It was a pleasure not long after lunch on Saturday to welcome the late Dwight Thompson's 1938 Allis-Chalmers to the Lucas County Historical Society collection, a gift from his family (from left), daughter Brenda Nuckles of Reidsville, North Carolina; daughter Teresa Quick, of Urbandale; son, Michael Thompson, Chicago; and wife, Helen, of Chariton.
Helen had polished the tractor up and picked this weekend, when all of her children planned to be home, to bring it to the museum. It made several trips around the block in her neighborhood Saturday so that everyone could have a ride, then Michael drove it over the museum. Dwight's sister, Lois (Thompson) Reynolds, of Centerville, also was present for the occasion.
According to Lois, Merwyn and Leona Thompson, of Russell --- parents of Burdette, Dwight and Lois --- purchased the tractor during the late 1950s and used it for many years.
About 1999-2000, Dwight purchased the tractor, disassembled, reassembled and fully restored it and after that it made frequent appearances in local parades and during outings of the Chariton Antique Tractor Club with Dwight at the wheel. Dwight died this past July 22.
Helen serves on the historical society board and she and Dwight also had been long-time volunteers at the museum. So, she said, it made sense to her family to donate the tractor to the museum where the family as well as many others can have access to it at any time.
It also will join the historical society's 1929 Model-A Ford as an ambassador --- so look for it next year when, we hope, a degree of normality will return and we'll be having parades again.
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