HOF Members

Lewis-Clark Antique Power Club, Inc., EDGE&TA Br. 54 is pleased to nominate Dale Lyon for Hall of Fame recognition for his 25+ years of outstanding service and support.

Dale is a charter member of Branch 54 which was formed in the early 1990s. Dale is a quiet, private man but he has served and continues to serve the club in many ways. He served as club treasurer in 2001, 2002 and 2003; and, was on the board of directors from 2012 thru 2016. For the last several years Dale has taken on the task of doing all the “leg-work” to photograph club member’s tractors, engines and implements and produces a popular Lewis-Clark Antique Power Club calendar. Dale volunteers his time, photography equipment and expenses necessary to accomplish this task.

Because of his stalwart dedication and willingness to serve EDGETA, and in particular Branch 54, with his near 100% attendance at quarterly meetings and special events sponsored by the club; and, because Dale has been unselfish in his willingness to share his collection and knowledge with members and others. Further, because he has always been willing to encourage new memberships and share his workshop with future EDGETA members. It was not uncommon to find his grandson working on a shop projects and he has taken the time to provide safe tractor-driving experiences to youngsters. Also, because Dale has been open to sharing his collection for club shop-tours and even provided his heavy-duty pickup truck and trailer to move club member’s tractors and equipment. All of the above summarize why Dale Lyon deserves the selection committee’s utmost consideration for HOF recognition.

Dale is a devoted collector, preservationist and exhibitor of antique tractors, engines and implements. Without question he is at the top of the list when it comes to collecting and preserving farm equipment heritage in the Palouse area (rolling hills) of southeast Washington State. Dale credits his farther, the late Robert Lyon, for inspiring his love of antique farm equipment. Dale and Robert were featured in the February 1994 issue of the Successful Farming magazine—Dale had just finished restoring three vintage John Deere tractors (picture below). Dale’s extensive collection runs the gamut. He is pretty much color-blind when it comes to tractors, engines, implements and machinery. His collection includes a 40-inch-cut Allis-Chalmers pull-type combine, several threshers, binders, a Citroen tractor, etc. And, over the years he has added two new storage buildings and purchased several shipping containers to house his ever increasing vintage collection of tractors and engines.

1. From joining in 2003 to the present has taken the lead in establishing Tired Iron on its own land.
2. In his first year of membership in Tired Iron, he did so much to help build
3. Has used his tractor hundreds, perhaps thousands, of hours in digging ditches for electric, septic, and water service to the buildings and to a 32 space RV park.
4. Worked tirelessly in obtaining trusses and other materials for a clubhouse, bathrooms, and for sheds and exhibition facilities.
5. Johnny did so much for Tired Iron in the first year of his membership he was honored with life-time membership to Tired Iron.
6. Created, maintained and funded the Tried Iron website
7. Has contributed generously to funding for many Tired Iron projects.
8. Johnny served several years as the South Central Region of EDGE&TA representative.

9. A large number of Tired Iron members attest to the fact that Johnny deserves to be inducted to the EDGE&TA Hall of Fame.

10. He keeps contributing.  At present he is preparing directional road signs to be placed at strategic points along the roads that lead to Tired Iron.  He is helping his wife in the organization and running of the Tired Iron museum-like home antiques building, which presents many items of early home-life on the farms of earlier generations. 

11. His personal collection includes many antique tractors and engines, many of them restored by Johnny.

12. He has represented Tired Iron at numerous venues including tractor and engine shows, festivals, craft shows, parades, etc.  He has probably done more to acquaint the four-state area than anyone else with Tired Iron and its mission.

1. From joining Tired Iron in 1997, Larry has taken a lead role in Tired Iron
2. Member of land committee to locate a permanent home for the club. Found land that was purchased.
3. Served as president of Tired Iron.
4. Served on the Tired Iron board of directors.
5. Helped obtain and utilize materials to build a clubhouse, bathrooms, and several sheds for storage and exhibition.
6. Has conducted a silent auction to raise funds for Tired Iron projects.
7. Has served as Tired Iron Newsletter editor since 2006 and has included many club member biographies and several articles about members’ tractors and engines.

Brief summary of why this person should be chosen. Why you are honoring this person.

1. Larry maintained total involvement in Tired Iron.
2. Few members have been as active as Larry and have been so well regarded.

Brief summary of significant contribution to the collection, preservation and exhibition of Antique equipment (tractors, engines, implements, etc.)

1. Began collecting tractors, especially rare garden tractors, at the time he joined the club. 2. Has participated in numerous exhibitions of his tractors at Tired Iron shows and at tractor and engine shows, town festivals, parades of all types, etc.

I am proud to nominate Louise Bogard of Branch 159 for the EDGETA Hall of Fame.

In 2004 Louise was a founding member of the EDGETA Branch 159 North West Old  Iron Club here in Tillamook Oregon.

She has held the office of Treasurer or Secretary or of EDGETA Branch 159 from near the founding of the club to this current year and being a very detailed and exacting person she has kept the club in good standing with the national EDGETA board.

Louise produces a EDGETA club newsletter that goes out by email and print to US Mail to the about 60 EDGETA Branch 159 members and nearly 100 other local businesses, museums, other clubs, other EDGETA branches and to EDGETA national officers.

Louise is the main go to person for our 3 day EDGETA Branch 159 Old ron Show yearly on the third weekend in August in Tillamook, Oregon that will have hundreds of paid visitors coming to see our exhibitors and vendors put on the best little EDGETA show anywhere.

She also coordinates a EDGETA Branch 159 evening dinner at local venue for the exhibitors, vendors, club members and special guests after our annual August show.

She coordinates a yearly EDGETA Branch 159 potluck in January where members bring a item for show-and-tell and have our yearly business meeting where we elect new officers for our club. Louise always volunteers to be the Treasurer or Secretary.

At our yearly August show, Louise oversees the financial dealings, guest vendor and exhibitor registration,arranges for a food vendor, show advertising sales of club merchandise and much more. Speaking of club merchandise,she designs, orders and keeps the other club members looking sharp in EDGETA Branch 159 T shirts,sweatshirts and caps.

She makes arrangements for our local high school graduation party fund raiser through the parent/student organization to be our clubs exclusive food vendor and makes sure our club makes a healthy annual donation to our local Future Farmers of America Club all to promote the EDGETA.

Louise and her husband Vince regularly travel to other local and national EDGETA events to promote our local branch and to meet other EDGETA members and learn from them.

Louise is a founding member of the Step Back  n Time organization where our EDGETA Branch 159 joins with museums and tourist events to focus on a single ticket for admission to a dozen or more events the same weekend as our August EDGETA show. She is a board member of the Tillamook County History Alliance to promote the EDGETA Branch 159 Old Iron Show throughout the county and region.

Louise is a co owner along with her husband Vince Bogard of a nicely restored 1936 Ford 1.5 ton truck that is shown at local automobile cruise-ins and parades to promote EDGETA.

She has always been a big help with the EDGETA Branch 159 club displays at the famous Tillamook County Fair. Louise also has and regularly displays her oil can collection.

Louise’s community involvement reaches far beyond our local EDGETA Branch 159 to draw in and educate the public about the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association and our living history and of the August EDGETA Old Iron Show.

Her attitude and energy is contagious and I have heard other club members describe her as the Energizer Bunny and like Radar, that character on the TV program MASH. Yes,she seems to always be thinking way ahead and many times has the answers figured out before you ask the questions.

John Johnston has been a member of Branch 141 since it was formed. John helped form Br 141 and has worked hard to keep Br 141 safe, as John is our Safety Officer and is very diligent in holding this job. John has held vice president most of Br 141 years since formed.

John shows tractors that look like new and ones that shows in its work clothes. John does his best to explain to public the use of most tractors and the difference between today tractor and the older ones. John shows older engines at most shows. He shows some small equipment that engines powered.

John has helped to form Br 159 and still helps set up their shows in a safe manner.

John has built a miniature gold stamp mill that looks just like the real one that were worked in most gold country.

John has collected a lot of literature show how stamp mills were worked. This is displayed at shows. John tries to help new members understand and set up their tractor and engines in safe manner.

John is a contributing member to our hobby and tries to get new people who have some equipment to join out branch to keep our hobby alive.

Howard was a Charter member of Branch 8 and instrumental in establishing this branch in 1981. He has been an active member all the years since then. He has collected and restored antique tractors, one cylinder engines and various old farm equipment. He was the Branch 8 President the year that branch hosted the National Show in Merced back in the 80s. He worked very hard to make that show happen. He has always been faithful to exhibit at the various shows and events throughout the year. He is a dual member of Branch 63 and actively participates in events there also.

He is a retired Mechanical Ag Professor who taught at Fresno State University where he shared his mechanical ability with his many students, some of whom became active EDGE&TA members. He has helped me and many members with seeming impossible problems with these sometimes stubborn old machines. One time at a club show his engine quit and he tore it apart to find that the head gasket was shot. So, since we were all busy showing and not near a parts store he proceeded to make a gasket from a Wheaties box he had in his pickup. That engine ran perfectly the rest of the show. He has built a unique engine/water pump from a Briggs and Stratton and other parts and calls it Crazy Ike. People stop and stare at the engine moving up and down and the pump remaining stationary whenever he has it running at shows. He has also been known to hard boil eggs in his engine hopper and have a nice hot meal for lunch while never leaving his display.

Howard has loaned his tractors for display at the Heritage Museum in Tulare for many years where they can be enjoyed by the public. He has driven in many parades and enjoys all aspects of this hobby. In the 60s he restored a kit crawler from the Popular Mechanics magazine and named this little garden tractor, Kiddy Pillar. This little crawler has entertained kids of all ages for over 50 years now. It was a big hit at the 2017 National Caterpillar Show.

All in all, Howard has been an inspiration to many of us in the club and we thought it was time for him to be recognized for his many accomplishments. He is a vital part of Branch 8.

It is my honor to nominate my brother, the late Herman Meier, to be inducted into the EDGE & TA Hall of Fame. Herman dedicated his adult life to the preservation and sharing of history through the restoration and exhibition of countless engines, antiques, tractors and rare farm finds. Over the course of several decades, he amassed an impressive collection of petroliana, tractors, signs and gas engines; arguably one of the finest private collections on the West Coast and possibly in the nation. Each piece was carefully restored with impeccable attention to detail. When he was not traveling to exhibit his prized collectibles, he proudly displayed them in a 60 x 80 private museum built at his home to showcase the quality of his workmanship – and of course, to serve as a gathering spot for other history buffs. The condition of each treasured piece was an amazing sight to see. Even after completing (and filling) the museum, it did not stop Herman from continuing the hunt for unique or forgotten objects that he could bring back to life.

Herman was a past President and Board Member of the Inland Empire Steam and Gas Buffs, Branch 197 and exhibited at the Spokane County Fair for years. He also served on the board of the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum. He had a passion for history and a talent for connecting with visitors. He loved conducting demonstrations and passing along his knowledge of farming and agriculture. While proud – and protective – of his precious collection, he made these treasures available for others to experience. Whether giving an engine a crank or pumping water from a display, kids would delight in the hands-on experience. Big kids got in on the fun too! Once of my fondest memories (and my adult daughter’s too) was on a sunny day in Spokane when Herman let my 43 year-old daughter drive the “big” Case tractor around his property. Two bigger grins were never seen before!

Herman’s journey and love for engines and farm equipment began in the 40’s in the state of Washington as the middle son of a dairy farmer and cabinet maker Herald W. “Tony” Meier. Many engine and tractor buffs remember our dad “Tony” who was a skilled machinist, woodworker and mechanic with a love for restoring antique engines.

After graduating from high school, Herman joined the Army where he served at home and abroad. He met the love of his life, Marie, in France and they married and had three children. After 22 years of service, Herman retired and returned to Washington taking up residence in Spokane near Tony. They would spend countless hours in the shop sanding, grinding, painting and tinkering – which meant WE also spent hours in the shop. The price of admission was a cup of coffee or baked goods and if you could paint pinstripes or sand a little – even better! If the shop was empty, it usually meant they were on the road hunting for the next treasure or exhibiting at a show.

When our dad passed away, Herman took the operation to an entirely new level. He enjoyed the fellowship and camaraderie he found in the network of tractor and engines buffs. He loved to share his expertise with other club members and loved to call on others when he needed extra help. Some of his best friends came from the engine and tractor world and time and time again, they could be counted on when times were tough. Herman lost his wife Marie after 45 years to cancer. The engine and tractor buffs were there. When Herman died suddenly from an aneurism in 2015, the engine and tractor buffs were there. They provided love, support and many helping hands to ensure Herman was honored and that his wishes were carried out.

It was Herman’s wish to have an auction in the event of his death so that collectors, friends, and family could share in his life’s work and enjoy the treasures that brought so much enrichment to his life. It was an incredible event. I have attached the auction brochure, however, it honestly does not do the event justice. I will forever remember that day – the smell of the engines, the remarkable crowds gathering with appreciation and delight, the endless rows of engines, multiple generations perusing the catalog, waiting to bid and acting like kids in a candy store! What I remember most was the overwhelming sense of pride. This was the product of years of skill, dedication and love. This was my brother’s legacy. I still attend engine and tractor shows and every once in a while, I see an impeccably restored engine, on a cart that says “Meier Cart Company” and again, I smile with pride.