Like sentinels clad in green and red, vintage tractors lined the field at the Weisenberg-Lowhill Township Historical Society the last weekend in April as an homage to farming families and agricultural life.

At the welcome tent, visitors could purchase merchandise related to the event.

Rhonda Dengler and Doris Baush greeted visitors.

“We’ve been registering guys with their tractors today,” Dengler said. “We have hats, T-shirts and sweatshirts for sale and goody bags for visitors.”

“These tractors belonged to my husband,” said Doris Baush, pointing to the first two. “He collected two-cylinder tractors and when he retired, he would take them apart, paint them and reassemble them.”

“My son takes care of them now,” she continued. “I have a pole shed at the farm.”

The tractors were the workhorses of agricultural families.

“We farmed three farms, over 100 acres,” her son John Baush recalled.

“We plowed 90 acres a couple of weeks ago over at Hoover farms,” he continued. “They were so happy that [they invited us] to do it again next year.”

“The people in this club want to take the tractors and plow,” John Baush said. “This is living history, like that show on TV, Tractor Fever. That’s what our club is about.”

The Old Time Plow Boys stage two shows a year at the historical society.

The Old Time Plow Boys will return to the historical society on Aug. 9 and 10.

“This event gives visitors an appreciation of how people had to work their butts off,” said Donald Peters, a member of the historical society. “The changes in farming have been so dramatic.”

“We hope to give visitors some history. The kids like to watch the tractors,” said David Master, one of nine directors of the Plow Boys. “Most of our tractors are donated and now the club owns five.”

The creation of the first farm tractor is attributed to John Froelich who constructed and demonstrated a gasoline-powered tractor.

The invention led to the formation of the Waterloo Gasoline Traction Engine Company and Froelich was made president.

Eventually, Deere & Company purchased the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company, in Waterloo, Iowa.

This was the first time that Kate Gerhard and her family visited the show.

“It’s our first time,” Gerhard said keeping an eye on her year-old son, Kayce while she was purchasing a shirt for him and her husband at the welcome tent.

Like many at the event, her connection to farming is a family affair.

“My brother-in-law runs Gerhard Farms,” she said.

Sponsors of the event included Eckroth Equipment, Plaza Hardware, Weis Market, Kanner’s Tires, Hillside Vinyl, Blue Valley Beverage, Wenz Memorials, Albright’s Mill and Wanamaker’s General Store.

Goody bags were provided by Steiner Tractor.