This 1908 Case steam engine on display at Erl McLaughlin's Sunrise Iron Museum west of Enterprise on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, required a team of 10 draft horses to move. It was intended to be used to operate various other farm machinery in the field, but did not move itself.

ENTERPRISE — For most people, having a collection of something is a hobby. For Erl McLaughlin it’s a passion. McLaughlin collects and restores antique tractors.

“It’s gotta be a passion,” he said.

McLaughlin has 35 tractors in his newly expanded warehouse on Sunrise Road. He’s been collecting and restoring tractors since 1983. All the tractors are nonmotorized, and horse-drawn with a few dating back to the Civil War.

Each tractor has a story.

“There’s a million stories at Sunrise Iron,” he said. “Most all my tractors run, and I’ve painted them and put decals on them with colors and font so they look finished. It’s dirty, hard, expensive work to make them respectable and put them on display — (they) need TLC.”

McLaughlin said he got into restoring tractors because the winters are long and cold in Wallowa County. He has 600 acres of cropland, all irrigated, but since he doesn’t run cattle and doesn’t spend time feeding them in the winter, he needed something to do in the winters.

Sunrise Iron has also expanded to include antique sewing machines, washing machines, an assortment of antique vacuum cleaners, butter churns, lithographs depicting turn of the century domestic activities and agricultural motifs. Besides a way of broadening his horizons, McLaughlin said the additions to his collection keep the women and girls who come to see his collection from “not being totally bored, just partially bored,” he said with a smile.

McLaughlin held an open house earlier this month featuring a new addition that adds 72 feet to his warehouse. The addition enabled him to show off tractors that had been in storage and a spiral staircase that provides a bird’s eye view of everything.

“I’m indebted to my good friend, Al, for letting me store stuff in a building east of Joseph, on a no cost basis,” for the last 20 years, he said.

The building is now 40 feet by 300 feet. It is the third expansion McLaughlin has added to the structure to accommodate his “really cool stuff,” he said, and “when the time is right,” there will probably be another addition.

The open house was “above average (in attendance). Even with the price of fuel. I met a lot of people, down to earth people. People were pretty impressed,” he said.

The tractors in McLaughlin’s collection hail from British Columbia, Troy, Idaho, Baker City and Ellensburg, Washington, and other places throughout the United States and Canada. He said the group of collectors is not large, but it can be competitive. Collectors may share information on where to get parts for a tractor they are restoring, but not where to get a rare or unusual tractor they don’t have in their collection. That information is not shared. He does appreciate tips from people if they know of an antique tractor that he may be interested in.

“People need to help me,” he said.

He has been contacted by the producers of the show “The Pickers.” He put them off before, but says he may encourage them to see his collection if they contact him again.

The rarest tractor in McLaughlin’s collection is a 1915 10-20 Three Wheel Case B. It’s the only tractor in his collection that he doesn’t operate, due to its rarity, but it is fully restored and is operational.

“It’s only two of any in existence. The other is in Harrisburg, Virginia. The serial number (located on a plate on the tractor) authenticates it,” he said.

A lot of people may put out the money required to purchase an antique tractor, but few want to put in the required hours it takes for the restoration, McLaughlin said.

“(The tractors) just set out in the elements and the weeds grow around it. (The people) get it home and there it sets. They get overwhelmed,” he said, adding there are a lot of hours required to make a tractor presentable.

McLaughlin sees the educational value in his collection as a way to preserve a piece of agricultural heritage. He explained that not that long ago 98% of the population was involved in agriculture to feed 2% of the population. Now, he said, the numbers have flip-flopped.

“I just am trying to provide this stuff a good home and extend its life,” McLaughlin said. “It was used to raise food to feed (people) and their neighbors. It’s important to me.”

Sunrise Iron is open any day of the year for tours. Owner Erl McLaughlin asks that anyone interested in a tour call ahead to set one up. He can be reached at 541-263-0755. Admission is free, although donations are welcome to help with ongoing projects.