There will be a lot to see at the annual Paso Robles Pioneer Day Parade on October 12 but one of the main attractions has always been the horde of antique tractors that wows the crowd year-after-year, from massive lumbering machines that creak and clack their way down the parade route to single-rider, light duty machines, the Pioneer Day Parade has it all. Here are few entries to look for at this year’s parade:
1917 CLETRAC
This 102-year-old tractor is owned and operated by Tim Koster of Lockwood and will be pulling a Thomas grain drill owned by the Pioneer Day Committee. You can spot this entry by its distinctive red tracks and boxy black body.
1917 HOLT 75
This tractor is owned by the Pioneer Day Committee and was previously restored by Don Hunter. Don was raised in Bradley and his grandfather and father both farmed with a Holt 75 of the same vintage. The tractor was on display at the Caterpillar Factory in Peoria, Illinois for five years.
1906 GAS TRACTION BIG 4
This 114-year-old machine is just 25 horsepower and was one of the first gasoline-powered farm tractors used in California. The Patterson Bros., of Lockwood, purchased it in 1908 direct from the factor in Minneapolis and it was used on their farm until 1928 when the tractor was traded in for a new automobile. Gene Booth then donated it to the Pioneer Day Committee and it has been in every single Pioneer Day Parade since the first.
1923 BEST 60 LOGGING CRUISER
Owned and operated by Rick Hawksworth of Ahwanee, California, this tractor spent its working life in the forests of the Sierra Mountains assessing the trees prior to harvest. Rick totally restored the tractor from the ground up.
1917 HOLT 120
This 103-year-old Holt 120 is owned by the Madden family and is one of two operational Holt 120s in the world. Tom and Jake Madden bought this tractor in Fairbanks, Alaska where it was used to freight materials and supplies for the first railroad line built in Alaska.
H-G CLETRAC
This tractor was used in the almond orchards around Paso Robles before being donated to the Pioneer Day Committee by Donna Grossnicklaus of Adelaide. The tractor will pull a corn chopper originally owned by Herman Claassen.
1906 HOLT STEAM POWERED CATERPILLAR
This tractor, owned by the Hunter family of Ontario, California, was hand-built by Don Hunter utilizing only an original crankshaft from a Holt steamer. This is an exact recreation of the first steamed Caterpillar sold by the Holt manufacturing company prior to the days of the gasoline engine. Don has spent over 20,000 hours building this masterpiece.
1926 CATERPILLAR “60”
Ed and Matt Hansen purchased this tractor in 1926 to use on their ranch in Shandon. Former Pioneer Day Parade Grand Marshal George Hansen and his son Steven, a past Pioneer Day chairman, restored the tractor.
1911 BEST ROUND WHEEL TRACTOR
This 108-year-old tractor is the oldest Best brand tractor in the world. Currently owned by the Madden Family, the tractor was previously owned by David Shank, whose father bought it new in 1911.
FARMALL TRACTORS
Charles Linquiti will be driving his 1949 Farmall CVB. It was his grandfather’s and came all the way from Wisconsin. Charles’ wife Kelli Linquiti will be driving a 1950 Farmall Cub that Charles built from the ground up.
