The Kosciusko County Community Fair boasts rides, food, and animals. But many may not realize its also a great place to get a history lesson.
The “Echoes of the Past” club collects, preserves, and displays antique tractors. They have a wide array of tractors for fair visitors to view, and even some they can ride.
A unique part of their participation in this year’s fair has been the tractor experience for kids. Club member and organizer Thames Goon tells News Now Warsaw children could steer through an obstacle course, all while an adult “safe driver” was assisting.
Goon says the joy it brings participants was one of the highlights of the fair. He says kids that did the tractor-driving experience seemed to really enjoy it.
“A mom said she hadn’t seen her child smile like that in years,” he recalls.
Still, Echoes of the Past goes beyond the family fun at the fair. They club originated in the 1990s and has a mission.
“Preservation of antique farm equipment to help people understand how it used to be done,” Goon explains.
The club also makes homemade ice cream at the fair as a fundraising effort, and they do sawmill and straw baling demos.
The Echoes of the Past antique tractors and tractor riding experiences has become a staple at the Kosciusko County Community Fair, and a way to honor where the farming industry has come from.
