Ford tractor museum?

Bern

Well-known Member
Location
Mount Vernon, WA
I found myself in the Detroit area last week, so I stopped in at the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn and spent the day there. What an incredible place - I highly recommend you go there if you get a chance.

That said, the agriculture section was a disappointment for me. I would have thought that a museum with Henry Ford's name on it would have had more Ford tractors on display. However, all I saw was the very first Fordson, along with the prototype 9N. The latter was pretty cool to see, but it would have been even better had there been some later red and blue iron as well.

So my question is, are there any other museums in the US that would have satisfied my desire to see a few more of Henry's machines?
 
The ford museum is, indeed a wonderful museum, especially for those interested in the history of industry. The adjoining Greenfield Village is likewise. To see both one really needs most of a day in each.

I've not been to either since 1977 but both are on my list of things to see (again) soon.

IIRC, the farm equipment exhibit was significant when I attended in 1977 (can't remember the number of Ford pieces) but who knows how things have changed since the museum is no longer associated with FoMoCo.

Dean
 
A great tractor museum near Colonial Heights and Fort Lee, VA is the Keystone Antique Truck and Tractor Museum. LOTS of tractors, not so many Fords but still a very interesting place to visit. Some semis, and other large trucks. Also a great gift shop with plenty of agricultural models and toys. Here's their website: keystonetractorworks.com
 
Yes, The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village are significant places in America that preserve a lot of our History. Everyone should visit there at least once in their lifetime. The Village alone is well worth the trip. Edison?s Menlo Park Lab; Carvers cottage; the original FORD building; and the original Smith?s Creek train depot with the real Calumet & Hecla System locomotive running. The HF Museum went through a horrible time back starting in the 90?s maybe sooner. Blame it on mismanagement, unqualified managers/directors/curators, poor business decisions, and lack of interest. The tractor/farm display was downsized, most tractors and artifacts auctioned off. There were a few sets of the original 9N Blueprints sold at that time as well. In 2003 the curator then left for another state and the display was left with the Ferguson-Brown Type A, the one Ferguson demonstrated to Henry Ford in 1938, and the 9N prototype, and some IHC tomato picker. I agree that the AG/Tractor/Farm display should have one Ford tractor of every model built. Toss in about 3 dozen implements as well. Don?t blame the volunteers and others concerned as well. There have been numerous offers by many private owners willing to donate their tractors and implements, myself included, only to be refused and turned down. The way it was told to me by a reliable source, the team that runs the place now, are a younger, have no clue, group whose only interest is in modern technology and pop music. They want nothing to do with the past. There are several private collectors/restorers out there who have their own mini-museums. Members like Harold Cooke, Kelly Jewell, Dwight Emstrom, Don Barkley, Gene Kruse, and Jason Grooms, to name a few all have several tractors and implements in their collections. ALL are more than happy if you want to stop by for a visit and tour and share a cup or cold one. One special elderly couple, whom I won?t name, lives in mid-Ohio, and he worked at a Ford Plant in his days. They have a huge pole barn strictly dedicated as a Ford Museum full of tractors, implements, and memorabilia. Hey welcome visits and giving tours ?just give a heads up and plan on spending a few hours there. I recall Marv Baumann, 8N V8 guru, sold an early 8N 3-digit s/n few years ago, couldn?t give it away to the Henry Ford, and some small museum in Ohio or Indiana or Illinois did accept it. By the way, back in 2003 I tried to start a campaign/petition to the then HF curator on his decision to practically deplete the AG display and it didn?t get much support. You could probably find that old post in the archives here. Two years ago I began to organize an event at the HF/Greenfield Village for June 29, 2019 to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Ford-Ferguson 9N Tractor debut. At first I was just going to keep it for all the early 9N owners -1939-1941, then decided to open it up for ALL Ford Tractor owners. No matter as the interest was less than a half dozen owners, and the powers that be at the Henry Ford wanted to know how many would be in attendance so they could adjust the cost of ?renting out? the Village. WHAT? You?d think they?d be jumping all over trying get something like this organized themselves. Even some of the Ford Tractor clubs and organizations are not interested saying they already have their show dates set and with what models they are going to feature. So why did this date slip by these clubs? An 80th Anniversary seems pretty significant for any even to me.

Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)
 
(quoted from post at 20:09:18 08/13/18) I found myself in the Detroit area last week, so I stopped in at the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn and spent the day there. What an incredible place - I highly recommend you go there if you get a chance.

That said, the agriculture section was a disappointment for me. I would have thought that a museum with Henry Ford's name on it would have had more Ford tractors on display. However, all I saw was the very first Fordson, along with the prototype 9N. The latter was pretty cool to see, but it would have been even better had there been some later red and blue iron as well.

So my question is, are there any other museums in the US that would have satisfied my desire to see a few more of Henry's machines?

It was 2011 when I was there. I think it was parts of 3 days I spent there. It is all so wonderful to see, but I too was very disappointed in the agricultural part of the exhibit.

Greenfield Village was much more impressive. The Rouge River Plant and it's environmental friendliness was great as well. The plant tour (they solely made F-150s then) was not as impressive as my CaseIH combine plant tour in East Moline in '96. I felt like we were held at arm's length with not so much interaction with a tour guide and didn't really see very much. They were just assembling parts rather than building a truck.

I took it upon myself to go out to Fairlane, Henry and Clara's Estate. It was undergoing renovation after coming back into the Ford Foundation's possession and wasn't open to the public, but we were free to roam it's grounds. I came upon the groundskeepers on lunch break. One of them was very talkative and knew his Ford history up one side and down the other. Simply fascinating! Perhaps the best part of my time with Henry.
 
Tim,

Very sad to hear that at one time the Ford museum had many more tractors bearing his name. Seems like a no-brainer to me to accept potential gifts such as yours.

Any chance you could share with me the contact info for the guy in Ohio if I open up my e-mail? You say that he loves to give visits, but then you say you wont tell us who he is. I'd consider going back out that way just for that.
 
Thirty years ago the museum was completely different; more Ag, more mechanical. The display evolves to appeal to the audience, unfortunately we are in the minority.
 
BTW: in 1960 my dad offered his early 9N to the museum. the museum politely declined saying they already had one.

this is a photo of it. sure wish I knew what the ser. no. was.
a276808.jpg
 
I salivated every time I go in there and look at that nice Early Bronco, and those trucks. Seems to be a few too many John Deere to suit my taste, but Keystone Tractor Museum is one of the best Tractor museums that I have seen.
Since I live nearby, I have visited the museum a lot. The story of how he came across some of the exhibits appeals to me. For instance the Early Bronco was a payment for a debt, and then refurbished.
My wife likes to visit the tractor museum. Happy wife, happy ....
 
I used to work for years few miles down Michigan Ave in Dearborn from Greenfield Village and the museum. Never went there. Seem to recall I went there as a kid growing up on the east side of Detroit.

Since I'm retired now, it sounds like it's time to head over there. (It's less than an hour away). Problem is that I'm so darn busy on projects and property development for our new retirement homestead. Guess I'll just have to make a "date" with my wife.
 

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