Wheel Horse Collectors Club First Meeting - 1999

[Cable 179]

The Wheel Horse Collector’s Club had its first meeting June 5th, 1999. At first Don, Cindy, and Jeff Kane intended this small group to meet at their home but the meeting was moved to South Mountain Fair grounds, Arendtsville, PA,  when the anticipated group size increased.

What started out as Don and Jeff Kane’s father-son hobby soon turned into an effort to start a Wheel Horse garden tractor restorers’ club.  This gathering was the first in the country exclusively for Wheel Horse products. A total of sixty Wheel Horses were present and about forty-nine people including wives and children. People from Florida, Connecticut, Alabama, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, and Indiana attended.

The Toro Corporation supported the event in several ways including supplying door prizes. Ed Cole of Toro Corporation,  brought a number of Wheel Horse branded items and everyone who attended to the end got something.  During later shows, these items went into the raffle. Ed said, "I think a hat was passed around to help the Kane's with all the expenses they had, as they bought everything out of their pocket.  I went back and got a check from Toro to cover the expense. This continued for several years until the club became self-sustaining.  Toro also helped in later years by covering all/half the cost of hats sold at the show."

 

Forty-nine of Ed Cole's photos of the meeting are at:

Edited June 24, 2015 by CasualObserver
fixed picture link

[AMC RULES 37,130]

Awesome group of  picts there...

thanks for sharing 'em.   

[Tankman 3,518]

Thanks for posting the pic's! Great group, Horses and their caretakers! 

Edited January 4, 2015 by Tankman

[varosd 1,185]

Thanks Bruce!

 

   So strange to see the "empty" fairground!  compare that to recent photos.

[KyBlue 655]

What great pictures!! Thank you for posting, and for sharing!!

[neil 2,409]

History is good , thanks for sharing the memories

[55rj35jr 623]

thanks for sharing,, great show!

[fireman 1,021]

Now that's what I'm talking about. That's some group of fine restored tractors! If you notice it's mostly round hoods and pre 74' tractors. None of that 300, 400 and 500 series stuff or even C's for that mater! Man I wish I was part of that back then!

[Cable 179]

Now that's what I'm talking about. That's some group of fine restored tractors! If you notice it's mostly round hoods and pre 74' tractors. None of that 300, 400 and 500 series stuff or even C's for that mater! Man I wish I was part of that back then!

I regularly regret having sold my Commando 8 a few years back when I moved on the heavier iron. Many of us really like to older tractors.  After AMC bought the company and them Toro purchased it a lot has changed.   One thing we need to appreciate is the commitment that Toro has given to the Wheel Horse Collectors Club.  I have updated my original post on this thread to reflect some of that support.