MUSCATINE, Iowa (WTW) — Tom Keller got more than he bargained for when he bought a piece of property in 1989 on Muscatine's west side.
He became the guardian of a little piece of Muscatine history, found in one of the buildings located there. Keller's son, Loren Keller, took his friend Greg Shoppa to look over the new property where the teens discovered an old lawn tractor. After a little tinkering, they got it running, said Keller, and Keller let Shoppa keep it.
Two decades later, a relative of Shoppa's recognized the garden tractor as a product of the 1950s Muscatine company Rider Mower. After learning of its history, Keller asked Shoppa if he could take the mower home and get it running again.
"Greg agreed on the condition that I'd one day return it to him when I was ready to part with it," said Keller. "Sounded like a deal to me."
Keller restored the mower by doing some minor repairs and giving it a good cleaning and paint job. He shared the story of the mower with a friend who happened to have a 1958 sales book from Rider Mowers of Muscatine. He gave it to Keller.
According to the manual, the model, called a Yard Cruiser, has a 3-horsepower motor and sold for $299.99 in 1958. According to the Consumer Price Index, that mower would cost $2,363.20 today.
"I'm hoping to pass this on to the next generation and keep this part of local history alive," said Keller.
Keller, 68, has learned that the mower was built in a small factory on Lucas Street, which was established by Dave Kelly of Muscatine. He has also researched the history of lawn and garden tractors, which Keller said became very popular after World War II when people began managing large yards and gardens.
In 1947, Cecil Pond began making riding mowers in a garage in South Bend, Ind. In 1956, he established the Wheel Horse Co. Keller said Pond sold Wheel Horse to American Motors in 1975, who in turn sold it to Toro in 1986. According to Lawn and Garden Tractor magazine, Cecil Pond died on Dec. 30, 2011, at age 87.
Keller has vintage riding mowers manufactured by Wheel Horse as well as a host of other companies, including Jacobsen, Cub, Ford, Allis Chalmer, Massey Ferguson, Case and Sears.
His collection has grown to 25, and is stored in a large shed he built on his Muscatine property.
Keller and his daughter, Jayna Froehlich of Glen Carbon, Ill., looked over the collection earlier this month.
"I honestly didn't know he had this many," said Froehlich, who was very familiar with one model.
"I remember riding that blue one all the time," she said, referring to the Ford mower Keller purchased new in 1975 for practical use.
Keller stays in touch with other collectors through clubs such as the Little Gs of Dyersville and enjoys consulting with people who come across vintage lawn and garden tractors.
He doesn't have a favorite mower.
"They're kinda like kids," said Keller, who with his wife Janice has three children, including daughter Joni Wolf of Bettendorf. "Each one is unique."
Keller said he tells his five grandchildren that if their grandmother asks how many garden and lawn tractors he has they can say that "Grandpa doesn't have enough," Keller said. "Because grandma doesn't know."
Seriously, Keller said: Janice doesn't complain about his collection because she knows it brings him joy.
Information from: Muscatine Journal, muscatinejournal.com
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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