Ohio Man to Donate 1938 Tractor to Richmondville HS

RICHMONDVILLE - A 1938 Sears Handiman tractor will be donated to a historical museum in Richmondville sometime next year by Ohio resident Jake Peck. Contributed photo.

RICHMONDVILLE — An Ohio man with Richmondville connections is apparently not done making donations to a historical museum in the village.

Jake Peck of Minerva, Ohio recently emailed this newspaper that he intends to donate a restored 1938 Sears Handiman tractor to the Bunn Tillapaugh Mill museum sometime next year. The museum is headquarters for the Richmondville Historical Society.

Earlier this month, Peck traveled East with some family members to donate a Civil War-era Olendorf Gooseneck sleigh to the museum. It was made in Richmondville by Peck's great-great-grandfather Alfred Olendorf.

On the tractor, Peck's email states it was "used to cultivate and harvest hops on the Warner and Doug Peck hops and dairy farm on Bear Gulch Road (in Richmondville) during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s."

The late Doug Peck, a long-time Richmondville resident, was Jake Peck's uncle. Doug Peck's four children, cousins to Jake Peck, include Richmondville Town Historian Susan Rightmyer.

Jake Peck added in the email that pictures of the tractor are already included in displays of hop harvesting at the museum.

"This tractor was unique because of the small size, the gearing and ability to pull very heavy loads," Peck continued in the email. "During World War II, full-size tractors were not available. Today, they are highly collectible and various clubs exist. These tractors are popular tractors for small tractor pulls and usually win those events."