A popular event at the Whiteside County Fair is the Antique Tractor Parade before the grandstand. Friday, August 16, 2013, continued the tradition. On Monday, August 12, many exhibitors were part of a caravan that covered miles of country roads, during the 5th Annual Whiteside County Farm Bureau Antique Tractor Drive. Watch the video produced by Craig Pessman, whose parents, Gene and Margaret, hosted the initial gathering.
Friday’s parade was held at 5:45 and preceded the Tractor and Truck Pull.
The first tractor was a McCormick 300 Farmall driven by Bob Wilcox of Sterling, IL. It had lived under the roof of an old barn for 20 years, before being purchased and fully restored by Tom Munsen of Rock Falls, IL. To relive his childhood memories of driving an IH 300 Farmall, Wilcox purchased the tractor.
This vehicle was the backdrop for a photograph of President Barack Obama, when he visited the Whiteside County Fair on Wednesday, August 17, 2011. Click here to read that article and see Jamie Rodriguez’s photograph that went to the White House and traveled the world in Red Power Magazine.
The second entry was a 1953 70 Model John Deere tractor owned and restored by Jim Cain of Sterling. Both photos were taken by Hannah Rillie for thecity1.com.
