In 1996, Ron Christensen ans Warren Wallace started visiting with friends and acquaintances to
see if there was enough interest to start a local tractor club in Lucas County, IA.
On January 16,1997, six men from Chariton met together to talk about old tractors and
engines. Nostalgia set in and they, Dean Boozell, Ron Christensen, Jack James, Beryl Kyner, Bob Roach and Warren Wallace,
decided to start a club that would meet monthly.
In February, six more men, Darwin Damon, Jerry Fogle, Oliver Kent, Roger Larrington,
Richaard Morr and Bill Welch joined the group. At this meeting a discussion was held regarding a name for the club, thus,
the Chariton River Valley Antique Power Association was organized.
Election for officers was held with Dean Bozell as the organization's first president;
Ron Christensen, vice president; Warren Wallace, secretary-treasurer. The three board members elected were: jack James,
Roger Larrington and Jerry Poush.
Judge Richard Morr was chosen to write up by-laws to be adopted by the club and the
Chariton River Valley Antique Power Association was registered with the State of Iowa as an Iowa Non_Profit Corporation in
May of 1997.
Charter members of the club were from Lucas and Marion Counties. Since then the club
has grown from the original fifteen to over sixty members in 2007 and includes many surrounding and outlying counties. Meetings
are held the first Thursday of each month and they include Show & Tell of a wide range of hobbies that members and others
share with the group.
The first public appearance as an organized club was the 4th of July Parade in Chariton
in 1997. The parade of tractors followed a wagon carrying the club's banner, a large sign depicting logos of various
tractors, which was designed and painted by officers and board members.
The club holds it's annual meeting each January and has a spring picnic for the families.
Summers find the members participating in various area parades and shows. They also bind and shock oats that they later
use to demonstrate how threshing machines and stationary balers work at Pierce's Pumpkin Patch Festival. In the fall
of 1998, the club also started having their own annual plowing and field days. Tours, swap meets, the annual fal Cinder Path
Drive and two-day rides are among other favorite activities for the club members.
The variety of brands of tractors leads to many lively discussions between club members
but all concur that: Older tractors and machinery bring back fond memories of a simpler life when even shade tree mechanics
could repair them. And, as the club's various demonstrations show, if one takes good care of their equipment it'll work
good for them.
