http://www.FarmCollector.com March 2016 33
Model D is challenging to steer. Loren is careful to plan ahead Promoted in its day as “supreme in the tractor field,” the
when taking the tractor to the field. “It takes a lot of room
to turn the tractor,” he says. “If you’re plowing, you need a wide headland in order to turn around and get back into the
furrow. It takes about 15 twists of the steering wheel to get
around a corner. There’s a spinner on the steering wheel that helps, but it takes a strong arm.”
The Universal D’s are the largest and perhaps most impres-
sive pieces in Loren’s collection of some 65 Minneapolis-Mo-line units. His collection includes Uni-harvesters, combines,
power units, mowers, corn pickers, plows, horse equipment
and a street sweeper powered by a Model 335 tractor. Tractors in his collection include many variations of models J, R, Z, U,
G and the Jet Star. A G900 and G1000 are among the newest models in the collection.
Establishing a museum
Loren’s memorabilia collection has grown to the point that
he’s set it up in a museum on the farm. “For years I had it all
stored in boxes until I used it to create a display in 2012 as part of Minneapolis-Moline’s annual convention,” he says. “I real-
ized then it was too valuable and interesting to hide away.”
house that he’s since insulated and painted. Display cases Loren’s museum building was originally a 16-pen hog
house many of his artifacts, including MM sales aids, signs, wall hangings, toys, wrenches and manuals. A prized piece is
a 1950s MM hat with an oversized brim and attached sun-
glasses. “I remembered wearing one of those hats when I was a kid and flipping my sunglasses up on that brim,” Loren says.
“It’s the only one I’ve seen since.”
collection. Loren and the late Jerry Erickson came across the Loren’s toy B-2 sheller is one of the most rare pieces in his
piece at a Minneapolis, Minnesota, auction. It was pictured in
1942 and 1943 MM literature promoting the company’s prod-uct line. The sheller is currently on display at the National Toy
Museum in Dyersville, Iowa.
Promoting MM on a national stage
Loren’s decision to display his collection, he hasn’t limited While his personal connection to MM greatly influenced
his passion for all things MM to just a personal hobby. Over
the years, Loren and his wife, Ruth, have actively worked to preserve MM history. Loren has served on the Minneapolis-
Moline Collectors Board of Directors and is currently work-
ing with the Floyd County museum in Charles City, Iowa, to explore the feasibility of organizing a larger presence of MM
history, machinery and research materials there.
Paul, Minnesota, to visit the Minnesota Historical Society In early 2000, Loren and fellow collectors traveled to St.
where MM negatives were said to be housed. Initially, the group intended to view the negatives to satisfy curiosity, but
their visit inspired a much larger vision.
Moline Co., let alone the negative collection,” Loren says. “The archivists at that time weren’t aware of Minneapolis-
“With our inquiry, they searched for it and located some
20,000 negatives that had been put into cold storage to halt deterioration. When we realized the collection was deterio-
rating and wasn’t available to museum visitors, we wanted to help change that.”
Independent photographer Arthur Jensen had served as
an MM photographer for many years. In the late 1970s, his negative collection, now known as the Jensen Collection,
was donated to the museum. The negatives represented
products MM advertised in sales brochures. Loren and his group identified all of the negatives, selecting 2,000 of the
most representative ones to be made available in a search-
able database (available online at http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/tag/minneapolis-moline). A full set of the
negatives is also available for viewing at Loren’s museum and Charles City’s Floyd County Museum.
Preserving MM history
Loren and Ruth also maintain the Minneapolis-Moline
web page and Facebook page for the Minneapolis-Moline
Collectors Club. The web page contains information about the club and MM technical information. Such efforts, he
notes, have been very rewarding.
tors Club and we’re proud to be part of preserving Minneap-“Ruth and I have made many friends through the Collec-
olis-Moline history,” he says. “We’d like to see Minneapolis-
Moline history be sought after by the next generation. The only way that can happen is to make this available to them
and get them excited about it.” FC
For more information on the Minneapolis-Moline Collectors
Club, visit http://www.minneapolis-molinecollectors.org.
For information on museum tours, call Loren Book, (515)
231-6334.
Loretta Sorensen is a lifelong
resident of southeast South Dakota. She and her husband farm with
Belgian draft horses and collect vintage farm equipment. Email her
at [email protected].3(^2) 1. These three tractors represent the three companies that combined
to form Minneapolis-Moline Co. in 1929. From left: a 1928 Minneapo-
lis 17-30 B, a 1920 Twin City 12-20 and a 1920 Moline Universal D.
- Illustration from an original MM sales brochure: “The weight is so
well-balanced on the two big wheels that the rest of the tractor can be supported by one hand.” - The former Book Implement Co., Nevada, Iowa.
✭
NevadaIowa