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Long Family History in St. Clair Township
By Bonni Stevenson in the St. Clair
Township Beacon Newsletter - Aug. 2002
The history of the Long family in St. Clair Township can be read from its
collection of tractors.
The Long's Petrolia Line farm is currently home to 10 tractors, most of them
vintage machines with some family significance. For instance, there's a
recently-restored 1931, 38 horsepower John Deere 'D' tractor that was lost
for years before it was discovered wasting away in a Courtright-area barn.
The junior member of the current Long family, Bill, says the tractor was
owned by his grandfather between 1941 and 1949, but was then sold. From
there the family lost track of the machine until they purchased it for
restoration. They didn't know it was a family heirloom until they got down
to the serious business of refurbishing it. Only 5,500 were made and the
machine had several distinguishing features the Long family recognized.
Another tractor that has special meaning for the Longs is a 1946 John Deere
longhood 'A', which was also owned by Bill Long's grandfather. But this is
by no means the only other tractor that carries family significance. Bill,
his father Les and mother, Rosalee, all have their personal favourites.
Bill's is a 1948 John Deere 'AR' unstyled model, while Rosalee favours her
1949 International Harvester McCormick Farmall 'M'.
As for Les, all of the machines hold some meaning because they have all been
lovingly restored by him, with the help of his family, over the years.
Shown here with Les, left,
Rosalee and Bill Long is the Long family tractor collection. The models,
listed from the foreground, are: 1975 John Deere 4030; 1973 John Deere 2120;
1060 John Deere diesel; 1947 John Deere 'D'; 1931 John Deere 'D'; 1946 John
Deere longhood 'A'; 1953 John Deere 'AR'; 1948 John Deere 'AR' unstyled;
1949 International Harvester McCormick Farmall 'M'; 1948 Minneapolis-Moline
'R'.
Photo by Bonni Stevenson
Bill says the mania for collecting and restoring tractors began with his
grandfather’s longhood 'A' machine. "The 'A' was the disease of the fleet,"
he said. "That's how the collection started."
But the "disease" is a logical one for the Longs, whose family history of
farming in St. Clair Township goes back almost a century on both Les's and
Rosalee's side. Today, they use modern machines to work their 50-acre farm,
growing wheat and soybeans in the heavy clay. When the winter snows fly,
that's the time the Longs devote to pampering their powerful mechanical
collection. In the near future, Bill says they hope to add an eleventh
tractor to their current roster -an old Farmall 'H.'
The Longs are familiar faces at local heavy equipment events such as the
Western Ontario Steam Threshers Association show in Brigden and John Deere
Heritage Days with the First Ontario TwoCylinder Club.
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