A former West Plains resident with a passion for antique tractors was recently featured in the High Plains Journal, a weekly publication devoted to agricultural news based in Dodge City, Kan., and serving subscribers in 12 states.
“Americana on Display: Vintage Machinery” was published int he Dec. 22 issue of the Journal and highlights Michael Hinton, creator and founder of Antique Tractor Preservation Day. Hinton, who now lives in Hutchinson, Kan., began the annual celebration of historical farm tractors while living in rural West Plains, he shared.
The article by Dave Bergmeier explains the origins of Hinton’s passion for tractors with vivid imagery: “[Hinton’s family’s] home was in the country with a picturesque setting in the Mark Twain National Forest. Because of the hilly terrain with grass and rocks the property needed TLC, Hinton said.
“‘I thought to myself I’m going to get myself a tractor,’ he said, adding his wife enthusiastically agreed and they purchased a 1949 Farmall Cub with a belly mower. ‘It was stout.’
“It became an extended family affair as his father-in-law readily helped Hinton when it needed work. A snow-plow attachment came in handy because of the quarter-mile drive Michael and (his wife) Tonya lived on.
“Owning Farmalls was now ingrained in Michael.”
That first tractor sparked a drive to learn more about Farmalls and antique tractors, resulting in him gathering resources and joining clubs, the article continues. Still in West Plains, he built a website, which ultimately led to his first antique tractor show in 2010. In April 2011, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, at that time the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Eight District, announced that Antique Tractor Preservation Day was recorded in the Congressional Record.
Read the article in full online at hpj.com/2023/12/22/americana-on-display-with-vintage-machinery.
