Josh Dilsaver

About Josh Dilsaver

Posts by Josh Dilsaver:

I am nominating Lauren Langdon for 2017 induction into the EDGE&TA Hall of Fame for his long standing commitment to our hobby. Lauren started collecting Stationary Gas Engines and Tractors over 40 years ago and since that time has gone on to have one of the premier Engine collections in the US. He has shown great dedication to his hobby through ongoing involvement through membership in numerous antique iron organizations.

Lauren has been instrumental in the foundation of not one, but TWO EDGE&TA branches. Nearly three decades ago, along with other interested old iron collectors, Lauren worked to establish Branch 38, Magic Valley Antique Tractor Pullers. This branch is dedicated to the restoration and pulling of vintage tractors. Lauren helped to finance the first pull sled for the club and went on to organize the 1998 EDGE& TA North West Regional hosted by Branch 38 in Filer, Idaho. While working with Branch 38, spectators could always find Lauren present at events, pulling with his tractors and displaying his engines.

Later in 2003 as Lauren and other Branch 38 members started to focus more or collecting and restoring antique stationary engines, Lauren in association with those members went on to establish Branch 150, Snake River Antique Power Association which while still in its infancy would host the 2006 Northwest Regional, again organized by Lauren and held in Buhl, Idaho. Since the Branch’s inception, Lauren has continuously served as the Branch President, inviting and encouraging the growth and development of the hobby through seeking out interested individuals to join the Branch and partake of his beloved hobby.

True to his love for the hobby, Lauren has joined and participated in several other EDGE&TA branches, including Branch 15 of Brooks, Oregon. Every year Branch 15 participates in the Great Oregon Steam-Up, an event where a year has not passed in over 40 years that one could not find Lauren present and participating!

As mentioned above, Lauren has an impressive collection of antique iron. His collection demonstrates his love for early iron, especially the Fairbanks Morse model N series of engines. Lauren has become the “go to guy” for collectors looking for information and parts for these engines. In true dedication to the hobby, Lauren has made, collected, and commissioned patterns for hard to find parts for these engines. From those patterns, many parts have made that have brought back to life dozens of engines that would have otherwise been left incomplete, inoperable. Most notably was the restoration of one of Lauren’s own engines, a one-off Fairbanks Morse 40hp Model N sectionalized gas engine. This
engine required over three years of dedicated work with numerous parts made from patterns to complete the restoration! As alluded to above, Lauren’s dedication to the hobby and the restoration of the early iron is not only limited to his own collection, I for one can attest to (as can any one of Lauren’s many friends) his willingness to assist in the production of missing parts, locating original parts, and where necessary the borrowing of his own parts for patterns! Have a question or a problem you need to solve? Call Lauren, he’s always willing to work through the issue with you and provide invaluable advice to returning your iron to running condition!

At this time, as Branch 150 again prepares to host the 2017 North West Regional I have chosen to nominate my good friend Lauren Langdon for induction into the EDGE&TA hall of fame for 2017. I have been a club member for only 5 years, but during that time I have received nothing but encouragement and continual support from Lauren. He introduced me to the broad scope of the hobby; tractors, engines, farm equipment and the people that go along with the hobby! Every year Lauren has organized our branch’s largest yearly event held in conjunction with the local county fair. He has eagerly sought out means to not only encourage my participation, but also that of my wife and sons (ages 9,7,5, and 3). I know that it is because of his enthusiasm for the hubby that our branch has continued to grow! He has made not only our branch, but also the events we participate in, family friendly. This has encouraged further participation by other young families who have joined the branch, families which are now the future of our hobby! Finally, as Lauren has looked to the future of our Branch, he has encouraged me to organize the 2017 North West Regional, constantly available to guide me through the process as I learn the “ropes” of what it takes to be a great leader in this hobby, just as Lauren has been.

Submitted By: Ryan Gurney

Ken Amann

I would like to respectfully submit for your review Ken Amann for an EDGE&TA Hall of Fame Award.

Ken was born in 1956 and spent his youth on the family farm in North Dakota. His family settled in Billings, Montana in 1966. He enjoyed many trips back to North Dakota to visit family there on the farm where his mom grew up. Ken Amann joined our EDGE&TA Branch 29 – South Central Montana Antique Tractor & Machinery Association in August 1996. His dad, Hugo, joined in October 1996 and passed away a few years later.

Ken has always had a passion and interest in antique machinery and has a full complement of restored tractors & equipment at his place in Billings, Montana. Ken served as secretary of Branch 29 from 2000 to 2004. In 2005, he was elected President of Branch 29 and has been our President ever since (12 years now). Every year elections come around and no one wants to run against him as he has done an outstanding job.

Ken reads the highlights of the EDGE&TA quarterly newsletters at the branch meetings to ensure that we keep up with national events and shows. Ken encourages safety and participation in our branch. Our membership has now grown to over 200 families. Ken leads not only the monthly branch meetings but also schedules and attends the directors’ meetings in which we help plan the path forward for the branch and its membership. Ken also ensures we know what the other EDGE&TA branches are doing which has resulted in many of our members visiting other branches and shows throughout the year. The reciprocal effect is that other EDGE&TA branches visit us during our show (always the third weekend in August). Ken & his wife Paulette have traveled to other branch shows including the 2016 EDGE&TA NW Regional in Wyoming and 2014 EDGE&TA National Meeting in Lewistown, Montana.

In 2012, Branch 29 was fortunate enough to host the EDGE&TA National show in which we featured IHC tractors & equipment. This took a lot of extra work and planning. Ken led the effort and encouraged us on to newer heights. As a result, the EDGE&TA National Show in 2012 was the biggest and most successful show we have ever hosted. It was Ken’s mission to ensure that we exceed EDGE&TA standards and expectations. Many fellow branches from surrounding states made the trip to our Threshing Bee that year and were not disappointed.

In 2013, Branch 29 hosted the EDGE&TA NW Regional show and again Ken led the way. That year, we featured John Deere equipment and all of the “green” folks attended which was okay with the “red” IHC folks from the previous year as all had a good time.

Ken is a warm, friendly person that enjoys visiting with members and visitors to our shows. His calm demeanor and receptive personality encourages even the most introvert of folks to open up and share their stories. He fields many calls during the year from interested visitors, the local press, and has appeared in a local TV video explaining our Threshing Bee. Each year during the show, Ken always takes a moment each day to walk around and ensure that everything is going smoothly and circulates through the crowd that attends. Ken has made a real difference, donated much of his time to the antique engine community, and has helped spread enthusiasm in our branch. His support of EDGE&TA helps to inform and tie us all closer to the national organization. He is a team player and encourages the interest in not only this old iron hobby, but in the friendship and growth of each club member and the comradery that we enjoy in our branch.

Ken took on a Branch 29 project to restore a wagon for the local Huntley Project Museum. The finished product was outstanding and the museum proudly displays the wagon year-round to visitors. Ken put many hours into this sole volunteer restoration. This is typical of Ken, working for the benefit of others even when no one is watching.

Submitted By: Jim Tombrink

John Neitzel

Everett Martin

Everett Martin, a retired professor of Animal Sciences at Washington State University, joined Branch 54 in 1992. He took his first leadership role by becoming our president in 2002 where he served until 2004. It is especially interesting to note that Everett graciously accepted the nomination for president in 2002, without having had the opportunity to serve as vice president previously! He then served on our board of directors from 2004 until 2006 when Everett became the Branch 54 treasurer, where he has now served for 11 years. It should be noted that his bookkeeping and financial management for the club has been very detailed and is second to none! Without a doubt Everett’s 24 years of service to EDGETA and Branch 54 has been tremendously beneficial to all involved.

Everett’s 24 years of membership in Branch 54 and service to the club has been highlighted by not only his leadership duties but his attention to details. He has successfully guided us to become a 501 (c) (3) organization, which along with his detailed accounting records has complemented our fund raising activities that has allowed our club to issue two $400/each scholarships to graduating high school seniors involved in FFA each year that are located in the immediate Branch 54 membership area. Everett has also been key to finding meeting places for the chapter or knowing which member might be interested in hosting a meeting. You will always find Everett early at meetings setting up chairs or whatever must be done to help the members and officers, but most particularly our meeting hosts. Everett’s willingness to involve youth in our hobby is also to be highly commended, whether it’s a classroom of college students and/or younger students such as his grandson Jason, Everett is always more than ready to share his knowledge and passion for old iron with both the young and old.

Everett has a modest collection of John Deere two cylinder tractors and the implements they came with. His shop facilities are very limited, so he starts with nice originals and fine tunes them to make them better still. He is known as Branch 54’s detail man as he has a keen eye for what is original and correct to most brands of tractors, plus he is a great research person hunting down many details on the internet for mystery items. Everett is also very eager to put his iron to-work, as there are no trailer queens in his collection! The summer and fall are the busy times for Branch 54 activities. Plowing days, local parades and tractor drives in the scenic Palouse hills of Washington and Idaho, and recently, mowing and baling wheat straw after harvest keeps him busy. You will find Everett at every one, as usually he has put the events together in the first place! Recently he answered a Craigslist ad that was simply advertising a “plow”. Turns out that the “plow” was a very rare John Deere “Gilpin” sulky horse drawn plow! Everett made sure it was saved and that it got into the right hands for restoration and preservation. He has also recently been involved in calling attention to an experimental John Deere tractor! In summary, Everett is a hard- working, resourceful, friendly and knowledgeable individual that would fit well into any EDGETA branch, but Branch 54 is very fortunate and thankful to have him on our team. Since this is a secret, we don’t know where Everett would like to receive his award if chosen, but we would guess that the NW Regional show in Filer, ID on June 16-17 would be the proper place.

Respectfully submitted by: Bruce Petty, Past President, Branch 54

EDGE&TA Branch 107

EDGE&TA Branch 27

Annual officers-directors planning and show calendar meeting is 2nd Saturday of January each year. Please submit any information or requests at least one week in advance. Club General Membership meeting, bbq, raffle is a Saturday in April each year prior to April 15th. Date TBD at January meeting.