Heritage Iron Magazine
Encyclopedia
Heritage Iron Magazine was founded in 2008 with a mission
to meet a need for those interested in muscle tractors. Muscle Tractors are a classification of tractors specifically produced from the 1960s to the mid 1980’s that feature turbo, duals, and front wheel assist. Muscle tractors were a turning point in American farm mechanization when horsepower
was taking over from steel wheels and crank-start tractors. This generation of tractors has been growing in popularity among tractor collectors
. The magazine was founded to satiate the heritage farmer’s appetite. Heritage Iron features all brands, all makes, and all models of muscle tractors from the 1960s to mid 1980’s including the equipment that the tractors used. It is published out of Greenville, Illinois, by 3-Point Ink, LLC.
62246. Sherry Schaefer is the owner, publisher, and editor
of the magazine
. Heritage Iron is a bi-monthly publication that features all brands of muscle tractors from the 1960s to mid 1980’s. Each issue highlights a featured tractor and presents a detailed account of that tractor, its attributes, its history, and its owner. Other regular features in the magazine are machinery milestones, equipment company history, classified ads, auction
results, letters to the editor, an editor’s page, farm toys, literature
and memorabilia.
The first issue was mailed in January 2009 and featured an International Harvester
1206 on the front cover. Other tractors that have appeared on the cover include: John Deere
8020, Allis-Chalmers
220, Case Spirit of ’76, Minneapolis Moline G1000, Oliver 2255, Massey
97, John Deere 5020, International Harvester
1568, and the Steiger Tiger.
The Niche Magazine Conference awarded Heritage Iron Best New Launch of 2008.
Heritage Iron is currently creating an option for an online digital magazine
option for the tech savvy subscribers.
Heritage Iron uses vibe stripes throughout its magazine and advertising pieces as a visual reminder of the way the muscle tractors were painted. Vibe stripes are stripes on a tractor that begin as a thin stripe and gradually become thicker.
Heritage Iron has its own line of toy muscle tractors manufactured and sold through SpecCast Toys of Dyersville, Iowa. Two highly detailed 1/64 scale toys will be released each year starting in 2011 and will continue for the next five years. All the tractors will be a part of the “Heritage Iron Series", and the first toy muscle tractor will be an Oliver 2255.
Heritage Iron has recently partnered with Farm Journal and AGWEB to produce a Heritage Iron Blog. The blog has regular contributions from Sherry and some of Heritage Iron writers.
(Bond County) native who grew up around tractors and equipment. Her grandfather, Ervin Schaefer, was an Oliver tractor dealer in both Granite City and Hamel, Illinois
from 1936 -1965. Her father, Oliver “Ollie” Schaefer, is a used Oliver tractor and equipment dealer in Greenville, Illinois
. The Schaefer family also owned and operated a national tractor pulling sled service for more than 25 years beginning in the late 1960s.
When she was not tractor-pulling, Schaefer worked as a truck driver hauling grain to elevators along the Mississippi River
. The hours she spent on the farm loading grain
and tractor pulling gave her vast exposure to tractors of all makes and models to which she gained an affection for. In 1993 Schaefer became the editor of the Hart-Parr Oliver Collectors magazine. Schaefer served in this capacity for 10 ½ years before venturing out on her own.
Schaefer began her own bi-monthly Oliver publication in 2004, known as Oliver Heritage Magazine. In 2008 she took a giant step and formed her own publishing company, 3-Point Ink, LLC, in Nokomis, IL. At the same time, she started a new bi-monthly tractor publication, known as Heritage Iron Magazine. Schaefer is in possession of the largest, most comprehensive collection of Oliver literature in the world, in addition to an abundant collection of literature regarding all makes and models of farm equipment. Her personal library has proved to be a tremendous asset to the editorial content of her magazines.
Schaefer has authored three book: Farm Tractor Collectibles, (MBI Publishing, in 1998), Oliver Tractors, (MBI Publishing, in 2001) and Classic Oliver Tractors: History, Models, Variations & Specifications 1855-1976, (Voyageur Press, 2009). Additionally, Schaefer has provided her expertise in other tractor-related books including: A Guide to Hart-Parr, Oliver and White Farm Tractors 1901-1996 by Larry Gay, Oliver Farm Tractors by T. Herbert Morrell, Oliver Photographic History by April Halberstadt and Ultimate American Farm Tractor Data Book Nebraska Test Tractors 1920-1960 by Lorry Dunning.
In January 2003, Schaefer was picked and approved by the Smithsonian Institution to assist with the restoration of the oldest mass-production gasoline tractor in existence. The tractor had not been in working condition since 1960 and a small team of experts were chosen to bring the tractor back to life for its 100-year anniversary.
In August 2003, Schaefer was an expert witness in Washington, D.C. to defend the Chinese Embassy regarding an international trade commission complaint filed by a US tractor manufacturer. She is an executive board member of the Illinois Rural Heritage Museum and a lifetime honorary member of the American Farm Heritage Museum. She has been the guest speaker at numerous community organizations and national tractor club gatherings. In 2011, Schaefer was honored by the I&I Tractor Club with an award of appreciation for her many contributions.
Schaefer regularly travels around the country to visit with former executives, engineers, employees and farmers who are/were involved with the manufacture or use of farm equipment. She also attends various trade shows, toys shows and tractor exhibits to share her passion of the farm equipment hobby.
She also serves as a publisher and editor of Oliver Heritage Magazine
, an all Oliver tractor bi-monthly publication.
Mission
Mission may refer to:* Mission , variety of grape* Mission , base of missionary practice* Mission statement, a formal short written statement of an organization's value proposition...
to meet a need for those interested in muscle tractors. Muscle Tractors are a classification of tractors specifically produced from the 1960s to the mid 1980’s that feature turbo, duals, and front wheel assist. Muscle tractors were a turning point in American farm mechanization when horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
was taking over from steel wheels and crank-start tractors. This generation of tractors has been growing in popularity among tractor collectors
Collecting
The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating merchandise, or stamps from all countries of the world...
. The magazine was founded to satiate the heritage farmer’s appetite. Heritage Iron features all brands, all makes, and all models of muscle tractors from the 1960s to mid 1980’s including the equipment that the tractors used. It is published out of Greenville, Illinois, by 3-Point Ink, LLC.
History
Founded in 2008, Heritage Iron Magazine is published by 3-Point Ink, LLC. The company’s headquarters and editorial office can be found at PO Box 519, Greenville, IllinoisGreenville, Illinois
Greenville is a city in Bond County, Illinois, United States, east of St. Louis. The estimated population as of July 2009 is 7,284. The population was 6,955 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bond County....
62246. Sherry Schaefer is the owner, publisher, and editor
Editor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
of the magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
. Heritage Iron is a bi-monthly publication that features all brands of muscle tractors from the 1960s to mid 1980’s. Each issue highlights a featured tractor and presents a detailed account of that tractor, its attributes, its history, and its owner. Other regular features in the magazine are machinery milestones, equipment company history, classified ads, auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
results, letters to the editor, an editor’s page, farm toys, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and memorabilia.
The first issue was mailed in January 2009 and featured an International Harvester
International Harvester
International Harvester Company was a United States agricultural machinery, construction equipment, vehicle, commercial truck, and household and commercial products manufacturer. In 1902, J.P...
1206 on the front cover. Other tractors that have appeared on the cover include: John Deere
John Deere
John Deere was an American blacksmith and manufacturer who founded Deere & Company, one of the largest and leading agricultural and construction equipment manufacturers in the world...
8020, Allis-Chalmers
Allis-Chalmers
The Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. of West Allis, Wisconsin, is an American company known for its past as a manufacturer with diverse interests, perhaps most famous for their bright Persian Orange farm tractors...
220, Case Spirit of ’76, Minneapolis Moline G1000, Oliver 2255, Massey
Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson Limited was a major agricultural equipment manufacturer which was based in Canada before its purchase by AGCO. The company was formed by a merger between Massey Harris and the Ferguson tractor company in 1953, creating the company Massey Harris Ferguson. However in 1958 the name was...
97, John Deere 5020, International Harvester
International Harvester
International Harvester Company was a United States agricultural machinery, construction equipment, vehicle, commercial truck, and household and commercial products manufacturer. In 1902, J.P...
1568, and the Steiger Tiger.
The Niche Magazine Conference awarded Heritage Iron Best New Launch of 2008.
Heritage Iron is currently creating an option for an online digital magazine
Online magazine
An online magazine shares some features with a blog and also with online newspapers, but can usually be distinguished by its approach to editorial control...
option for the tech savvy subscribers.
Distinctive Features
Heritage Iron created and patented its own publication mascot, Brutus. Brutus is a cartoon character depicting a muscle bound tractor with human characteristics. Brutus was patented on December 22, 2009. The Brutus logo appears on the front cover of each magazine and in much of the advertising, public relations, and sponsorship material.Heritage Iron uses vibe stripes throughout its magazine and advertising pieces as a visual reminder of the way the muscle tractors were painted. Vibe stripes are stripes on a tractor that begin as a thin stripe and gradually become thicker.
Heritage Iron has its own line of toy muscle tractors manufactured and sold through SpecCast Toys of Dyersville, Iowa. Two highly detailed 1/64 scale toys will be released each year starting in 2011 and will continue for the next five years. All the tractors will be a part of the “Heritage Iron Series", and the first toy muscle tractor will be an Oliver 2255.
Heritage Iron has recently partnered with Farm Journal and AGWEB to produce a Heritage Iron Blog. The blog has regular contributions from Sherry and some of Heritage Iron writers.
Writers
Heritage Iron Magazine has a diverse staff of hand picked writers that each bring a different dynamic to the publication. Some of the regular contributors include:- Tharran Gaines,
- Larry Gay,
- Jason Hasert,
- Cindy Ladage,
- Philip Shaw
- Ken Updike
Circulation
Heritage Iron Magazine started with 4,000 subscribers in 2008. 2011 circulation numbers have more than tripled to 13,000, including oversees subscribers in Australia, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Puerto Rico, Denmark, Switzerland, New Zealand, the UK, and more. Heritage Iron is also available in over 700 Tractor Supply stores and select newsstands throughout the United States.Publisher & Editor
About the Editor Sherry Schaefer is a Greenville, IllinoisGreenville, Illinois
Greenville is a city in Bond County, Illinois, United States, east of St. Louis. The estimated population as of July 2009 is 7,284. The population was 6,955 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bond County....
(Bond County) native who grew up around tractors and equipment. Her grandfather, Ervin Schaefer, was an Oliver tractor dealer in both Granite City and Hamel, Illinois
Hamel, Illinois
Hamel is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 570 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Illinois Metro-East portion of the Greater St...
from 1936 -1965. Her father, Oliver “Ollie” Schaefer, is a used Oliver tractor and equipment dealer in Greenville, Illinois
Greenville, Illinois
Greenville is a city in Bond County, Illinois, United States, east of St. Louis. The estimated population as of July 2009 is 7,284. The population was 6,955 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bond County....
. The Schaefer family also owned and operated a national tractor pulling sled service for more than 25 years beginning in the late 1960s.
When she was not tractor-pulling, Schaefer worked as a truck driver hauling grain to elevators along the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The hours she spent on the farm loading grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
and tractor pulling gave her vast exposure to tractors of all makes and models to which she gained an affection for. In 1993 Schaefer became the editor of the Hart-Parr Oliver Collectors magazine. Schaefer served in this capacity for 10 ½ years before venturing out on her own.
Schaefer began her own bi-monthly Oliver publication in 2004, known as Oliver Heritage Magazine. In 2008 she took a giant step and formed her own publishing company, 3-Point Ink, LLC, in Nokomis, IL. At the same time, she started a new bi-monthly tractor publication, known as Heritage Iron Magazine. Schaefer is in possession of the largest, most comprehensive collection of Oliver literature in the world, in addition to an abundant collection of literature regarding all makes and models of farm equipment. Her personal library has proved to be a tremendous asset to the editorial content of her magazines.
Schaefer has authored three book: Farm Tractor Collectibles, (MBI Publishing, in 1998), Oliver Tractors, (MBI Publishing, in 2001) and Classic Oliver Tractors: History, Models, Variations & Specifications 1855-1976, (Voyageur Press, 2009). Additionally, Schaefer has provided her expertise in other tractor-related books including: A Guide to Hart-Parr, Oliver and White Farm Tractors 1901-1996 by Larry Gay, Oliver Farm Tractors by T. Herbert Morrell, Oliver Photographic History by April Halberstadt and Ultimate American Farm Tractor Data Book Nebraska Test Tractors 1920-1960 by Lorry Dunning.
In January 2003, Schaefer was picked and approved by the Smithsonian Institution to assist with the restoration of the oldest mass-production gasoline tractor in existence. The tractor had not been in working condition since 1960 and a small team of experts were chosen to bring the tractor back to life for its 100-year anniversary.
In August 2003, Schaefer was an expert witness in Washington, D.C. to defend the Chinese Embassy regarding an international trade commission complaint filed by a US tractor manufacturer. She is an executive board member of the Illinois Rural Heritage Museum and a lifetime honorary member of the American Farm Heritage Museum. She has been the guest speaker at numerous community organizations and national tractor club gatherings. In 2011, Schaefer was honored by the I&I Tractor Club with an award of appreciation for her many contributions.
Schaefer regularly travels around the country to visit with former executives, engineers, employees and farmers who are/were involved with the manufacture or use of farm equipment. She also attends various trade shows, toys shows and tractor exhibits to share her passion of the farm equipment hobby.
She also serves as a publisher and editor of Oliver Heritage Magazine
Oliver Heritage Magazine
- About the Magazine :Oliver Heritage Magazine is directed toward collectors of Oliver, White, and Cletrac. Oliver Heritage covers the history of the people and the machines of the Oliver family of companies...
, an all Oliver tractor bi-monthly publication.
Links
- www.heritageiron.com
- www.3pointink.com
- www.halfcenturyofprogress.com
- www.nebraskatestlab.com
- www.oliverheritage.com
- www.thisweekinagribusiness.com
- www.americanfarmheritagemuseum.com
External links
- Oliver Heritage Website http://www.oliverheritage.com
- 3-Point Ink Website http://www.3pointink.com
- Heritage Iron Website http://www.heritageiron.com
- Half Century of Progress http://www.halfcenturyofprogress.org/news/1-34.php
- Heritage Iron/AGWEB Blog http://www.agweb.com/blog/heritage_iron/