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The restored 1928 Farmall
now sits
in a more revered place
on the
grounds of the Cheyenne
Botanic Gardens |
Thanks to
the donation from Jim and Jerry McWilliams and painstaking
restoration work provided by the Cheyenne Antique Tractor Club, the
Gardens now has a 1928 Farmall “Regular Series” Tractor as part of
the 1900’s Rotary Century Plaza
landscape.
1890 to 1930 was a time of dramatic change,
especially in agriculture. Inventions sparked more inventions as
farmers continually modified machines to make farming easier. The
first tractors were thought to be |
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too massive for the average farmer and would only
become appealing when they could easily replace the Cheyenne Botanic
Gardens. horse. Farmers initially felt there were advantages to
“horse power” over “horsepower” in that horses provided not only
work and companionship for the farmer in the field, but also
fertilizer, leather, and even uses for bones and hoofs. With
horses, there were no “new models” to buy and no new technology to
learn. After 1912, the smaller, lighter and cheaper tractors caught
the interest of the farmer. With increased automobile use, farmers
became used to driving and more comfortable with tractor use.
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This is the "Before" photo of the tractor prior to the
refurbishing by the Cheyenne Antique Tractor Club. |
During World War I, many farmhands and animals went off to war leaving the
farmer with little choice but to use the labor saving tractor and come to
depend upon it.
This McCormick-Deering Farmall “Regular Series” tractor, introduced in 1924,
was one of the first tractors made to do a variety of chores. Before the
introduction of the “Regular”, each tractor was used for a specific purpose
requiring farmers to own a collection of tractors to complete the work.
This model would do it all, hence the name, Farm-all.
Tractors, the universal symbol of agriculture, have played a crucial role in
farming and ranching for over a century.
This saying titled “The Tractor, The Angel of Mercy is
Born” was placed on a plaque near the tractor:
“To the Tractor should be built a great Memorial signed by the hoof print
of every horse and the footprint of every farmer.
Bigger and better Tractors came each season, until today the farmer and his
horse are strangers to field foot work.
Oh, yes, you and I can admire the passing car, but remember, it’s the
Tractor that has healed sore-necks pulling the plow and the weary feet
following that plow. It was their labor, their days, their sweat that first
produced the food for your survival and mine.
So salute the Tractor, the Liberator of horse and man.”
The above “The Tractor, The Angel of Mercy is
Born” was written by pioneer farmer Mrs. Bessie Lang who actively farmed the
land during her 100 years. Cheyenne Rotarians John and Dana Metzke provided
a gift towards the restoration of this tractor as a tribute to Mrs. Lang,
Dana’s grandmother, born in 1882. |
