By Norma Dittman
Staff Writer
On Saturday, the Minnesota State International Harvester Summer Tractor Show was held at the home of Tony and Marie Hassebroek, near Wirock. Following the morning tractor show, the Chapter held a luncheon and meeting at the home of Dave and Joyce Kanten, Fulda.
For the tractor show, Hassebroek and his father, Daryl, displayed the fifteen tractors that they currently have in their IH collection. (At one time, their collection consisted of 100 tractors.) A friend of the Hassebroeks who is from Iowa also brought his newly restored and painted tractor for the show. The Hassebroek’s were instrumental in repairing the motor of the tractor. At the Kanten home, there were also several tractors on display, along with a couple of IHC vehicles.
At both sites there were many conversations about the tractors held by these collectors who take very seriously the responsibilities of preserving the history, products, literature and memorabilia of the International Harvester Company.
Stories about tractors that they have found or owned and restored abounded. One gentleman said, “They can all have their faults, but they are definitely worthwhile preserving.”
Tony Hassebroek is a two-year member of the Minnesota IH Collectors Chapter #15, began collecting and restoring International Harvester tractors at the age of 13. His first tractor was an F20. The oldest tractor he owned was a 1929 Case Model L. Included in his present collection of 15 are two high crop tractors – a 686 and a rare 756 of which less than 10 were manufactured.
Daryl and Tony participated in tractor pulls for twenty years before deciding that they were no longer going to do so.
Dave Kanten has been collecting IH tractors for about 35 years. “Dad farmed with Farmall and then when I was working at Tractor Salvage in Worthington I could buy the tractors for the right price. I started fixing them and really enjoyed that,” Kanten commented. Not long ago, he acquired a B for his granddaughter, Olivia Kanten. It has been fitted with two seats, allowing for a driver and a passenger.
At the Kanten home, Minnesota IHCC #15 President Bill Radil, Montgomery, Vice President Kathleen Eckstrand, Lafayette, and Kanten, who is Treasurer and Webmaster, along with Erwin Atzenhoefer, Director, Trimont, welcomed members and their guests as they arrived for the noon meal and meeting that followed.
MN IHCC #15 is one of thirty-seven chapters in a worldwide network known as the International Harvesters Collectors Club. As a state chapter, MN #15 is dedicated to preserving history relating to the IH Company which played a very important role in the development of rural America.
They also like to have a lot of fun! They participate in local tactor shows, as well as the state IH show, and the international show.
Members of MN #15 participate in shows such as the national Red Power Roundup that was held June 15th-17th in Des Moines, Iowa. Their Minnesota State Show will be held at Le Sueur County Pioneer Power and will be featuring 100-660 series tractors. President Radil said that Minnesota members will have between 200-300 tractors at the Le Sueur Show.
The history of International Harvester Company started in the wheat fields of Virginia during the 1830’s on the farm of Robert McCormick. Between 1810 and 1830 Robert McCormick experimented with mechanical harvesting of wheat and demonstrated a working version in 1831. Cyrus McCormick continued his father’s experiments and eventually developed a working model of a practical reaper. In 1879 the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company was formed to manufacture and sell agriculture machinery.
In 1902, under the direction of J.P. Morgan & Company , the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company and Deering Harvester merged with several others to form the International Harvester Company. The IHC company was a full-line manufacturer of agricultural equipment as well as construction equipment, household appliances, and jet engines. IHC merged with J.I. Case in 1982 and became known as Case IHC
There are 327 members who belong to the Minnesota IHCC #15. The group meets four times per year.
For more information about the Minnesota State IHCC #15, visit www.ihcc15.com.
