Mechanics and Farming.... going hand in hand

In my family farming is something that you just kind of do. You don't have to look very far to find the history behind it all. My Grandpa Nelson played a significant role in farming, all though he wasn't technically a farmer. He was a mechanic, and specifically worked on farm equipment. He would be called on at all times of the day and night to different farms, and fields to get a tractor or machine of some sort up and running so that the farmer could finish his days work, and make sure that the crop was going to be harvested or planted at the perfect time. 

A major reason why he was able to have the occupation that he had though was because of a man named John Froelich. John Froelich was the man that first built a gasoline tractor. This literally changed everything. Because of his idea and ability to create such a technological advancement it allowed my grandpa to be able to provide for his family. I believe that this could be a reason for John Froelich's invention. He needed a way that was quicker and more sufficient to grow and produce crops, in order to provide for his family. 

Another comparison that I can make between my grandpa and John Froelich's invention of a gas powered farm machine, was the amount of frustration that each of them faced while going about their work. For example John Froelich was tired of using a steam powered machine. It was dangerous and had so many risks involved. One bad move or spark and all of his crop could be burned or ruined. He had a plan to come up with an easier way of life, but that doesn't mean that this plan came easy. I can only imagine trying to invent something, let along something as complex as farm equipment. I imagine there was many failed attempts, many times something would go wrong and he would have to go back and try again. This is very similar to my grandpa. There was no teachers to tell him how to fix a tractor. He would be lucky if it came with an owners manual. Everything he did on those tractors in order to fix them he had to figure out himself. I can imagine it being very frustrating at times. Him wanting to please the farmer, as well as help him keep his work going and not being able to figure it out a solution.

Finally my last conclusion about these two men in my opinion is the most important and shows the character of both. Neither one of them quit and gave up when times got tough. Although the things they were doing were some what different, they each had a task at hand that needed to be accomplished. Both of them brought about good, and change, and ultimately impacted the entire farming community of today. 

"The Froelich Tractor." The Froelich Tractor. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2017.