Hobby Leads To Collection Open To Public

Feb 26, 2015 | Headline News

By Wendell Lenhart
R-T Publisher
I have always known and appreciated the Grundy County Museum in Trenton. It has many items of local interest and importance to our local history.
But, I recently found another museum in Grundy County full of items of interest and local significance.
Larry and Ramona Meservey of rural Trenton didn’t start out to build a museum but that is what happened to them. What began as an interest in collecting carnival glass turned into a building full of collectible items which mainly consist of International Harvester-themed materials. Not just a few, but thousands of IH items. Even more impressive, the items are all cataloged and in display cases for easy viewing.
“I have always farmed with IH tractors and my dad’s first tractor in 1941 was an International Harvester,” Larry says. He has a collection of 20 to 25 working tractors from the 1920s and 1930s all the way up to the 1940s. Several IH tractors are still being used in the family’s farming operation today.
Beyond the full-size tractors in the collection, there are IH toy tractors, knives, tape measures, cigarette lighters, posters, coffee mugs, buttons, lamps, catalogs and advertising items, all with the IH logo, and anything else with the IH logo, including a IH dehumidifier sitting on the floor.
Not just a few, but by the hundreds.
“Some collectors concentrate on just one type of IH item but I collected everything IH,” he said.
For example, in the ‘20s and ‘30s when an IH tractor was purchased, a set of wrenches to work on the machine was also included in the sale. They became very collectible and Larry has a few sets of them in his display.
“International Harvester got its’ start in 1902 when the McCormick/Deering companies combined. They were in operation until 1985 as International Harvester,” Larry explained.
The Case IH company still operates today.
One of the most unique items I saw in Larry’s personal IH museum was a pedal-type sickle bar grinder dating to the 1920s. A person would sit on the seat and turn the pedals, much like riding a pedal toy tractor, which would turn the grinder and allow the operator to sharpen the teeth on the sickle bar.
Other interesting collectibles include small statues given to persons taking tours of the production plants. Larry has a pair of small bear cubs which were given to persons touring the Louisville, KY plant where they manufactured……….Farmall Cub tractors, the smallest tractor made by International Harvester.
“In 1990 I went to a tractor show in Indiana and at that show we founded the International Harvester Collectors Club. There are around 40 sanctioned chapters worldwide with 7,500 to 8,000 members including 250 in Missouri,” he said. “Every summer they have had a summer show called the Red Power Round-Up and for the last 20 years have had a winter convention.
The winter show is coming up in early March in Indiana. State chapters bid on hosting both national events and the Missouri Chapter is hosting the Red Power Round-Up on June 10-13 in Sedalia.
Larry said there is some trading of items at consignment auctions at the winter convention but many members attend auctions of private collectors. There is a two-day auction coming up in April in Indiana featuring memorabilia on both days, lasting from 12 to 14 hours each day. A lot of items are also listed and exchanged on eBay.
In 1994 Larry became a member of the club’s national board, serving for 12 years, and also served as the organization’s president for four years.
And what does Ramona think now after this started with her interest in wanting to collect carnival glass?
“Well, she got involved in the operation of the club and became the membership secretary of the state chapter. And, she likes to travel,” according to Larry.
In addition to his IH items Larry also has a sizeable collection of historical items from Grundy County, which was like a step back in time for me to view. Matchbooks, ashtrays, ice scrapers and many other items with Grundy County names and logos on them. Remember Bock Truck and Tractor? Krehbiel’s Locker? Stein’s Men’s Store? Jackson Brothers and Meek Brothers Service Stations? They are all represented in his collection.
A lot of us have boxes in our basement of items we have saved that people would be interested in seeing but we never can get to the point of displaying them. “I had collected for 25 years and had boxes full of stuff all over my basement. I retired from farming in 2000 and just began working on it.” The result is a extremely interesting collection of items located in a building that makes it easy for persons to walk through and view. The smaller items are all displayed in wooden and glass cases and the larger items and posters are placed throughout the building.
So now that you have a museum what do you do with it?
Once Larry and Ramona completed their project they have had other collectors, friends and acquaintances come out to view their items. All have learned about it by word of mouth.
But now, they are willing to share it with others. If you would like to see what is in Grundy County’s “other” museum you can contact the Meserveys and set up a time for viewing.
You will be surprised and impressed in what you will see. I know I was and I can’t wait until I can go back again and study some of the many items I missed the first time.