On May 1, 1939, neighbors gathered at Grover Proctor's farm to take care of the spring plowing. Proctor, suffering from complications from pneumonia, was unable to get outside and do the necessary plowing on his farm, which was located outside the eastern McLean County hamlet of Anchor off Route 165. No less than 21 “good neighbor" tractors were on the scene. The Pantagraph noted that it took the mechanized assemblage two short hours to plow 45 acres, a feat that would've taken the better part of 9 days with a single gang plow pulled by a 6-horse team. Seen here are seven of the volunteer “tractor men" (left to right): Alvin Decker, Elmer Hardy, Mack Smith, Charles Custer, Elmer Seifert, Joe Grosse, and Charles Sweet.
