HOF Members

James “Jim” Johnson

I am nominating James “Jim” Johnson to the EDGETA Hall of Fame for his 30 years of leadership and participation in our hobby.

Jim is a charger member of Northwestern Washington’s EDGETA Branch 26 formed in 1988. He is also an active member of Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion, at Rollag, since 1980 and a long time member of Puget Sound Machinery & Tractor Association in Lynden, Washington.

Jim’s spent 35 years as an electrical, 15 years as a field supervisor for the third largest electrical contractor in Washington State. His professional skills have been generously utilized at various EDGETA show grounds.

Jim has been active in the EDGETA Branch 26 Mid-Winter Gas-Up (2010 being the 27^th) organizing committee and promoting the show since its beginning 27 years ago. For 2 years before Branch 26 hosted the 2008 Nationals Jim attended All events in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California promoting the Branch 26 National.

Jim brought the ¾ scale Otto-Langen engine from Rollag (he is ½ owner with Kevin Withers) which became the FEATURE engine for Branch 26 EDGETA 2008 National.

In addition to displaying his large collection of New Way Engines (known as Mr. New Way across the US, United Kingdom, and Australia) he is constantly encouraging and solving problems from New Way owners worldwide.

Jim believes the youth must be involved in our hobby for it to survive. He has been very active in encouraging young members into our ranks by offering them the ability to adopt and care for a quality engine under his supervision. During the EDGETA Branch 26 Nationals, Jim gave a personally funded recognition plaque to one on outstanding young members. This is characteristic of Jim’s style; quietly and patiently leading by example.

At Rollag, Jim’s 1990 funding revived the Collector Series Engine Oil Cans given to engine exhibitors, in 2005 he provided the materials and labor for new lighting in the Otto Building. Jim was also on the organizing committee for the 2005 Otto Expo and is the New Way Expo 2011 Committee Chairman. In 2009 his family funded a new 100’ x 60’ building for engine exhibitors – “Johnson Brothers Gas Engine Pavilion” and new concrete base and building addition for the 200hp Miller Engine.

At Lynden, Washington his next venture in 2010 is co-chair in the rebuilding of the 1983 Gas Engine Building. Jis one of 10 owners in the Gas Engine Building and his space was purchased from his good friend and mentor EDGETA Hall of Fame member Charles “Chuck” Watters.

I know James “Jim” Johnson will continue to promote and lead by example in his quiet manner and should be recognized as a member of EDGETA Hall of Fame.

Submitted by Morrie Robinson, Branch 26, NW Advisor

Joe Hutchinson

Joe Hutchinson became a member of Branch 16 EDGE & TA in 1982. At that time, he was interested in tractors and already owned several F-12s, F-14s and a Farmall H. Since then, his collection has grown to include John Deere and Massey Harris equipment in addition to his original Farmalls.

Joe is a native Missourian who grew up in the country and developed an appreciation for farm equipment at an early age. Joe was born March 1^st, 1937 in Ava, Missouri, just east of Springfield, Missouri. Due to family circumstances, Joe never graduated from high school, but was able to travel to Kansas City, Missouri in 1958 to learn auto body repair skills, which has helped him with his tractor collection.

After leaving Kansas City, Joe settled in Springfield, Missouri and started working at Dayco. Joe was a long-term employee at Dayco and retired in 1997. Along the way, Joe married his wife Joanne in 1963 and they had one daughter.

Joe has many unique talents that have allowed him to make a variety of contributions while being a member of Branch 16 EDGE & TA. One of these unique talents that all of our members have enjoyed is Joe’s ability to build wooden toys. At a young age, Joe’s parents couldn’t afford to buy very many toys for him and his brothers, so Joe made his own toys out of wood. Joe built tractors out of any pieces of wood he could find while growing up. As Joe got older, he stopped having time to make toys, until his brothers convinced him that he was very talented and should get back to his hobby of toy making. Today, Joe receives many requests from individuals to custom make toys. All Joe needs is a picture of what you want him to make, it can be a tractor, steam engine or a car. Once Joe gets the picture, you can be guaranteed you will receive a work of art that is true to scale and painted appropriately. To date, Joe has made more than 500 of these toys. Joe is very generous with his toys as well and has donated several to the club over the years to be raffled off to benefit the club.

Not only is Joe talented in making these toys, he is also very generous in donating his time to the club. You will find Joe helping at the grounds on workdays doing whatever might need to be done. During our September Show, Joe will greet exhibitors at the entrance gate in the mornings. Joe spends several hours at the entrance gate in the mornings answering questions and directing people to where they need to go.

Joe has served for many years on the Board of Directors for Branch 16 EDGE & TA. Joe also enjoys representing Branch 16 at shows and local events and displaying some of his tractors and wooden toys.

Joe is a huge asset to Branch 16 EDGE & TA and has overcome many obstacles in his life. When Joe was born, his parents were told that he would never walk due to having cerebral palsy. Anyone watching Joe in action would never know he had been born with this handicap.

Branch 16 EDGE & TA could not function as well as it does without the help of Joe Hutchinson. All of our members greatly appreciate Joe for all he does. We feel that Joe is very deserving to be inducted into the Early Day Gas Engine & Tractor Association Hall of Fame.

Lee Hardesty

Lee Hardesty should be inducted into the National Hall of Fame because he has excelled in all aspects in the collection and exhibition of antique farm tractors and other equipment. He is a real leader in Branch 13 always making sure that the good reputation of the Club is always upheld.

We are honoring Lee Hardesty for his hard work and endless effort in all aspects. He always has time to help anyone that needs a hand or needs a word of encouragement.

Lee Hardesty was born in 1941, in San Fernando, CA to Jack and Lorraine Hardesty. Due to his parents being transferred around, Lee attended various schools in the San Fernando area. Lee attended high school in Bishop, CA and then attended Cal Poly, Orange Coast Community College and then the University of Nevada in Reno and graduated in 1964 with a degree in Agra-Business.

Lee married Charla in 1965 and they have two sons, Jack and Jeffery. They moved to Sacramento CA in 1972 to become a State Farm Insurance Agent. He retired from State Farm in 2007 after 35 years.

Lee always had an interest in antique engines and tractors and his interest peaked when he attended the EDGE-TA Nationals in Grass Valley in 1993. He was impressed with all the beautiful machinery but mainly he saw how happy and proud everyone seemed to be showing off their machines. He bought a 1941 John Deere Model LA which needed a lot of work but he had fun rebuilding it. Lee now has 9 John Deere tractors of different models and years, different implements including a manure spreader, 3 lawn tractors, 4 pedal tractors and hundreds of John Deere memorabilia. The manure spreader has been converted to a people mover and is called the “politician wagon.”

Lee Hardesty joined EDGE-TA Branch 13 in 1994 and from that time forward he has participated in most shows in the area. He was asked to run for the board and was thrilled that he was asked. He ran was elected and after 5 years on the board he ran for the office of President and was elected. He served as president for a couple of years and stepped down from that and took on the job of Bulletin Editor. Lee has been the Bulletin Editor now for 5 years and does a very good job. He has written some articles in our newsletter (The Chugger) that were republished in other antique tractor magazines. Lee also started and maintains our web site (www.branch13edgeta.com). Lee has information on the web site not only from Branch 13 but other branches in the area.

Lee Hardesty has been a member of the Lions Club for 35 years and a Life Member for 10 years.

EDGE-TA is honored to have Lee as a very active member. Lee Hardesty is a true gentleman in every sense and deserves to be elected into the Hall of Fame.

Submitted by – Leroy Diede, Branch 13

Richard “Dick” Hamp

I would like to nominate Mr. Richard (Dick) Hamp to the National Hall of Fame.

Since our branch #3 was founded in 1978 Dick had been an active promoter of our branch and the national organization. He has restored many rare gas engines and has provided a wealth of help to all who have came to him with any question.

Dick displays his engines at a great many shows here in Northern California. He has often promoted the less popular shows in our area thus helping them to be a success. He has brought gas engines to America from European builders to demonstrate the different features and techniques of running and construction.

He and his wife Kay have hosted many foreign visitors who are collectors or simply are interested in early gas engine and tractor history. Just yesterday he brought over a man visiting from England to view my collection. His interests and contributions to our hobby are truly international.

Sincerely, Bill Traill

Ted Billups

The members of the Lewis-Clark Antique Power Club, EDGE&TA Branch 54 of Lewiston, ID are honored and proud to submit the name of our long time member, Mr. TED BILLUPS, for consideration to be a member of the 2010 EDGE&TA Hall of Fame.

Ted was born in Winchester, ID and started his old iron career while still in Nez Perce High School. He has continued working for the same company now for 65 years. Ted and his wife of 64 years, Dolores, live in Grangeville, ID and raised their family of 2 girls there.

Ted is a remarkable gentleman who is 86 years young and is still working on a daily basis as a mechanic. He served as shop manager for many years—-even later occupying it a second time when it was unfilled. The younger mechanics in the shop adore and respect his never-ending knowledge, which he freely shares. They also try to keep up with the work pace he sets– starting by 7:30 AM and quitting after 5 PM. One of the other mechanics was overheard heard to say, “Ted has probably forgotten more than I’ll ever know”!

One of Ted’s first tasks as a “young buck mechanic” with Brown Motors (later renamed Bell Equipment) was to figure out how to make a 3 lunger Cat (RD6) steer easy enough for a potential customer’s wife to be able to drive—ie. pull the steering clutch levers.

The result was the creation of Ted’s hydraulic booster steering system. Note—this system was later fitted on all 3 lungers to make the steering clutches easier to pull. Until you drive one without the booster system, you will never fully understand the importance of this development.

Ted’s knowledge of old tractors, especially Caterpillars, is quite extensive and few if any can match his knowledge. Ted will tell you, “I like to tear them apart and see what’s inside”! Ted has truly earned the title people hang on him of “The Tractor Doctor”!

One of Ted’s first restorations was a Rumley Oil Pull and since then he has restored over 40 tractors and engines, many of them unique and rare. How many times does one see the following: (1) two sizes of Yuba ball treads sitting side by side, (2) a Trundaar (which was literally a basket case when given to him), (3) a Lessman, or (4) several models of Oil Pulls? The list of unusual items goes on and on. Although Ted’s heart belongs to Caterpillars—-John Deere, Case, Fordson, Ferguson, Oliver, MM and others mentioned and some not mentioned fill his stables.

Ted and Dolores are Life Members of the LCAPC, and every October they and their family has hosted our Branch 54’s fall potluck meeting for at least 12 years now. This is an occasion when Ted and his “extended family” (The shop crew from Bell Equipment) help get his ever growing fleet of tractors out of the large museum buildings so one can be used for a eating and meeting area and all the tractors can be seen and heard run by about 150+ people who attend. The shop-crew also cooks the hamburgers, which Ted and Dolores insist on furnishing each year.

Recently his collection of tractors and engines outgrew his main building, so a new 2nd building with just a gravel floor was added and is used mainly just for the crawlers. Shortly after being finished, the building was anonymously affixed with a sign declaring it as “Ted’s Cat House” and it seems Ted is still wondering whom that “friend” was! Ted and Delores have created one of the most interesting tractor museums on the West Coast and he has willingly showed his collection to an untold number of people, including visitors from England, France and Germany.

Each fall, Ted has at least one new project completed and ready for “show and tell” at our Branch 54 club meeting. This year we understand it will be a cross mount MM! He always explains how he came upon each new project and what challenges he faced in its restoration. Ted has transformed many “basket cases” into like new units. His restorations are freely available for all to see. Friends, neighbors and acquaintances that appreciate his restoration work have given him many of his units, which now total well over 40 units. His friendship and help to so many over the years has been rewarded by additions to the collection that he has been honored to amass—-many of them quite unique and sought-after units.

The 4th of July each year, Grangeville has a parade and Ted gets his wheel tractors out of the museum and has them available for others to drive in that parade, as well as the parade at nearby Whitebird.

Ted is a humble man, but is always more than willing to share his knowledge. One club member affectionately calls him “Uncle Ted”, even though Ted really isn’t his uncle—but yet Randy and many others would claim him as their Uncle any day!

To people whom have not yet meet Ted, we tell them you surely have seen him on TV—-as he “masquerades” as the Eveready Bunny! You see, at 86, he “just keeps going and going and going”!

In summary, Ted Billups is a pillar among the old iron and agricultural communities and is a great worker, educator and PR person. This is evidenced by his continuing to work at Bell Equipment on a daily basis. Therefore, Branch 54 is truly proud to submit Mr. TED BILLUPS as our nominee for a 2010 EDGE&TA Hall of Fame award.

George Best

I have known George for many years and have been on many trips with him in this part of the country. I got to go to Holland to the international Engine Show at Nuenen in 2007. We saw 21 private collections and took in a two-day show all in about 12 days. Everywhere we went, everyone knew George – so it made the trip even that much easier.

George loves to organize trips and make all the contacts when he puts together a trip whether it’s Europe or her in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, or California. He seems to be more than welcome wherever I have been with him.

He is a firm believer in the National Organization of the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association and promotes it when the occasion arises.

Here are some of his qualifications:

George has been a longtime member of EDGE&TA Br. 15, having joined in the mid 1970’s.
He was vice-president of Br 15 for one year in the 1990’s.
He and his wife were Br. 15 Newsletter Editors in the 1990’s including 1995 when Br 15 hosted the National Show.
George started the website for Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association after talking with the officers after the 1995 National at the Brooks show. George was our first “webmaster.”
George started the monthly publication, Western Iron Trader in 1997 and it has grown to be a 28-page publication providing free ads and promoting club events for most all clubs in the western states. It currently has subscribers in almost all of the states and several other countries.
He has been host to several collectors from foreign countries and has taken them on tours of the collectors in the western states. He also gathers up a few local collectors and takes off for a few days to visit other collectors in our surrounding states.
He has toured European collectors many times and has led tour groups to visit shows and collections in Holland, German, Belgium, and Switzerland. These tours are know as the “European Hell on Wheels Tours,” because you cover a lot of ground in a hurry. Most tours cover about 20 collections that are not open to the general public and a show in about ten days!!! A tour of the OTTO museum is usually included. On his tours you get to see the rarest of rare and early engines.
George has attended or exhibited at engine shows in many parts of the U.S. and as an exhibitor at a couple of shows in Holland. He is well known by engine and tractor collectors around the world because of the Internet forums he is active on, as well as his extensive travels to visit collectors in many states and countries.
Viewers of RFD TV often comment on hearing George’s name mentioned any time the Carl Mehmke tractor collection show is rebroadcast.

Submitted by Les Layton, Branch 15

Gary Yaeger

At thirteen years old Gary Yeager, then of Lewistown MT, published a letter, which said, “My brother and I have a Nichols & Shepard Engine. We traded an old 32 hp Reeves Canadian Steamer for the little engine and are now planning to trade it to Walter Mehmke of Great Falls MT for a 15 hp Case traction engine. He had been able to operate an engine for two years. In this way Gary introduced himself to the exciting world of vintage iron. During the half century since he wrote that letter, Gary has championed the preservation and restoration of steam engines, gasoline tractors, and related agricultural implements. His selfless devotion to this cause has not gone unnoticed. At countless old machinery shows over the years, Gary has volunteered his help. Through the year hardly a day passes that he is not posting useful comments on SmokStak and historical photographs, which he freely shares in magazines and on various social networking media are greatly appreciated around the world. From the time that Gary first wrote to the Iron-Man magazine until now, Gary has public service at the forefront of his mind. He has preserved old iron and has helped others to do so. He has restored old machines and helped others to do so. He has published articles to help others with their old iron projects. He uses digital media to reach a wide audience of aficionados and historians that are deeply grateful for his help. At shows during the summer, many of them EDGETA events, he volunteers in every way he can.

Robert Rhode

No one has contributed as much historical information and more specifically steam traction engine information to the public, nationally and internationally as Dr Robert T. Rhode has. He has helped identify numerous brands of steam traction engines over the decades. He has published articles in several steam magazines, such as the Iron-Men Album and Engineers and Engines.

He has published the award-nominated book The Harvest Story: Recollections of Old-Time Threshermen, which was published by the Purdue University Press, and the award-winning book Classic American Steamrollers 1871-1935 Photo Archive which he co-authored with Judge Raymond L. Drake and which was published by Inconografix. This book won the Silver Jubilee Certificate presented by the Road Roller Association based in England. He has published the Steam Tractor Encyclopedia: Glory Days of the Invention That Changed Farming Forever, which was co-authored with John F Spalding and was published by Motorbooks International (first printing sold out in 17 months. His articles and books are referenced in publications in Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic and England. He has helped with museum displays at the Smithsonian and at a technological museum in the Czech Republic, He has also helped review the EDGETA safety regulations for steam powered equipment at public events.

Roberts principal goal in studying, writing, and speaking about the agricultural history and literature of the US is to familiarize the metropolitan American with such values that include lending a helping hand for as long as it takes to get the job done, finding joy in shared work outdoors, celebrating the harvest, and commemorating others’ contributions to the good of all.

He owns a 65 hp 1923 Case Engine and has been showing it since 1994. Besides a membership in EDGETA, he is a member of the J I Case Collectors’ Association and the J I Case Heritage Foundation.

Dr Robert Rhodes is an asset to this hobby in regards to steam.

Arnold Price

Arnold Price is the President of our club, Dixie Turf Toys. This club started out three years ago with a small group of three members who wanted to have a few “new toys” to play with and has turned out to be a past-time hobby that has grown to include 43 members. Arnold makes each one of our members feel important and feel welcomed to all meetings, events, parades, and etc. Our club is a close knit club with folks (men & women) from all walks of life. We all have one common thread, the fascination of restoring and modifying lawn tractors with the joy and pleasure of showing them.

Arnold has “made” numerous lawn tractors and has helped many of the club members with fixing up their “play toys.” He is aware of all upcoming shows and events and makes our members aware of these dates. Our name is quickly becoming well known in our area and we are being invited on a regular basis to be a part of shows, fund raisers, and parades.

Our club is a community involved group and have helped out various families with financial needs. We always remember to keep our sick, shut-ins, and military families in our thoughts and prayers. If there is a need that arises within this community of individuals, the Dixie Turf Toys is always willing to step up to bat and be of assistance. We do not do this for the fame or glory, but we do this from the heart. Arnold has been a role model for us and has set a high standard for us to follow. Needless to say, we are proud to be led by him. His position as President includes friend, counselor, as well as leader.

Arnold would be a great addition to the Hall of Fame. And, knowing Arnold, he would not consider this an award solely presented to him, but would consider this award to be presented to our entire group. It’s just another one of his traits that make us appreciate him and delight in being under his leadership.

Sheridan Hansen

Sheridan Hansen is not only the oldest member of Branch 134, but is also one of the hardest workers; he usually is one of the first to arrive and the last to leave when ever we have a club event.

Sheridan along with help from his son does all of his own restoration work, including doing his own painting. His tractors are some of the nicest restorations in our club. Sheridan has showed his tractors all over the United States and Canada. He was selected to lead the tractor parade at the California Antique Machinery Show in Tulare, CA in 2008, when they featured Allis-Chalmers.

Sheridan is also a dedicated tractor caravaner and has logged more than one thousand miles on his well known 1939 Allis-Chalmers WC Hi-Crop, including a 300 mile drive from Oakes, ND to Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada, in 2004. He has shared his interest in tractor caravans with the other members of our club by organizing an annual 30 mile caravan and tractor show. He has chaired this event for the past seven years and celebrated his 75^th birthday by leading more than fifty tractors on a caravan from Cedar City, Utah to Parowan, Utah, to participate in the Iron County Fair.

Mr. Hansen has also been a very successful tractor puller. He is a fierce competitor but also a true sportsman. When one of his tractors became dominant in a certain weight class, he voluntarily moved up to a heavier class to foster more parity in the lighter class. Sheridan unselfishly gave a tractor to the son of a club member to help him get started in the hobby and has been known to give parts to other enthusiasts to help them with their restorations.

Mr. Hansen has written technical articles that have been published to benefit others and his tractors have been featured in several publications such as; “Antique Power”, “The Old Allis News, and “Family History”. Sheridan and his tractors have been viewed numerous times on “RFD TV”.

His grandchildren call him, “The Tractor Grandpa”. Many others throughout North America call him friend. Branch 134 has never nominated anyone for this honor before and we believe that Sheridan Hansen would be an outstanding member of the EDGE & TA Hall of Fame.