Annual Graham Bradley Show in the rear view mirror
Every year, the Graham Bradley collectors and Sears sold farm tractors look forward to their annual get together. Although you can’t really call us an official club, we come together once a year to celebrate all things Graham Bradley.
The Graham was featured tractor at the Fulton County Historical Power Show June 14-16, 2013 and it was fitting that the Fred family of Fulton, Indiana that hosted the show were also the featured farm.
“We had 29 tractors, “James Fred, editor of the Graham Bradley and other Sears’s tractor newsletter said.
Graham Bradley tractors were an effort by the Graham-Paige Motors Corporation of Detroit Michigan to offset the effects of the drastic Depression era economy. The company introduced the first of the Graham Bradley tractors, the model 503 in 1937. These were first released in 1938 with the last of the model to sell in 1940. The tractors were marketed through the Sears Catalog. The collectors brought tractors from each year they were built and shared information on literature and memorabilia. One collector, Jim Gibbons of Petrolia, Ontario also brought some Graham Bradley toys for the collectors to view.
Among those 29 tractors, that included seven Sears Economy tractors that John Baum of Appleton, Wisconsin brought. It took John two trips to haul all of his Sears beauties to the show! The Sears Economy tractors like the Graham Bradleys and the Bradley tractor (which is not related to Graham or David Bradley) were also sold through the Sears catalog. The Bradley at the show belonged to James Fred whose grandfather, the late Lavon Fred was instrumental in starting the group.
The Graham Bradley collectors wrapped up their show on Sunday with several departing early due to rain and long distance travel. “We had people from as far as South Dakota, Ontario Canada, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio as well and Indiana,” James Fred said.
Next year’s Graham Bradley Show will be in Kalamazoo Michigan on the grounds of the beautiful Gilmore museum (http://www.gilmorecarmuseum.org/). The Graham Bradley group welcomes anyone with or interested in Sears related tractors. For more information about the group and to learn more about these special machines contact James Fred at GRAHAM-BRADLEY/BRADLEY/SEARS ECONOMY, Graham-Bradley & Sears Sold Farm Tractors Newsletter, James Fred, 6309 West 650 South, Kewanna, IN 46939 or email him at jfred_2006@yahoo.com.
