BUFFALO, Ill. (WAND) – For Jim, 1969 was a year that transformed his family farm into a bustling hub for one of agriculture’s largest events — the Farm Progress Show.
At just 22 years old, it was the first time he’d attended the show, and it was happening in his own backyard.
“It became a city,” Jim recalled, describing how crews brought in semis, painted massive signs, dug wells for water, and set up 80 acres of display space. The show’s managers moved in months ahead of time, working alongside local farmers to prepare the grounds.
Hosting the show was more than just a farming feat; it was a community effort. Seven local churches joined forces to sell food and drinks, making thousands of dollars. “The community is the one that really came together,” Jim said. “Everybody benefited.”
Mother Nature’s cooperation was key. A week before the show, rain turned the grounds muddy, and Jim found himself pulling cars in and out of fields. But when the gates opened, the weather held, and an estimated 300,000 visitors came over the three days.
For Jim, the memories are as vivid as ever. Waking up on the first morning to see the glow of lights from his bedroom window. Watching 110 small planes land on a makeshift airstrip. Laughing years later about a lost Springfield woman who accidentally followed traffic into the show’s parking lot while trying to get to her dentist in Decatur.
The equipment at the Farm Progress Show was smaller back then. Jim recalled that the biggest tractor pulled a six-bottom plow, and technology like air-conditioned cabs was just making its debut.
The event has since evolved into a permanent, high-tech exhibition, but for Jim and others in Buffalo, 1969 remains a proud chapter in local history. A time when the world of agriculture came to their front yard.
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