeking that special part that they needed to complete a project.
Nick Gubbels has announced his route from his home north of Randolph, NE to the GOTO at Albert City, IA. Bonnie and I went on last years 3-day tractor caravan to the GOTO at Clay Center, NE; Nick does a good job of laying out a safe and scenic route. If you can not make the whole trip meet somewhere along the way and travel with us.
The Allis Connection annual meeting will have been held by the time this newsletter comes out; I will report on that meeting in the next newsletter. Our Father’s Day show is shaping up with this years flier displayed elsewhere in the newsletter. Featured tractor will be the B, IB, C, CA, D270 and D272. They were work horses in their day and are still very popular with collectors. Dave and Deb Harrington are this years inductees to The Allis Connection’s Hall of Fame. This year their 1920 model 18-30 is pictured on the show button, a beautiful restoration and sweet running tractor. Dave is and Deb are very involved in Allis-Chalmers and at a great many tractor shows and GOTOs throughout the country. Everyone should recognize their 6-12 duplex and their side-by-side bicycle.
The Father’s Day show is a three day show again with a tour of Ron Sexton’s shop and collection on Friday from 1:00PM to about 4:00PM. I think you will enjoy it all. He has a varied collection of Allis-Chalmers equipment and tractors. We will offer a chartered bus for the first 35 people which will reduce travel around I-80 road construction and heavy traffic and LET A PROFESSIONAL do the driving. Countyline catering and BBQ from the Cedar Rapids area will be there Saturday to provide great food and soft drinks; be sure and support them..
Once again we will offer a raffle item. This years first prize is a 4’ x 4’ barn quilt or $100.00, 2nd prize membership to The Allis Connection, and 3rd prize a 2024 Allis Connection calendar. The drawing will be Sunday afternoon, need not be present to win. Saturday evening will be the annual all-you-can-eat banquet followed by the scholarship auction with Gerry VandeVorde conducting the auction. Gerry is a professional auctioneer and provides an entertaining evening. Sunday there will be church services at 8:00 AM come and join us. The club bought a new trailer this spring and will allow us to sell directly from the trailer which will leave more room in the main building.
Again this year my local club is hosting a 50 mile tractor drive featuring Allis-Chalmers. I slowed it down to 10 mph and reduced the drive length to 50 miles hopefully we will get some WD or WD-45’s. It is a scenic drive with lots of hills and pretty country with a catered lunch in London Mills, IL along the banks of the Spoon River. Proceeds will go to AG in the Classroom. Hope to see a big turnout with lots of A-C tractors.
Hope to see many of you at different shows throughout this summer; be sure and say hi to any of the directors or Bonnie and me.
Mike and Bonnie
P.S.
If you haven’t already found it be sure to look up the Allis Connection Facebook page and see the fun things Zach and Jessie Wilson have placed on the web for all of us to enjoy and introduce others to Allis-Chalmers and the Allis Connection. allisconnectionfacebook.com
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This was last up-dated May, 2023