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My Daddy's Tractor

19K views 36 replies 15 participants last post by  georgeky 
#1 ·
What a weekend! What a story! This one is for my Dad, Jr Adams, and my Father-in-Law, Jr Dailey. It's a long one, but stay with me.
This is a story many years in the making. My Dad was a farmer, from an early age. My grandfather farmed with John Deeres. So my Dad farmed with John Deeres. Then in the summer of 1970 my Dad traded in his 1954 Model 60 John Deere for a new 1970 One Sixty Allis Chalmers. He bought it from John Carr in Falmouth. (see photo of the bill of sales below). Daddy loved this tractor. He even got my Papaw on there to try out this diesel tractor. And Papaw too liked the tractor. Daddy was left handed, so he had a tool box on the right hand fender, and my Mom would ride on the left fender. When I was little he'd put me on his lap and take me for a ride. (see photo below). Daddy farmed with the tractor for many years until he finally gave up farming in the mid 80's. He then sold the tractor to a friend (Larry Jones) who owned the Lumber Company in Berry, KY where we lived. Larry wheeled and dealed in tractors. Larry sold the tractor to a man over around Millersburg (I can't remember his name).
End of story??? No.
Years go by, I grow up and marry into a tractor crazy family, Case crazy. My Dad and Husband, Richard, often talked tractors and Daddy would talk about his Allis. They even tried for many years to track it down and see if they could find it. Daddy thought he would like to have an old tractor to show and that One Sixty would be a good one. They tried to track it down. But didn't seem to have much luck. Larry couldn't remember the man's name, just that the tractor went over around Millersburg. So Daddy ended up getting, you guessed it, a Case. But we never really gave up trying to find the One Sixty. You don't see many around this part of the country.
A few more years go by and Daddy got sick with Leukemia. He fought hard and long, but lost the battle January 21, 2008. Now I can't remember if it was that summer or the one or two after, but we were at Donnie Allison's tractor show near Blue Licks. And what should be there but a One Sixty Allis Chalmers. Of course we had to look it over. Tears were shed as memories ran thru out minds. It looked like Daddy's except the tool box. It was on the left fender, not the right. Well that spurred my Mom into wanting to find a One Sixty to restore and show. She and Richard went and looked a few, but they were either in rough shape or the people just wanted too much for them.
Fast forward now to Summer 2011. We are all at Jr's Hometown show in Cynthiana and here comes this One Sixty, the same one from Blue Licks show. We look it over again, a little closer this time. Richard noticed that under the right fender there were some holes that had been fixed. Like maybe something had been screwed on there at some point. Maybe a tool box??? We got to talk to the owner, a very nice man named Billy Doyle. He told us that he bought the tractor off a man from Millersburg. (He said the name, but again, I forget it.) I couldn't help but get a little tear in my eye. He went on to say that it had come from somewhere down around Berry. (note that we hadn't said anything at that point about Berry) That was about all it took for the tears to flow for me. Still, we weren't 100% sure it was Daddy's, but just the possibility that it might made me want that tractor. I asked him if it was for sale. He had thought about selling, but some guy had already asked to have a first chance at buying it. We went on to tell him about how we thought it could be my Daddy's tractor.
(I know it is long, but bear with me, I'm almost finished and it's about to get better)
I thought about this tractor on and off all year. As Christmas 2011 approached, my Mom decided to get together special things for each of us for Christmas and make a box for each member of the family. One special thing that she found was the original bill of sales from July 1, 1970. It was part of my Christmas present. One of my first thoughts when I saw it was, “now if that tractor comes back to Cynthiana, I can check the serial number and see if it really was Daddy's!”
June 8, 2012. Hometown tractor show. Here it comes. The One Sixty Allis Chalmers. My heart skips a beat and I have butterflies in my stomach. Mr. Doyle comes up to register the tractor and after a talk with my brother in law Allen, motions for me to come over. He has a button with tractor on it from the Blue Licks show and he saved one for me. He wanted me to have it. I asked him if he was ready to sell me the tractor and he said that the man that had wanted to buy it bought something else and I was now first in line when he got through with it. Even though I tried hard not to, I felt the tears coming. I went back over to my father-in-Law and told him I had the bill of sales and all I needed was to find the serial number to see if they matched. I just had to get up the courage to look. A little time went by, Jr asked if it was it. I told him I hadn't looked. A little more time went by and Allen asked me if it was it. Again I told him I couln't look. I'd cry if it was it, and I'd cry if it wasn't. After about 20 more minutes Jr asked again. I told him I just couldn't bring myself to look. He said he was dying to know. Aunt Mary Jane said if I was going to cry either way I might as well go look. So I went over and began searching for the serial number. I didn't know where it was. Jr came over and he looked. Mr. Doyle came over and he couldn't remember where it was either. We went round and round that tractor, a funny sight I'm sure. Finally we gave up and decided to wait for an Allis Chalmers man to come the next day who would know where it was. It was killing. I went over and Allen's son had called a friend who thought you needed to lift the hood and look behind the instrument panel. Allen and I both had our phones out looking up on the internet where to find the serial number on a One Sixty Allis. It said the same thing. So back we all go and lift the hood. Allen found it. We rubbed the plate with out fingers. I couldn't hardly bear to look. I looked at the numbers. 141378. 141378. 141378. That was it! After all these years looking and the last year wondering, now I knew. This was it. 141378. My Daddy's tractor. I took one step back from the tractor and said, “that's it. 141378. That's it.” And the tears came, as they do even now. I looked at Mr. Doyle and smiled through my tears, he put his arm around and said it was OK to cry.
I had to walk away for a minute, but throughout the day I would walk over to it and he would come over and tell me about the tractor, how he used it, how good it still ran after all this time. He told me I could take it for a ride. I wanted to, but I couldn't yet. So today, June 9, 2012, after 25 or so years, I got back on Daddy's tractor and took her for a ride. (see photo below)
Here's the best part, Mr. Doyle is looking for a replacement, an International. Once he finds one, he's going to call me. I get first chance... (to be continued, when we find a replacement)


 
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#27 ·
All three boys have taken her for a ride. All three love it! I know Daddy is looking down and smiling watching his grandsons enjoy his tractor. Now to get Mom on there for a ride. Hopefully she won't get it hooked in the fence row like she did many years ago. :lol:
 
#28 ·
One final update to the tractor story. Funny how things work. I have been thinking how hard it would be to find an Allis Chalmers keychain to put on the tractor key, so today I bought a "make it yourself" keychain and was going to put the picture of me and Daddy in it. Tonight while hooking up the finish mower, Richard finally remembered to look at the keychain that was on the key, something he had been meaning to do. All I knew was that it was red and should be orange. He said the other day he noticed it at the AC emblem on it but didn't really examine it closely. So tonight he pulls the key out and looks at the keychain. You have to look at the picture below and then go back to page one and look close at the bill of sales picture. Yep, it still has the original keychain on the key. The keychain that daddy would have carried in his own pocket 42 years ago! Won't be chaining the keychain after all.
 
#30 ·
It just keeps getting more special!
 
#31 ·
Ok, I know I said final update last time, but here's another update. Today was Jr's Fun Run Tractor ride. Mom got on her spot on the left fender and off went. Since we started by going up Union and thru Robinson, Mom and I decided when we got to the end, instead of heading right to Kelat, we would head left toward Berry, since the farm where Daddy farmed was just about 1/4 mile away. So off we went. Below is a picture of tractor next to the old barn and one of Mom and I on the ride. What a great day for a tractor ride!

 
#35 ·
Wondered where you went!? :) great pictures
 
#36 ·
Julie,
What a tear jerker! That was close thought you had me a couple times there!
Great that you were able to find your dads Allis in great running condition and that the owner was so helpful in getting this family tractor back to you. The pictures of your dad and you on the one-sixty is great!
I have not been on any tractor rides I don't think they do them in this part of the world?? But that sounds neat!
Also like the shot with the tractor by the old family barn very fitting detour that you and your Mom made. That gives me a idea too:)

This story really shows how much this old iron really means to some of us. Like you, I think my dad would be smiling that I have his old WD Allis setting in the garage this winter. I brought it home this fall and VERY glad I did.
I can tell that you are overjoyed to have this one-sixty home too!
Thanks for sharing this with us.
Hummmm? Wonder where my grandfathers Case VAC is? :)
Regards,
Chris
 
#37 ·
Great story so far even had me tearing up a bit just reading it. I am lucky enough to have my daddy's Farmall C and M. wouldn't take a farm in georgia for either one of them. Hope you get that one sixty home soon. would look good hooked to my old 66 combine or 443 baler.
 
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