Big Rapids Antique Farm & Power Club
B. R. A. F. P. Club history time line
1994 . A. J. Morlan started getting members to start a club.
1995 . First meeting held at the Alamode restaurant in Big Rapids. The club starts with A. J. Morland as the First President, Carl Carpenter as Vice President. With Tom Weipert as Treasurer, and Shirley Baumunk as Secretary. The club was formed to build show grounds at A. J. Morland grounds.
1996 . First event . Swap Meet held at A.J. Morlan grounds. 1996 . First Show- Held at the Paris Park, with Greasy Fingers Two Cylinder Club.
1997 . First Plow day at Al Pitt's land near Barryton, ( a fun day). 1997 . Second Show at Paris Park. And 2nd Swap meet at Old Paris Fish Hatchery.
1997 . Members invited to help at tractor and truck pull at Big Rapids Fair. 1997 . Members invited to bring tractors to side walk sale days in Big Rapids.
1998 . Plow day at Darnell's, Show at Paris Park, Swap meet at Jon Switzer's in Paris. 1998 . John Stenberg became the clubs second president. The club looked at leasing land from J. Switzer.
1999 . At meeting in Hersey, Dick Worth offered to sell the club 30 acres at a cost of $1000.00 per acre, members looked it over and voted to buy the land.
1999 . April- the club broke ground for our new grounds
1999 . Our first event Swap meet was good, we also had a consignment auction, to raise money for payments and things for the grounds, ( big success)!
1999 . We held our first Show on our grounds, The Fitch 4 pull tractor was our first featured tractor.
2000 . We built our first building (pole barn) for meetings. Our second show Featuring Hart-Parr, Oliver, Cletrac, Engines, Tractors, Equipment. With flea market, antique cars, blacksmithing, threshing and baling, saw mill, daily parade.
2000 . We started our first Education day ( 200 children, 24 stations).
2001 . Dick Worth dies. His sons offer the club 6 acres on the Southern end of the club grounds for $12,000 and the club bought it to add to our 30 acres, with many donations. James Misner becomes the club.s president. The featured tractor was Allis Chalmers and equipment and Stover engines.
2002 . Featured Tractor: International Farmall
2003 . Shows featured tractor Ford/Fordson and related equipment, along with Fairbanks-Morse engines.
2004 . The Featured tractor John Deere and equipment.
2005 . The Featured tractor: Case tractors and equipment:
2006 . Our second building a cover for the saw mill is built and we buy mill from Frank Fitzgerald. The Featured tractor: Massey Harris and Wheel horse with Stove hit and miss.
2007 . President Jim Misner resigns to take a teaching job in the state of Montana, Lois Spedowski. Takes over the task of interim president, for the balance of his term. The Featured tractor: Minneapolis-Moline, and equipment.
2008 . We made our last payment on our land! This was done with a lot of work and donations, friendship, determination on our club! The future- the sky is the limit- if we work together, we will leave a legacy. October. Jerry Buskirk. Was elected new club president. The Featured Tractor: Massy Ferguson.
2009 . Addition was added to the saw mill for storage and cover for viewers.
2010 . Plow day May 10 that, John Stenberg had in Hersey Michigan. The club stated to build a store and a black smith building and a building for the shingle mill. The featured tractor: Coop Tractors and related equipment:
2010. The Featured tractor: John Deere and John Deere equipment.
2011 . The Featured Tractor: International Farmall and related equipment.
2012 . The Featured Tractor: Home Built and Lesser known tractors and equipment.
2013 . The club members built our first pavilion for the shows. James Misner became the club president. The Featured tractor: International Farmall and related equipment.
2014 . The Featured Tractor: Case Tractors and related equipment.
2015 . The second club pavilion was built with the help of the Greasy Fingers two cylinder club, doing the work building it for their uses. The Featured tractor: Oliver Tractors and related equipment.
2016 . The Featured Tractor: Minneapolis- Moline Tractor. and related equipment. We own our club grounds and the buildings, most of all the building were built by our members doing the labor. The saw mill cut most of the lumber. We have built a club store, black smith building, pole barn for club meetings, two pavilions, and a shingle mill.
2017 . Colin Giles elected club president. Featured Tractor: Ford and Ford Ferguson and related equipment.
Education Days:
On education day members teach 5th grade students how things were done in their great-grandparents' day: how to split logs, use a cant hock and shell corn, saw logs with a cross cut saw, how to use a block and tackle to raise different types of pulleys to raise weights. How to grind corn, how to use kitchen utensils, how to make butter, how the blacksmith works, cutting corn for silage and cut beats, and how to make rag rugs, and quilting and how the saw mill works. Great Lakes Energy Electric Company gave a safety demonstration of the dangers of power lines.
Unfortunately, many of our members are aging and are not able to participate as fully in preserving and presenting the way in which farm families lived and the tools they used. If you are interested in keeping the memory of our farm ancestor's way of life and the tools they used, we are looking for new members to join the club to continue the preservation of the agricultural past. All you need is an interest in what the club is about.
Big Rapids Antique Farm And Power Club donates money back to the public: Wounded Warriors and Make A Wish.
Club History and Timeline
Special Thanks to: Warren Bolton
Our Logo:
The Big Rapids Antique Farm and Power Club's logo is of a picture of the Keith Schuberg family's 1929 Fitch 4 pull tractor Model F 15-30 that had power pulling on all four wheels. It was manufactured in Big Rapids, Michigan, on the corner of Maple Street & Bjorenson Avenue. The Company was founded in 1916 by John Fitch, a Ludington fruit farmer and inventor. He choose Big Rapids because it had a new electric power plant, and the Pere Marquette and the Grand Rapids & the Indiana Railroads were just a block away. Big Rapids would furnish, a new building for the manufacture of his tractors. You can find more information about this tractor company on the Internet: type Fitch 4 pulls tractor sites.
Our Mission:
We are an active museum for historical and educational purposes. Our mission is to promote display old tractors and tools, mainly Agricultural in nature, but not absolutely necessary. A.J. Morlan in 1994 got a group interested in starting a tractor club here in Big Rapids, Michigan. They had their first meeting at the Alamode restaurant in Big Rapids. The club started with A.J. Morlan as the first club president. On February 16, 1995 the club was incorporated. A non-profit organization dedicated to perservation, demonstration and display of antique farm and power equipment as a part of our American history and heritage. We are looking for new members to join the club to continue the preservation of the agricultural past. All you need is an interest in what the club is about.