Youth experience riding and operating antique tractors in Rio Linda at the Dry Creek Ranch House for Plow Day on Oct. 11 and 12, hosted by the Rio Linda Elverta Historic Society.

 

RIO LINDA, CA (MPG) – Tractors and engines of old and new took to the fields of the Rio Linda Elverta Historic Society for the annual Plow Days on Oct. 11 and 12, giving spectators the opportunity to watch, ride or drive heavy machinery.

To help plow the vast amount of acreage at the historical society, members from the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club (ACMOC), a global organization dedicated to preserving mechanical history, made their way from as far as Pennsylvania for the event. Jaymee Gee of Yuba City, the Chapter 15 director of Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club and the Cal-Sierra Tracklayers, said that Caterpillars are the backbone of farming in yesteryear. 

About 10 tractors from the 1940s and early 1950s carried discs or other plowing equipment, including a handful of more modern tractors. Gee said that the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club is an organization dedicated to educating and preserving the history of Caterpillar tractors. He said the organization participates in shows or demonstrations throughout the world. 

Dan Thompson of Winnemucca, Nevada operates a pulley system with his 1.5 horsepower Dempster engine during Plow Day in Rio Linda at the Dry Creek Ranch House on Oct. 11. The event lasted two days, Oct. 11 and 12, hosted by the Rio Linda Elverta Historic Society.

Rio Linda Elverta Historic Society President Jason Green said that individuals traveled locally from Galt, Lincoln and Yuba City, as well as from Oregon and Nevada. An early generation Cletrac Crawler from around the 1920s was a featured out-of-state machine as well as an early generation Rumlee Oil Puller. A crawler has continuous tracks instead of wheels and the puller rolls on treaded metal wheels. 

“Caterpillar has been very good about supplying parts for tractors that are over 100 years old,” Gee said. “They’re easy to work on, very reliable. Not like the new-fangled stuff they have.”

Gee said that 2025 is the centennial year for Caterpillar Incorporated, with its historical significance originating in California. Caterpillar Incorporated was founded in 1925 as a result of a merger between Holt Manufacturing Company and C.L. Best Tractor Company, according to Gee.

Rob Barkley, an Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club member from Pennsylvania, said that he sees quite a few Caterpillar tractors in fields while in California, a sight that is rare to see on the East Coast. He said equipment on the East Coast is “a lot rougher.”

A Plow Day patron rides along an antique Caterpillar tractor across the fields of the Rio Linda Elverta Historic Society, plowing the fields for the society’s annual event on Oct. 11 and 12 at the Dry Creek Ranch House.

Bev Davis, 96 and a Rio Linda resident for more than 50 years, said that Oct. 11 was his first day back on his feet after taking a “header” of a fall in February, breaking his hip. Davis said he drove himself to the historical society property and was traversing the freshly plowed rows of dirt with a cane.  

“My tractor still goes,” Davis said. 

Multiple Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club members shared that they started their fascination with machinery at an early age. Gee said that he grew up around tractors and did not know that it would become a passion. Gee was given an earthmover for free and was “hooked” from there.  

Gee said that making friends at track shows or demonstrations is easy because everyone has a common interest and is willing to help one another. He said through organizations such as Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club, new members, advocates, collectors and hobbyists can share a wealth of knowledge that isn’t found on Google. 

Other Plow Day features were standalone engines from the early 1900s, lined up near the parking area of the historic society property. Dan Thompson from Winnemucca, Nevada said that he visits Rio Linda for events such as the Farm and Tractor Days or Plow Days for 16 years. 

Thompson brought a 1.5 horsepower Dempster engine, mounted on a skid that was powering a mining demonstration. Thompson demonstrated the engine’s ability to hook up to different systems such as pumps or pulleys to move water or mining equipment. His Plow Day demonstration featured a bucket depicting precious metals being hoisted out of a mine.

Cheryl Tsushima, a Lincoln resident and frequent attendee of tractor events in Rio Linda since 2016, said that she normally has her engine “doing something,” meaning that she has a demonstration similar to Thompson’s. Tsushima said she is also an auto shop teacher at American River College. She started her collection with her grandfather’s engine and water pump. 

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, Oct. 12 is also National Farmers Day and the historical society shared a message about the holiday on its Facebook page.

The Rio Linda Elverta Historical Society is at 6852 Dry Creek Road in Rio Linda. To learn more about the society, its events or how to get involved, visit its website at https://rlehistorical.org/ or its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1093030600756202.