The Legacy of Arnold Hueske

TO JEFF because of your love and respect for your Grandpa Arnold, I decided to make this book for you. He always talked proudly of you and your accomplishments.

_ This book was created with loving memory of Arnold George Hueske July 2, 1924 - October 31, 2007

I realize that my generation, like every other generation, has its life span and will one day be a memory, and eventually not even a memory.

I write books like this to try to give the next generations a peek at their heritage and to preserve family memories.

This book is an extension of gratitude to Arnold and Rose Hueske, as well as Fred and Reike Hueske, for their hard work and dedication in order to give us a better life and open opportunities for us.

_ The Legacy of Arnold G. Hueske Copyright © 2016 Darla J. Hueske

Compiled by Darla J. Hueske.

Identification and backstories with help from Jeff Hueske and Rose Hueske.

Before and after photos documented over the years by Rose. (because she “needed to see what that old fart was up to.” ) Supplemental photos by Darla Hueske.

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Arnold Hueske was born, raised, and stayed on his family farm north of Richardton, North Dakota. As of 2016, the homestead celebrates 116 years as a familyowned farming business.

Arnold grew up in the pioneering days of western North Dakota. He knew the land and took great care of it. Over the years, he built a successful farm and ranch business. In his day, farm operations were smaller and family operated. Many farmers also kept cattle. There wasn’t a separation of ranch and farm.

farming operations over to the next generation. In his “retirement” he turned his attention to the home place. He started to “drag home” (as Rose would say) old beaters of tractors. He loved to fix up old forgotten tractors. He also liked to work on pickups and trucks because he said it was a challenge to get the vehicle body perfect.

Anyone that knew Arnold had a fond story to tell about him. He was beloved; a genuine and kindhearted gentleman. He worked hard and lead his life with integrity. He ran his business as a tight ship.

Arnold was a self-taught man, so when he asked you to do something, you figured out how to get it done.

About this book: Over the years, I asked my dad about the tractors that he fixed up. He said very little. I kept a few notes. But, as I compile this book, I realize that I didn’t take enough notes. A few months ago, I decided to collect my pictures and all the pictures mom took of his “junk” projects. To fill in the gaps of my notes, I got Jeff and his Gramma Rose to tell stories. As they talked, I jotted notes, but didn’t let Jeff get a whiff that I was making this book for him.

He got his first tractor in the 1940s. It was a transition from horses to tractors. To keep these new “horses” running, a farmer had to be a proficient mechanic. He learned fast because he liked tractors, even though his father wanted to keep using horses.

As he approached retirement, Arnold turned the

I tried to be accurate in identifying the vehicles in this book. Whatever details I didn’t have in my notes and newspaper articles, or got from Jeff, Rose, or Ken, I did internet searches with model numbers or serial numbers. If I couldn’t find a serial number, I tracked body casting numbers.

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McCormick Farmall B

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This Farmall B is one of the tractors that was researched on body casting numbers. It is estimated to be a 1940 model.

The Model B was manufactured

by International Harvester between 1939 and 1947. The tractor was designed as a rowcrop tractor. The B had a centered engine, seat offset to the right, and narrow front end.

Arnold restored this Model B in 2007. As with almost all of his restoration work, he had to sandblast, prime, sand, and paint the body. And, every tractor he restored was perfect.

This is no exaggeration.

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Daniel with Great Grampa Arnold

Josh and Maddy with Great Grampa Arnold.

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Arnold always took the time out for his grandkids and great grandkids. Any of the kids can remember when he first let us drive a vehicle. Depending on which generation you ask, the driving lessons could have been a car, a tractor, an old pickup, or a restored tractor.

Arnold drove the tractor over to Ken’s house.

Rose made note of it on the front of the picture.

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International Farmall H

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This 1949 International H was one of the tractors that he used for his farm work. He restored it in 1994.

International Harvester built the Farmall H from 1939 until 1953.

The Farmall H was called an ideal, all-purpose tractor for diversified farms up to 160 acres.

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International Farmall M

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This International M was one of the bigger challenges that Arnold took on. Jeff bought it from Clayton Neurohr. The engine was locked up and Jeff took it apart with the idea to restore it himself. But, it turned out to be a bigger project than he expected.

The tractor was brought, piece-by-piece, to Grampa Arnold’s shop in 2005.

Rose said that when she saw Arnold bringing the front end of the tractor through the yard, it “looked like he was bringing in a cow carcass.”

The tractor needed, among other things, a new battery box, wiring harness, and gauges. Just as the other IH tractors, he found the original emblems and he had the original seat restored.

He tried to be as accurate as possible to the original paint colors. The Internationals were always restored to their red rouge base coat.

The Farmall M was manufactured between 1939 to 1954.

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1962 Hauling Hay. This Farmall M is one of Arnold’s early tractors that he sold. It is possibly a 1948 model.

1961 Arnold’s tractor lineup: From Left to right: Arnold, Ken, Sharon, Jane and Bruce. Laddie, the dog, out in front.

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Massey Harris 44

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Arnold used this 1952 Massey Harris for farm work for many years. The tractor was repainted in its original bright red color. The Massey Harris 44 was built from 1946 to 1953.

A line up of the tractors, July 2015.

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Greene Machines

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John Deere Combine No. 12A

Arnold bought this John Deere combine from an auction sale in 2005 for $50. According to Rose, he was going to bid as much as $40, but when the bid went over his price, he decided to bid up another $10 to get it.

The manufacturing date for this combine wasn’t determined at the time of this book. A twitter conversation with John Deere corporate office provided a link in how to identify it, but I was unable to find the serial number plate.

John Deere Combine No. 12A is a pull type combine manufactured between 1942-1945.

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Arnold restored his machinery before the age of internet and Google searches. He did all his research and searching for parts through newspapers, magazines and calling around to different businesses.

For this combine, he had to search high and low to find the right canvas for the platform and the right kind of wood for the reel.

He found the canvas in Bismarck. I don’t know where he found the wood for the reel.

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John Deere Model B Tractor

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Arnold bought this 1949 John Deere tractor for $700 from an ad he found in the Advertiser newspaper. The tractor was in Watertown, South Dakota. He and Rose drove down to get it. Rose called it a rusty junker. When I asked her for more details, she said she didn’t know. She didn’t pay that much attention to the details. She only asked him, “What do you need that for?”

The Model B was manufactured between 1947 and 1952 and represented the final major upgrade to the John Deere Model B.

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photos Darla Hueske

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Ford 8N & Ferguson TO-30

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Ford 8N

This 1947 Ford 8N was another of Arnold’s farm tractors. The tractor was a multipurpose tractor for many years on the farm. It was painted blue. In 1998, he restored it to its original colors, surprisingly not “Ford blue.”

In 1939, the 8N was redesigned by Ford and the colors were changed from gray to a bright red with lighter gray sheet metal, which earned it the nickname “red belly.”

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He took the entire thing apart to work on the engine. The engine was in bad shape. Then, he had to strip the blue paint and repaint it to the original red color.

He was very accurate in the colors. He search through old manuals for color guides.

Rose said she was always amazed at how Arnold could make any engine work. She made sure to make a note on these pictures to look at the gas tank. He modified a plastic jug to run the gasoline.

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Ferguson 1951 TO-30 Arnold bought this used 1951 Ferguson sometime in 1975 from Renner Implement in Richardton. The tractor had a cracked block.

Rose remembered how she and Arnold traveled to Williston to buy the block that fit the tractor. She said that the trip to Williston was just one of many 500+-mile round trips that they made just to get parts to renovate a truck or tractor!

Arnold liked to travel and visit different places. These road trips were a great excuse for him to see the countryside.

29 The 1981 Versatile 1150 chasing the Ferguson. This was set up in 2008 when Jeff and Dustin set out the tractors.

Pickups & Trucks )( 30

Chevy C65 and Ford 600 Not certain this red Chevy truck is a 1976 model, could be a 1977. Arnold repainted it sometime in the late 1980s.

Arnold and Dustin and kitty in 1987.

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The black 1967 Ford 600, Model F602 was purchased new on May 22 , Rose’s 41st birthday.

International Semi Truck

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The 1972 International semi-truck was purchased sometime in 1992. Rose called it the manure truck because the truck had a manure spreader as the box. She said she was rather upset when he bought it because it was such a wreck. She thinks he maybe spent $2000 on the truck.

He never spent much money on these vehicles.

He considered the holes in the cab to be a challenge to repair.

Restoration completed in March 1993. He was very proud of the way he fixed the fiberglass.

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The box of the truck was added later in the spring. Ken’s hired men did the work on the box.

Arnold bought the semi in Dickinson. Rose said that she was so upset that he bought it, that she told him that she wasn’t going to drive home on the same road as him. So, he drove the semi truck home on Highway 10 and she drove the car home on the Interstate.

These trucks are only a few of the trucks that Arnold fixed up over the years. Sometimes his projects required a complete restoration and sometimes his project just needed a new coat of paint.

He typically worked on a vehicle over the winter and by spring, he would be driving it around the yard.

He also restored pickups and gave them as graduation presents to the eldest grandchildren.

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Ford F100

This 1957 Ford was a junker that still was drivable. Ken remarked how much work Arnold put into restoring the pickup. It had extensive hail damage and Arnold worked for weeks to get all the dents out of it.

Arnold completed the restoration of the pickup in June 1988. It unfortunately was unappreciated by the recipients, and it abandoned after having the engine pulled.

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Chevy C10 Pickup

This 1968 Chevy C10 Pickup was Ken’s pickup. Its original color was brown with white trim. Arnold restored it and painted it red with white trim. These photos were dated April 1991, so we can assume he did this restoration the winter before.

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International KB5 Truck

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Arnold bought this 1948 International KB5 Truck in 1964 for $100.

The truck was used by Andersen Construction for transporting water during the construction and paving of Highway 8.

Photos on this page were timestamped 1986. The truck was stored in a Quonset for about 30 years. Written on the back this picture was “pulled from the junk pile."

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When he brought the truck, a rod was missing from the engine. Arnold fixed it up and used the truck around the place from 1972 until the winter of 2003 when he decided to make the vehicle look new again.

The body of the truck was completed in March 2004.

Arnold painted the the truck the same color as it came from the factory, a bright red.

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Rose’s polaroid pictures of the truck after it was restored.

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Top photo by Darla Hueske

The box of the truck was added in May 2004. Arnold had torn down an old wooden grain bin and he used the wood to build the floor of the truck box. He used new wood to construct the side panels.

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Chevy 3600 Pickup

photo by Darla Hueske

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Jeff bought this 1949 Chevrolet pickup truck from Pete Baer’s auction sale sometime around 1985. He always planned to fix it up.

It didn’t run and it never got fixed. It was stored in a shed for many years and then moved out into a patch of trees.

In 1997, Arnold decided that is was time to get the truck looking like new again. He completely stripped the paint and repaired dents. I remember he stripped the first coat of paint because of a running drip of paint on the hood. He completely redid the paint job to perfection.

After he got it running, Arnold paid liability insurance on the truck and licensed it as a historical vehicle.

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Rose took this photo of Arnold in 1997.

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_ From the Archives

Arnold and Rose in 2004.

Clipping from the Dickinson Press newspaper article about the 100 year celebration of the Hueske farm.

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In the year 2000 until his death in 2007, Arnold displayed his tractors to the public.

His decided that around his birthday and the 4th of July would be the perfect time to put them out for everyone to see as they drove past the farm on Highway 8. He would leave them out for about a week.

Arnold felt he could make everyone’s holiday a little brighter and more fun. And of course, it showed off his handiwork.

After his death, the boys continued to line up the tractors and trucks in his memory.

For sure, the tractors and trucks attracted attention. People would stop to take photos, ask questions and just admire Arnold’s work. Over the years, the Dickinson Press, Dunn County Herald, and the Richardton Merchant all had reporters come to the farm to interview Arnold.

I recall one man who stopped to look at the tractors and trucks. He spent some time looking at the vehicles and took a few photos. He told me that each and every one was perfect. He repeated a few time that he just couldn’t get over how perfectly Arnold restored all of the vehicles.

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Arnold's lineup in 2001.

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Other Projects

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As we sorted photos for this book, there were many discussions about Arnold’s work ethic. In his “retirement years,” he restored vehicles, helped with farm work, minded a herd of 100 or so cattle, and kept a beautifully manicured lawn. He never complained. He just did the work.

Anyone traveling north Highway 8 knew the Hueske farm. Besides the big red barn, his homestead was immaculate. And, he liked to add nostalgic touches around the place. For example, he made this vintage machinery display. (pictured on the left) He started it with a set of old wagon wheels and axles. He decided to build a box to make a small wagon. He finished his project on Father's Day, June 17, 2001. Over the years, he added the other pieces of machinery.

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McCormick Deering sickle-bar mower. This old mower was dumped in Arnold’s rusty machine junk pile.

The sickle-bar mower was used for cutting hay and grass around the place. Rose said she remembered Fred, Arnold's father, cutting Highway 8 ditches with it. She said that it constantly broke down and Fred would have to return home to repair it. She remembers thinking how patient he had to be to keep up the work.

The pictures below and on the left were taken almost 16 years after Arnold restored this machine. The paint jobs have weathered, but you can bet both were restored to perfect shape.

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John Deere Horse Drawn Dump Rake. Dump rakes were used to deposit hay in a windrow. (When the hay is raked into a row after being cut by a mower.) The metal tines were raised with a hand-powered lift lever. This implement was beneficial because it was lightweight, amounting to a lighter load for horses to bear. Rose said she remembers having to operate the dump rake. She said it was terrifying because you were exposed on that seat. If the horses acted up, you could be dumped from the seat and run over by the sharp tines.

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Words from Arnold complied from various newspaper interviews:

The Hueske farmstead was bought by Arnold’s father, Fred, who immigrated as a young boy from Germany to Minnesota.

When Fred was in his early 20s, he moved to north of Richardton. Fred filed for a homestead on two quarters of land in 1906.

The land was untamed, with open prairie stretching for miles and no fences in sight.

Fred plowed the land with a walking plow, worked it with horses and scattered seeds by hand. In 1910, he went back to Minnesota to marry Reike Heinemann.

Fred and Reike returned to the homestead to work and raise their four children, Ruth, Ervin, Clarence and Arnold.

Arnold worked the land with his father. “My dad was a horse person and stayed with the horse as long as he could before going over to tractors.

When we started using tractors, we didn’t have comfort accessaries like a cab. Now there are cabs with air conditioners and heaters.”

Over the years, Arnold and Rose saw many changes happen with the family farm due to the economy, weather and technology. Land prices skyrocketed and even machinery used today, compared to how he started went through big changes. Dealing with change, especially technology, was part of the ongoing experience of working on a family farm.

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Josh and Alex play in a metal push pedal car that Arnold repainted.

The car was a Christmas present to Ken when he was a young child from Grampa Fred, sometime in 1950 or 1951.

Memories of Arnold: These refurbished trucks and tractors are a small sample of the many projects that Arnold did throughout his lifetime. Arnold attended prairie school until the eighth grade. The country school was just west of the homestead. He would either walk or ride his horse to school, even through tough winter months and being sick. All his years of school, he had perfect attendance.

An eighth-grade country school education didn’t make him an uneducated person, as you can surmise. Just look at the pictures in the book and imagine all the stuff one has to know to refurbish a rusted piece of machinery.

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Arnold was a farmer and he had to be smart business person to be successful for so many years in such an adverse profession. His farm operation was a great example of his common sense and knowledge. He was a self-sufficient man. From fixing a tractor to constructing a building from scratch, he would do it all: mechanical, welding, construction, cement pouring, electrical wiring, plumbing, to the final details. He would build any cabinet or box that Rose needed. He was practical, and always made things beautiful. And, he never did anything half-assed.

Homesteading the prairie wasn’t easy. The family survived the ups and downs of economics, and ever-changing weather, especially droughts or storms with hail. Arnold believed the key to keeping his farm, while others were losing theirs to bankruptcy, was not getting into debt. Arnold slowly expanded his farm acreage as land opportunities were presented to him. He was a steward of the land and took good care of it.

When farmers were renting or selling off their land, they would often contact Arnold to buy the land. Arnold was adamant to pay off any kind of debt. When he would buy land, he would take whatever earnings reaped to pay off the bank loan before he splurged on a beautiful car. He loved sports cars and luxury cars.

Arnold never stopped being active or slipped into complacency, even to the day he died. He was musical. When he was young, he played the accordion and guitar. Growing up, I remember him always singing or whistling. His favorite songs to sing were Wings Of A Snow White Dove and I've Got a Never Ending Love for You. And, we always loved when he played the harmonica.

And, finally, lest we not forget, he used very “colorful” words, if you know what I mean.

The Legacy of Arnold G. Hueske chronicles the vintage tractors and trucks restored by Arnold Hueske. Arnold was from a generation of pioneering, hardworking gentlemen.

This memory book is for the next generations, to give them a peek at their heritage and to preserve family stories.