Immovable Objects & Irresistible Force
Today’s tractor pulling might hardly be recognizable to farmers of yesteryear, but the premise is the same. Who can do the most work with the biggest tractor in the shortest amount of time. But really, can what these guys do with the monster machines they create really be called work?
Following the Funks – Aircraft and Tractor Engines
Joe and Howard Funk were born just 30 minutes apart on September 17, 1910 in Akron, OH. Both brothers seemed to have a knack for all things mechanical, and both excelled in drafting and shop classes in school. The brothers took an immediate liking to flying machines, which were becoming quite popular in the Akron area during that time.
The Sweeney Automotive and Tractor School
Emory Sweeney founded the Sweeney Automobile and Tractor School, in May of 1908 in Kansas City, MO with just five students enrolled. Started on a shoestring, the enrollment fees collected from the first five students were used to rent a building and buy teaching supplies for a month.
