When the Old Glade Antique Tractor Association hosts a summer Offer, the sound of the old machinery might not be the only one you will hear at the Fairview Homestead. The 14th annual summer Offer, which is set to be held starting from June 17, 18, and 19 on Hillman Highway at Abingdon, will highlight the Auction Clydesdales horses’ display. The horses, which Bart Long and Associates Realty and Auction have owned, will be displayed on the entire day of Saturday.
The Offer will start at 8 am and end at 4 pm within the three days. Although there is no admission, the participants are encouraged to make donations. Long said that he was happy with the idea of driving horses because they were used to build the country by pulling wagons in downtown Chicago or rural farming areas. Long also claimed that his realty and auction firm used horses as business ambassadors by showcasing majestic horses at parades, trade fairs, and other events.
The bay-colored horses weighed approximately 2,200 pounds each and had a height of 19 hands. The equipment and horses are moved in a custom-made 53-feet featherlight semitrailer established to haul wagons, harnesses, and horses. The display of Long will include the classic yellow hitch wagon that Studebaker Brother Company established in Chicago state in 1908. Lawrence Wagon Works managed to restore the wagon in 2010. Long considers the wagon as one of the few unique wagons felt in the American nation.
Demonstration of antique farming equipment
Ron Stevenson, the president of the non-profit organization, said that since they had canceled the Offer, which was scheduled to be held during summer due to the pandemic, they hope this year’s event could be the most memorable one. Apart from the attraction of the Auction Clydesdales, Blue Ridge PBS could be available at the show to film demonstrations of classic farming equipment at Fairview Homestead such as blacksmith shop, threshing machine, and sawmill. One of the community relations experts for Abingdon named Tenille Montgomery revealed that the broadcasting firm had received money from the Virginia Tobacco Commission to cover future stories on Southwest Virginia effectively.
The antique farming equipment demonstrations were expected to be conducted throughout the weekend while the cabin at Fairview had to be displayed for three days for public viewing. Also, one of the staff at BSN Rodeo company, named Brad Nelm, had to bring ponies, horses, and bull for exhibition.
Stevenson expected that the show, which will be held in summer, will attract visitors from South and North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia. Most of these visitors will come with antique tractors to display them at the event. In this case, Stevenson hopes that approximately 160 antique tractors will be showcased at the show. Notably, Stevenson revealed that people who will come with their trucks, cars, small engine equipment such as antique lawnmowers and antique tractors would not pay any fees. The small equipment will include anything which can be dragged, pulled, or pushed. Every day amid the show, the machinery owners will hold a parade of power by riding on their antique tractors around the Fairview grounds. The members of the tractors association will display their equipment as vendors by selling tractor parts and antiques. Further, the Q’s Dream Kitchen from Church Hill in Tennessee will sell food and drinks at the event.
Largest Fundraiser
Stevenson believes that the largest fundraising event is the summer show held by the tractor association every year. However, last year’s fundraising was affected due to the coronavirus pandemic. In particular, the show was canceled, and they could not request financial support since most businesses experienced operational challenges. The company plans to use the donations raised this year to support future projects at Fairview. Currently, the tractor association is raising money to establish a period-correct general store to represent the 1850s era. The association plans to use the store in displaying antiques donated to them. The store will also be a focal point for future events the association will host at Fairview, and Stevenson estimated that the project cost would range between $30,000 to $40,000.
Showcase history
Stevenson claimed that their summer show concentrates on the history of the region people’s way of life amid the late 1800s. In particular, Stevenson said that typically a wheat threshing machine is owned by one person within the community who moved from one firm to another. It could take approximately six people to run the machine. Therefore, farmers had to collaborate. After that, the farmers could take wheat to a local water mill located on a river grounded in flour for use during winter.
Stevenson purported that due to long distances between firms, most farmers decided to build their blacksmith ships and educated themselves on how they could carry out repairs. As a result, most local communities owned a sawmill similar to the one donated by the Briscoe family of Abingdon to the tractor association in 2014. Also, Stevenson revealed that most of the lumber donated to the non-firm organization was split with the old A.B Farquhar circular sawmill for the local people to use in other projects at the living history museum.
Hagy family that moved from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania built the log cabin at Fairview in 1812. After that, he traveled to Southwest Virginia on a horse wagon. When they settled in Abingdon, they established Hagy Wagon company that was situated in the Abingdon downtown. The Hagy family lived on Fairview property, where they raised 12 children in their log home.
If you wish to get additional information, contact Johnny Perdue at 276 492 1142 or Ron Stevenson at 276 356 5397. The Fairview Homestead is situated at 908 Hillman Highway in Abingdon, and you can follow the Old Glade Antique Tractor Association on their Facebook page.
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