Lester F. Larsen Tractor Test And Power Museum
The Nebraska Tractor Test Law was passed in 1919 to ensure the quality of tractor performance produced by manufacturers for the Nebraska farmers. This event was prompted by an event in 1918 where Nebraska farmer W.F. Crozier bought a county tractor, the Ford B, that did not live up to its advertised claims. He, along with fellow State Senator Charles Warner created the law to make sure that all farmers would get a fair deal with regards to buying any model of tractor sold in Nebraska. At around that time, a facility for tractor testing was established on the campus grounds of the University of Nebraska by the legislature.
The Lester F. Larsen Tractor Test and Power Museum is housed in the original Nebraska Tractor Test facility as a tribute to the fair-minded facilitators of the aforementioned law. The building was declared a historic landmark by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. It was dedicated as a museum in 1980.
The museum displays around 40 tractors that are pretty much historical pieces on their own. Displayed both inside and outside the museum, the displayed units include the failed 1909 Ford B Tractor that led to the passing of the law, the Waterloo boy which is the first tractor that successfully completed the test in 1920, and the Allis Chalmers WC, the first ever tractor that was tested on rubber tires.
The Lester F. Larsen Tractor Test And Power Museum is an interesting and unique destination for your next Lincoln trip with the kids. Both educational and entertaining, the Lester F. Larsen Tractor Test And Power Museum may just be whats missing for your kids to have that spark of interest in hard work and local history.