BRJSummer25WebReduced - Flipbook - Page 18
restored 1952 McCormick Farmall Super A, that his son-in-law
found online. The Super A debuted in 1947, and offered an improved hydraulic system and was powered by an International
Harvester 1.9L 4-cylinder engine, with rear wheel drive, a 4-speed
manual transmission, and an independent braking (the left and
rear wheels can be braked separately).
George9s Farmall Super A went from field to small town fame,
towing his grandchildren on floats at the Lebanon parade, greeting visitors at the entrance to Melick9s, and most recently, pulling
the corn roaster during weekend events at the Cider Mill and Orchard. And the Melick Super A isn9t alone. The Farmall was a
dominant competitor in the row-crop tractor market into the early
19609s, and their renowned durability made their evolution from
functional to ornamental possible. Cruise the country roads in
most seasons and you9ll see vintage front yard Farmalls posing
among spring blooms, fall pumpkins, and even adorned with
Christmas lights.
There were no crowds, festoons, or corn roasters on the morning that George9s Super A sat across from the thawing green and
yellow John Deere tractors, just the humming cider mill and the
anticipation of spring. Climbing down from the pickup, George
pocketed his handkerchief and shrugged off the blustery remnants of February. The Super A was familiar as an old friend to
George, who pointed out the virtue of Culti-Vision, the PTO,
and other features of the 1952 Super A, invoking images of farm
women in rural areas where electricity hadn9t yet reached, powering their washing machines with the Farmall9s belt pulley, and touting the benefits of being able to handily reach everything on the
tractor with a wrench or a screwdriver.
