I do not know the exact model year of the tractor we owned. International Harvester only produced the Model H between 1939 and 1953. My story today took place in December 1976. Thus, the tractor was between 20 and 35 years old at the time of the story.
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| restored Farmall H in Tennessee photo credit: Flickr user ford8n original image link, CC by 2.0 |
The H did not always start like it was supposed to start. I was too young to recall the real issue with starting the H. I remember that we would park the H on the hill in the yard. Then to start the H, we would turn on the key, push in the clutch, put the tractor in gear, let the tractor start rolling down the hill, and let out the clutch to start the tractor. This made it possible to start the H without pulling/pushing it with another tractor.
In December 1976, on the day of my cousin Allison's baptism, my dad decided that he wanted to start the H tractor. I do not remember why we needed to start the H. I was nine (9) years old. Dad hooked the team (Flax and Fred) up to the cart. He got out a chain and hooked the cart to the H using the chain. He put me on the tractor to run the clutch and start the tractor. Dad drove the team. We pulled the tractor out of the snow in the yard. I would let out the clutch but the tractor did not start.
Dad drove the team down the road toward the Haderlies (our next closest neighbor to the north). I would put in the clutch and let it out but the tractor would not start. Dad started trotting the team to increase the speed to see if that would make the tractor start. He directed me on trying different gears. He also started calling to me about when to let out the clutch. We pulled the tractor all the way to Haderlies but the tractor did not start.
When we got to Haderlies, we pulled into their yard and turned the H around. Then dad pulled the tractor back onto the road to head back toward our house. At this point, Dad decided that I might not be running the clutch quite right to make the tractor start. So, he asked me to trade places with him. He would be on the tractor and I would drive the team from the cart.
I got on the cart and picked up the lines. Dad got on the tractor to try starting it. Dad instructed me that he would give the voice commands to drive the team. When we were ready, Dad spoke to the team to start them. However, we had some slack in the chain. When the team started and the chain came tight, the cart jerked in the air and to the side. Unfortunately, I did not stay on the cart seat.
I fell off of the cart and hit my head on the frozen road. ... HARD! I remember it hurt. I do not remember much else. I was laying on my back looking up at the sky. But I heard Dad yell for me to roll. I rolled to my side and the rear tire of the tractor brushed down my back as the tractor moved over of me.
I do not know how far the team went before Dad got them stopped. They were well broke, so it was likely not very far. I also do not remember how we got back to the house. I assume I either drove the team or steered the tractor. We did not get the tractor started.
I remember that I was left home from Allison's baptism in bed because I did not feel good.
We did not get the H tractor started that day. To my memory, we never started the H tractor after that. Dad parked the H in the "loafing shed" to the west of the house. We put plywood boards around the wheels to keep the stock from rubbing against the tractor or getting stuck between the wheels.
In June 2009, we visited the ranch. Annette and I took a walk with the kids around the ranch and took several pictures. One picture we took was of Ashton and Tate sitting on the seat of the H tractor. You can see the remaining posts from the loafing shed supports. Kelly left them when he removed the roof.
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| Ashton (5) and Tate (3) in June 2009 sitting on the H on the ranch |
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| Ashton (15), Jason (20), Truman (16), and Tate (13) July 2019 sitting on the H at Kelly's House |
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