The year was 1948 and I (John Glenn) was 7 years old growing up on my dad’s chicken farm. I was playing in the side yard when I spotted a shiny red tractor in the field. I ran in the house to ask my mom if I could go see the big red tractor, she said okay.
I ran across the field to a new 1948 M Farmall. The man introduced himself as Roy Rogers. He was rolling dories onto a stone boat that had surfaced after he plowed.
This tractor was the work horse of the 1200-acre gentleman’s estate. It pulled a self-contained baler (no power PTO), it ran the belt for the silo blower (we still have the belt) it pulled as I mentioned a stone boat, a hay rake (before adding hay) and a ground driven (with chains) manure spreader (before PTO driven spreaders) and a self-contained combine.
In 1960 the 120’ barn with all the equipment burnt to the ground a total loss. The only piece of equipment to survive was the 1948 M. It was being used at the stable at the time.
In its last years as a working tractor it was used at the stable. (In picture) the stable had 29 stalls and was 250 feet long. We had to back into the stable with a spreader (no power steering, with a wide front end) down a narrow aisle to clean stalls once a day.
In the year 2000 the estate was sold to New York State as a State Park. The tractor stayed in the park (it had survived once again). The winter of 2018 I decided (Old Betsy) needed a new coat of paint. After nearly 72 years the tractor had no rust.
Thanks to Steiner’s catalog and their wonderful people on the phone, I was amazed that they had all the parts I needed for a 1948 Farmall. I also could not have achieved my goal of restoring this old work horse without my friend, as well as one of the best mechanics I have known, Dave Spahn. The tractor now is used for hayrides in the park.
Old Betsy got her name from a lovely woman who was a prominent member of The Friends of Knox Farm State Park. Unfortunately, she passed away before I finished this project.
John A. Glenn of East Aurora, New York
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