Johnny Poppers to be Featured in This Year’s Power from the Past Show in Winamac

Does anyone in our listening audience know what a Johnny Popper is?

Johnny Poppers are all John Deere tractors from the Model D in 1924 to the last series in 1958-1960. And they were called Johnny Poppers because of their distinctive exhaust sounds.

The Northern Indiana Power From the Past Organization has selected the John Deere brand for it’s 34th annual antique power show this summer. It will be held July 14th through the 17th at the Winamac Town Park and there will be dozens of old John Deere tractors at the show.

Ted Hayes talked with local John Deere dealer, Paul Gilsinger, about his favorite piece of John Deere equipment.

“My personal favorite one would be the first one that I bought, or acquired, in our collection at Pulaski and that’s a John Deere 40,” said Gilsinger. “The John Deere 40 is a small tractor. It has an upright cylinder engine and it was sort of a utility tractor, a mowing tractor, a little tower tractor. We acquired it in the mid 1970s on trade and we’ve fixed it up and I’ve used it. It’s just sort of a family tractor.”

There’s sure to be some of the John Deere 40s at the Power from the Past Show this summer.