Putt, Putt, Putt -- Pow

As Independence Day approaches, we expect to hear the pow, pow of fireworks going off. But, we don't necessarily  expect to hear the putt, putt, putt, of old tractors.

But, that's what Vernon Althoff of rural Coggon has been up to this time of year since the mid-1990s. He put out a couple of his tractors for his brother, Lawrence's, homecoming after heart surgery and has been doing it ever since. (See my Ramblin' column in today's Gazette.)

A few tractors led to more including those of brother-in-law Ed Offerman and various neighbors. In all, about 50 tractors could be on display at Vernon's farm along Highway 13 near the Linn-Delaware county line about midway between Coggon and Ryan.

Vernon adds flags to his tractors to show his patriotism. He also displays the tractors each Memorial Day and Labor Day even though it takes more than a day to move them out and another day to store them again.

Vernon has always been a Case man, which is why you'll find a 1931 Case CC and a 1932 Case L among his collection that runs right up to the 1983 Case 2294 that he uses today.

The day I stopped, Vernon and Ed were going to work on a couple of 1940s Case VAC tractors to prepare them for the outdoor show.

"We kind of go back and forth from one shed to another," Vernon said. "Whatever is cool."

Let's just hope that it's a nice day this Independence Day because it's pretty cool that Vernon and friends share their collection.