It’s not one of a kind.
But, there sure aren’t many around, likely none of such immaculate near-factory new appearing condition.
“Highlight of our Spring Crank Up Tractor Show at Ag Heritage Park in Alta Vista, this year on Saturday, April 19, is a 1938 Minneapolis-Moline Comfortractor,” announced Connie Larson, president of the family-owned park featuring farm equipment dated from the 1800s through the mid-1960s.
Cranking up for a packed day and a full year of activities, the park at 103 South Main Street in the southwest Wabaunsee County community of Alta Vista is to be open from 8 o’clock in the morning, to 5 o’clock in the afternoon.
The Alta Vista Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a biscuit and gravy breakfast downtown from 7 o’clock to 10 o’clock in the morning.
“All entries are welcome for the tractor display kicking off with a Parade of Power Cruise through downtown Alta Vista at 9:30, with many of the more than 40 tractors permanently displayed at the park to also be featured,” Larson said.
Tractors will return to the park and be on display until 4 o’clock in the afternoon. “There is no preregistration required, and no fee for participation throughout the day,” Larson invited.
Ron Schultz and Friends are to be jamming with bluegrass and gospel music in the park starting at 11 o’clock, with lunch, snacks and drinks to be available at the park, throughout the day.
“The Chamber of Commerce’s annual Easter Egg Hunt is at 1 o’clock, in the City Park, and Alta Vista’s business district will be open all day, with several collectible and antique shops, and cafés,” Larson noted.
“We have a barn quilt block ’how-to’ program, sponsored by the Kansas Flint Hills Quilt Trail, scheduled at 2 o’clock, featuring information about choosing patterns, sizes, location, priming, painting, and hanging barn quilt blocks,” informed Larson, noting that the Ag Heritage Park’s main museum building has two barn quilt blocks painted by artist Susan Kesl.
Tagged “The Gentleman’s Tractor,” the Minneapolis-Moline Company streamlined a cab and set of fenders on an existing tractor chassis, offering both the utility of a tractor and the comfort of an automobile in one vehicle, when designing the Minneapolis-Moline UDLX Comfortractor.
One classic model which is now owned by Stamm Tractors of Washington is to be driven in the parade and displayed at the park by the Clint Stamm Family.
“The Comfortractor was ahead of its time, being suitable as a workhorse going up to 45 miles per hours by day, and for an evening on the town at night,” according to Larson.
In early 1938, Minneapolis-Moline produced 25 of the UDLX, short for Model and Deluxe, models, with an optional cab. Later in the year, 125 more were equipped with cabs as standard equipment.
“While the UDLX Comfortractor was too expensive for most farmers, it was also introduced to the industrial world, equipped with snow plows, and it is recorded that some rural mail carriers even found them useful,” Larson informed.
“Besides watching the visitor tractors ‘crank up,’ and be on display, those coming to Ag Heritage Park in Alta Vista will have the opportunity to ‘step back in time,’ critiquing the permanently-displayed tractors, ranging in age from 1918 to 1960,” Larson said.
These tractors were collected by Ag Heritage Park founders, Everett and Hazel Zimmerman, and put on public display in 1999. The park also features a large selection of horse drawn equipment.
Additional attractions include an 1885-era one-room schoolhouse, a two-room farmhouse, and a log cabin, along with other farm outbuildings.
Two museum structures highlight a complete assortment of household items, miscellaneous farm memorabilia and machinery.
“Ag Heritage Park displays offer interest for young and old, and any age group. Only admission is a donation for park upkeep and maintenance,” Larson commented.
Information about Ag Heritage Park in Alta Vista is available at www.AgHeritagePark.com.