On May 19, 2001 a group of 10 folks and their spouses got together in front of a shop to plan the formulation of a new International Harvester Collector Chapter for the Pacific Northwest. This area had thus far been neglected in fostering any kind of expansion of the IH Collector arena and it wasn’t long before we were ready to forward our request for a Chapter Sanction to National.
Chapter 30, known as “Northwest IH Collectors”, became official during the Red Power Roundup in Mount Pleasant, IA. in June, 2001. Within two weeks, we were up and running at our first show where our membership started to grow. Each successive show furthered our cause and our membership numbers. It was rewarding to see the interest in and support of a new collective group sharing the common goal of enriching and preserving the history of IH, one of the leaders in the agricultural scene across America and the world.
Our membership has continued to grow along with a wide variety of IH tractors, implements, vehicles, toys and memorabilia some of which gather around and under the big “IH” flag and canopy at various shows we incorporate into an ambitious summer show cycle each year. Our Chapter covers the three Northwestern states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho and even have members from British Columbia, Canada. Those of you familiar with this area know that traversing mountain passes can be tedious at times but we don’t mind pulling a trailer loaded with “IH” knowing that the next show stop will be filled with new friends found, memories rekindled, and a rich history preserved!