By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

The Farmall tractor is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

The centennial was marked this past week at the 34th annual Red Power Round Up in Nebraska. The event celebrated red tractors made by International Harvester, McCormick-Deering, and Farmall.

For Michael Hinton of Hutchinson and his father-in-law, Lawrence Jury of Peabody, both lovers of Farmalls, it was the perfect time and place for them to attend the event. People came from 22 states and Canada.

“It was in Nebraska this year for the first time, so it was within driving distance,” Hinton said.

Past roundups were in Florida, Ohio, New York, and South Dakota.

Jury owns close to 15 Farmalls acquired from farm sales. Some needed restoring, and some were in good condition.

“He likes to restore and tinker with tractors,” Hinton said.

Hinton grew up on a five-acre homestead between Newton and Walton. His rural upbringing gave him a passion for tractors.

Hinton is married to Jury’s daughter, Tonya, a graduate of Peabody High School. Over time, he acquired three Farmalls.

They were living in West Plains, Missouri, when he acted on his vision of developing a global, nationally sponsored, vintage tractor website.

The objective was “to educate and create a tradition for recognizing our nation’s deeply rooted and proud agricultural heritage,” he said.

Hinton established Antique Tractor Preservation Day. The event spread to other places in the country and led to gubernatorial proclamations in 2010, 2011, and 2012.

A statement also was entered into the Congressional Record and the Postal Service also has issued commemorative pictorial postmarks commemorating U.S. agricultural and farm machinery history and rural heritage.

There are more than 30 models of Farmalls in existence today. 

Next year’s Red Power Round Up will be in Spencer, Iowa.