Sometimes the simple pleasures make the best memories. In days gone by, Gary Kinman recalls times shared with a friend on the family’s Ford 8N tractor. Gary’s family used the tractor to farm 60 acres, but the tractor also served as a mode of transportation all over the county. Once all the work was done, Gary would take the tractor on trips to the country store located about a mile and a half away.
Here’s how Gary describes it:
“A friend and I would ease down the road and pick up old pop bottles along the road. A country store one and a half miles from our farm had a gas pump outside. We would take what pop bottles we picked up and stop at the store to cash them in. We would put 25 to 30 cents of gas in the tank, get a cold pop, and 10 pieces of Double Bubble or Bazooka Joe bubble gum. We’d run the rest of the day, with a jaw filled with bubble gum and a Coke between our knees! We were content!”
Like all good things, the days of riding this tractor came to an end. The family sold the farm and the tractor went with the sale. That tractor was gone.
However, the family’s appreciation for Ford 8Ns didn’t end on the old farm. For people who appreciate Ford 8N tractors, it gets into your blood. Gary’s father bought two 8Ns and make a deal with a mechanic. Gary’s father wanted one working 8N tractor made from the two. Payment for the mechanic would be remaining components from the second tractor. The tractor shown in the accompanying photo is the one, and it has been in the family for more than 40 years.
Gary bought a new farm in 1973, and he brought his father’s “new” tractor. This second tractor has been with him ever since. It has been his faithful companion in raising gardens on this new piece of ground. For much of his life, Gary has made fond memories in the company of two Ford 8N tractors. Given the choice, he wouldn't have had it any other way.
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