Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1547091
By Old Allis News staff PENFIELD, Ill. – It was like Christmas morning on Thursday of the Gathering of the Orange in Penfield, Ill., in July as a small group of excited Allis- Chalmers enthusiasts tore into crates containing a very rare Allis-Chalmers farm-show dealer display from the 1980s. The display, which included panels, signs, flagpoles and more, was set up by the company and dealers at various farm shows and fairs in the late- 1970s and early-1980s. This particular display, rescued by Tommy Teesfeld from a dealership building set for demolition the following day, was last used and boxed up in the 1980s, evidenced by newspaper packing material from that era. Teesfeld recently donated the display to the I&I Antique Tractor Club of Penfield, which, along with Triple A Club, hosted the GOTO this past July. Several A-C enthusiasts were all grins as they peered into the crates to see what remained of the long-packed-away display. They found that all the flagpoles and panels, along with the center display, were still intact and in good condition. The flags, however, were missing, likely disintegrated over the years. Otherwise, the display appeared to be complete. Paul "Beefy" Bielfeldt (below right) had helped set up a similar A-C display at the M&W Farm Power Show in the 1970s. Bielfeldt said he drove in the stakes for the display, and flags would be arranged in a "V" formation, with six to eight flags in a row. The informational panels were set up near the specified equipment, and the "Allis-Chalmers Girls" were enlisted to walk around the equipment, explaining it to farmers. Christmas in July Farm-show crates opened after 40 years Photos by Heidi Clausen 27 OLD ALLIS NEWS