Portland Swap Meet, a lawn and garden extravaganza

When I heard the word swap meet and read “antique engine and tractor parts only” I have to admit I wasn’t too enthused. I have often said to other collectors that “I don’t do parts”. However, the crops were in the ground and it had been a while since we had got away together and he had inkling to go to the swap meet. I could go, or not, I chose to go I had been missing the chance to spend some fun time with Keith since he had been working early too late in the fields.

It was cold and rainy, but thankfully the swap meet was not just parts, but an array of items that were quite fascinating. Always loving the new and different, I was quite excited to see things I had never seen before.

Engines of all shapes, sizes and ages were on hand. One gentleman had a rare 1913 or 1914 International Harvester Screen cooled Famous horizontal engine that was mmanufactured by the International Harvester Co. of Chicago, Illinois.

My favorite sighting besides seeing vendors huddled around camp fires with rain gear on was either a very cool roof lawn and garden tractor that a couple guys were driving around like a golf cart, or something I had never even heard of, a neat little mini beep that looked like a miniature jeep. .After looking into this, I found that the beep was built in the late 1960’s by the C.F. Struck Corporation and it had attachments that could be mounted on the rear or front. It was also used like a utility truck.
There were lawn and garden tractors and parts everywhere. It was fun watching attendees driving around in their various contraptions. Two guys tore up the road in their Cushman Truckster and we had our golf cart which looked pretty doldrums next to the wild array of created bicycles and conveyances!
It was too cold, and too wet, but we had our getaway and Keith got his much needed “parts” fix!! For more information about the swap meet or the August tractor and engine show, log on to: http://www.tristategasenginetractor.com/index.php.