Centennial Surprise

Growing up in Iowa, the John Deere tractor has been in my consciousness since it first turned towards farm machinery. While I did not grow up on a farm, agriculture was the driving force of the Iowa economy, so most of the media coverage dealt with agricultural issues. My first adult home was a very small hobby farm and I did own a John Deere tractor for a short time. This book describes the series of John Deere tractors from the originals with metal wheels to the early ones with pneumatic tires. A parade is to take place to celebrate the centennial of the town and all of the old tractors are to take part. People are dressing up in fashions of one hundred years ago and all the people and tractors are excited. After the parade, the people get together for a picnic and the tractors get together for a chat and to watch the closing fireworks before going home. The book closes with a description of the monument found in Froelich, Iowa, where John Froelich built the first gasoline powered tractor that went forwards and backwards. The company he helped organize was later renamed to The John Deere Tractor Company. Published by the John Deere Company, this book is a nice description of a party time in a small agricultural town. While the company products are mentioned several times, the emphasis is on the story and the celebration, so it is a nice book for young people to read. However, children from the city will probably not understand many of the agricultural references.