Some 15 tractors and drivers took part in Saturday’s eighth annual Washington Township Consolidated School tractor ride, which rolled east on the Minburn Road shortly after 9 a.m. under cloudless skies and hot and humid temperatures.
Red and green were mostly seen, with classic John Deeres and Cases and International-Harvesters sharing much of the field but with Massey Fergusons, Allis-Chalmers and McCormick-Deerings cropping up here and there.
Dave and Kathy Book of Minburn have organized the annual rides since 2012. Their daughter, Sheryl Book, delivered the pre-ride orientation and explained the day’s game plan, which included a drive through at the Spurgeon Manor in Dallas Center, a tour of the Brenton Arboretum, a stop at Forest Park Museum near Perry and a stop at a local tractor collector.
Given the heat of the day, plenty of stops were planned for stretching the legs and taking on water. The ride ended where it began, at Washington Township School, with ice cream and crisp served as a welcome relief from the heat of the open road.
Proceeds from the annual tractor ride, which falls on the last Saturday in June, help support ongoing restoration efforts at the 99-year-old Washington Township Consolidated School. A community breakfast in the school lunchroom started the day, with about 100 people served between 7-9 a.m.
