The Ashland County Yesteryear Machinery Club is chartered by the State of Ohio as a non-profit organization, with a membership of over 400.
Our membership is composed of people with a common interest - the preservation of our past through the restoration, display, and operation of antique farm and power equipment.
This is a broad statement, and it reflects the equally broad cross-section of our membership:
Our club was founded by a group of people interested in the preservation of equipment which represents the heritage of the people involved and the local area. It was started by having a group of interested people putting on a display at the Ashland County Fair. From this humble beginning, the club has grown to over 400 members.
A club is nothing but a list of people unless its members do something. Our club activities include:
This is by far our big event each year, and is held the second weekend in July. Each year, we feature a diffferent brand of tractor. This does not mean that this is the only brand on display. Some members have displayed their equipment every year since we began in 1991.
After several years of displaying equipment only at the Ashland county fair, the decision was made to have an independent show. The first shows were quite meager, but through the experience gained, it has evolved into one of the finer shows in the area. Our 2001 show had over 200 pieces of equipment on display. You can see a number of pictures of recent shows in our photo gallery area.
The show is held on the Ashland county-West Holmes Career Center grounds, which through the process of mutual cooperation with the club, has been developed into an excellent facility for the show. The entire show is geared to the display of materials and equipment which can be appreciated by fellow exhibitors and the viewing public. There is no competition for equipment displayed. The goal is to have the best show possible for the benefit of the most people. The participating members extend a sincere welcome to anyone that has an interest in farm and power equipment of the past.
A meal is served on Friday prior to the show for any exhibitors wishing to attend. The attendance at the show averages between 3000 and 3500. There is no charge for admission or parking. We publish a show program for each show and have over 350 sponsors who place ads in the book. With the money collected we are able to pay for much of our show expenses (we also accept donations at the show) and participate in several school and community projects.
We have tried to keep our annual show a non-commercial event. This is balanced by our swap meet, held the last Saturday in April.
We owe our existence to the community, and we remember and acknowledge this by giving something back to the community. Recent community service activities include:
Our club's relationship with the Career Center has been long and mutually beneficial. The school has a large, wooded area that has provided an ideal area for our annual shows. In appreciation for allowing us to use their facility, the club has done several things for the school, including:
In appreciation for our support and cooperation, the Club was selected to receive the Pentagon Award from the Ashland Co.-West Holmes Career Center. This award is very prestigious and is greatly appreciated by the club. Our relationship with the Career Center has been one of mutual cooperation in which both parties are of benefit to each other. It is the desire of the club to maintain this relationship in the years to come so that both organizations are of benefit to each other.
Our members know that sometimes we ask our spouses to sacrifice a lot for us to pursue our interests. To recognize this, a dinner was held at the Duane & Pat Hastings Museum in appreciation for their support during the year.
For more information on upcoming motorcoach trips, please visit our Motorcoach Trips list page.
Ashland County Yesteryear Machinery Club is based in Ashland County in north central Ohio. However, our membership base extends to a much larger area.
Membership is open to anyone with an interest in old farm and power equipment, regardless of your location. Membership dues are currently only $5.00 per year. If you would like to become a member, please visit our contacts page.
In addition, both members and non-members can sign up for our email newsletter at no cost.