Back When: 1939 IH Farmall F14
In September of 1939, Louis Holtman purchased this 1939 IH Farmall F14 from the John Schnicke Implement in Meadow Grove, Nebraska. Louis used the F14 to farm property he rented near Meadow Grove until he purchased a farm near Mill Grove, Missouri, in January of 1947.
The F14 was the family’s only tractor until 1951 when they added a Massey Harris Challenger. After farming with the Challenger for a year, it was traded in on a new John Deere B, but the faithful old F14 continued to be used daily. By this time the F14’s dual tires had been converted to 10-40 rubber tires. Louis’ son, Gary left for the Air Force in 1957 and settled in Columbus, Mississippi, after leaving the military. His father passed away in 1977 and the farm was sold the following year, and the F14 was handed down to Gary’s brother Paul.
In 2007, Paul called Gary to ask if he would like to have their father’s F14. Paul told Gary that if he wanted the F14 he could have it since he was no longer able to keep it but wanted it to remain in the family. Gary was thrilled to take possession of the F14; he got the call on Wednesday and left to pick it up in Missouri on Sunday.
The F14 was on steel wheels when Gary picked it up since Roger, another of Gary’s brothers, had borrowed its tires temporarily for his F12 and put the steel wheels from his tractor on it. As luck would have it, Roger’s F12 was stolen along with the F14’s tires. Wanting the F14 to look the way he remembered it on the old home place, Gary decided to buy a new set of rubber tires to replace the steel wheels. When he got the F14, the sheet metal was in need of repainting and the decals replaced.
Gary’s oldest brother Robert was battling cancer at that time, and Gary was determined that Robert would be able to see the F14 back in its original condition. Working night and day for six weeks Gary was able to fulfill his wish.
The engine overhaul was not an easy task; Gary had to use a sledgehammer to remove the sleeves. He replaced the sleeves and pistons and the rod and main bearings which, by the way, Gary found out are the same as those in an IH Farmall C.
Gary has become quite an antique tractor collector and currently owns an IH Farmall A, Bungartz T5, BF Avery-Mineapolis Moline V (B F Avery merged with Minneapolis Moline in 1951 and rebranded the V as a Minneapolis Moline BG), John Deere LA, John Deere L, John Deere 40, John Deere 3010 LP, Massey Harris Pony, Allis Chalmers B, Massey Harris 44, IH B414, Farmall B, and a McCormick 42R combine.
He also has an antique Electric Wheel Company wagon with a scoop board on the back. It is constructed from cypress wood and turn of the century hardware. The Electric Wheel Company was located in Granite City, Illinois, and built wheels for most types of wagons and farm machinery, a variety of wagon running gear, and several models of complete wooden wagons with grain boxes.
Currently the F14, IH Farmall B, and John Deere LA are on display by special invitation at the Auto Museum in Tupelo, Mississippi.
