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New barn for old tractors going up at Pioneer Village

A new building under construction this week will add indoor display space at Kenmare’s Pioneer Village for antique tractors, machinery, cars and other items.

8/31/11 (Wed)

Tractor museum under construction . . . Work may be completed
this week on a 50'x60' pole building at Kenmare's Pioneer Village and
Museum. The new building will house antique tractors, machinery,
autos and other items donated or loaned to the museum for display.

 

By Terry Froseth

 

A new building under construction this week will add indoor display space at Kenmare’s Pioneer Village for antique tractors, machinery, cars and other items.

 

“Quite a few tractors will come in right away,” said Bryan Quigley, president of Lake County Historical Society and Pioneer Village.

 

Quigley said there will also be a wooden threshing machine on display in the new building, along with a binder in working condition that has always been shedded.

 

The new attraction will feature tractors and other items that have been donated, as well as those that will be on loan to the museum. Tractors on loan will include some from the Ival Mogren collection and from Kevin Borud.

 

The 50’ by 80’ pole building, with a graveled floor, should be substantially completed at a cost of over $40,000 by the end of this week, according to Quigley. Cement flooring will come later, as donations permit.

 

Harris Construction prepared the gravel base, with Mark Jensen erecting the building.

 

The antique tractor and machinery got its start with a $10,000 donation from Russell and Cindy Rytter.

 

Additional donations have included $5000 from Vet’s Club Gaming, $2500 from Gooseneck Implement, $1500 from the City of Kenmare gaming fund from Minot Hockey Boosters and $1500 directly from Minot Hockey Boosters, and $400 from the Kenmare Community Foundation. The proceeds from this year’s Pioneer Day, topping $10,000, were also dedicated to the tractor barn. Quigley said that leaves a shortfall of $10,000 to $15,000 to be taken from the reserve fund until it can be made up through additional donations.

 

Along with a cement floor, future plans include four levels of shelving around the entire interior of the building to maximize its use and create additional display space.

 

“The machinery has to be shedded or it just rots away,” Quigley said emphasizing the need for the building. “We get donations every day. If you don’t have display space for them, there’s no sense taking them.”