His Grandfather’s 1937 Allis Chalmers WC Tractor

Noah Shepherd restored his grandfather’s 1937 Allis Chalmers WC tractor. It had been sitting in a shelter-belt on the family farm in rural Norfolk, Nebraska, for 40 years. In 2020 the family hauled it to Iowa for restoration. 

During the next four years, Noah learned the craft of antique tractor restoration, eventually entering it as a 4-H project in the Iowa State Fair, where it won Best of Show.

The tractor was originally used by his grandfather Orin Rinkel and Orin’s uncle Harvey to move hay during the Great Depression. Harvey purchased the tractor in February of 1937 at White Equipment in Pierce, Nebraska, officially selling it to Orin in 1945. They also purchased a John Deere two-bottom plow (which Noah restored prior to restoring the tractor) and a cultivator. They hand-made a “buck style” hay sweep on the front end for moving the haystacks. Noah has started the process of restoring the old sweep.

During the 1930s and 1940s, the tractor was parked on a hill to make it easier to start. This Allis Chalmers was the first in Norfolk area with rubber tires. Many family members have regaled Noah with stories of first learning to drive using the old WC tractor. Noah learned a lot as part of the restoration process and met a lot of interesting people along the way.

Since finishing the restoration, Noah has driven the tractor in parades and the annual Harold King Memorial Tractor ride in northwest Iowa. He will show it off this month at the annual Albert City Threshermen’s show in Albert City, Iowa.

“Nothing like a boy and his tractor,” noted his mother. “Noah is having the time of his life riding my dad’s restored 1937 WC in the Harold-King Memorial Tractor Ride. . . “Storm Lake, Iowa, July 4th parade. Noah and his tractor.

The WC was built by Allis-Chalmers from 1933 to 1948, designed as a nimble, low-cost, but well-powered row-crop tractor to ride on pneumatic rubber tires. It was the best-selling tractor model that Allis-Chalmers ever built.

There’s more: Noah Shepherd, grandson of my cousins Ken and Jeani Shepherd, became very knowledgeable about magnetos (the device that pre-dates the use of a battery to create ignition) and currently runs an antique tractor and magneto repair business when he’s not busy studying engineering and physics at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.

Thanks to Noah’s dad (Jason) for these delightful details!