The Old Whoopee

[Wilma]

Did you ever have an old vehicle that could be used for everything?  We did.  It was supposed to be a tractor and was used for many things that a tractor was meant for.  But it also took my little brother and me to the fishing holes that we couldn't walk to.  We called it the Ole Whoopee.  For the mechanically minded I am adding here the description of how the Ole Whoopee was put together as written by my older brother, who was old enough to understand what my father was doing.

"In 1944, Dad bought an old Model T truck that ran pretty good.  We stripped it down until all that was left was the hood and cowl.  Dad bought an old Buick transmission and mounted it to the back of the Warford transmission and then cut the frame in two on either side and slid the differential up and mounted it to the back of the Buick transmission.  We then bolted the frame sides together and made a draw bar for it.  Dad mounted an old implement seat where the truck seat used to be.  He built a small box over the rear wheels which we filled with rocks and iron to give it more traction.  Now we had a small tractor.  We could plow with it, but it really came in handy for mowing and raking hay.  We harrowed with it and pulled the grain drill.  The Warford had an overdrive and on the road it was capable of going over 50 miles an hour."  The speed limit was 35.

Now this Ole Whoopee came in real handy for farm work.  My little brother drove it while I rode the mower or the dump rake.  We helped put many a hay crop in the barn.  But this wasn't all we did with it.  It took us fishing to places where we couldn't walk.  Sometimes on the highway where we weren't supposed to be.

It came to Elk County with us when we moved in 1947 and continued to be a valuable piece of machinery.  In fact, I think my father used it up until the time he bought a Ford tractor.  Now it was time to retire Ole Whoopee and so it was parked in the back yard.  But it didn't get to retire.

About this time the grandchildren started arriving and going to Grandpa's farm was a treat.  Ole Whoopee became a favorite play spot for the children.  There was many a trip taken to far-away places.  Many hours were spent playing on Ole Whoopee while it sat there.  The tires deteriorated, it settled into the ground and still the children played on it.  Now there were great grandchildren playing on it.  Finally, 35 years later, when Mother sold the farm, my brother put tires on it and moved it to the south quarter that she was keeping.

My brother now owns the original 80 and the quarter section and somewhere out there Ole Whoopee is waiting.  Soon my brother's great grandchildren will be playing on it.  I hope it takes them as far and as fast as it took their grandparents and parents a long time ago.