HANCEVILLE, Ala. — It has loads of horsepower and torque to spare and, running wide-open, might barely move! The classic tractor is designed to pull heavy loads and do hard work, keeping big power under tight control, and is a staple of modern agriculture.
After the COVID year off, Hanceville’s annual celebration of all things “tractor” returned to Wallace State Community College with a collection of vehicles dating back to the 1930s, some restored collectors’ pieces and others fresh from the field. The event featured tractor displays, ice cream from churns powered by vintage engines, ladies’ cast iron skillet throwing contest and the “Parade of Power” around the Wallace State campus. A popular event, pointing back to the tractor’s original purpose, was the slow race, in which competitors tried to be the last to cross the finish line without stalling.
Charles Allen who, along with Bonnie Hamrick Brannan, took charge of the event from founders Jimmy Hamrick and Hershel Needham, told The Tribune, “It did great. We were concerned about the weather, but it turned out great.
“Back in my day, we used them to farm with; well, really before my day, we used mules, but really, about the time I got through farming, tractors came in. Bottom line is they’re using tractors still today to farm, with these older tractors. So these are either ones people have restored, in the process of restoring, or one or two just came in from the field, and came to the show. Then they’ll go back to the field. They’re a work in progress, no matter how you look at it.”
If you went back to farming, mule or tractor?
Allen smiled, “Tractor, by a long shot!”
In 2022, Hanceville will host the Alabama State Tractor Show.
To keep up with events and schedules, visit https://www.facebook.com/HancevilleTractorShow/.
Copyright 2021 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
