Over the years many folks have inquired as to the history of Clyde Bershire's obsession, and it is an an obsession with all things International Harvester.  Clyde has amassed what could arguably be one of the largest private IH Collections in the country.  Being one of his children has allowed a unique view of this collection adventure. 

Dad began working with McCormick-Deering implements from the age of 6 and continued through high school working on his Dad's threshing crew.  A life-threatening bus accident, while working at Alcoa in Lafayette, IN kept him out of WWII, but, with 2 small boys, he had to find secure work.  Along came the opportunity in July 1945, after going into a dealership in Monticello, IN to purchase a tractor, they convinced him to take a job behind the parts counter.  After learning the trade, he went to work at the IH company dealership in Lafayette, IN in 1950. 

Then in 1952 with his wife, Helen, and three small children, Clyde made a life-altering decision by buying the George Peed dealership in Royal Center, IN renaming it to Berkshire implement Company.  There was no looking back and the dealership began to grow, moving locations on two different occasions due to increasing demands for space related to both sales and service.  Hundreds of trips to Moline, IL, Springfield, OH, Chicago, IL, Fort Wayne, IN, and Indianapolis, IN were made to pick up trucks, tractors, and parts.  The current building was built in 1978 with thoughts of having excessive space to "grow into".

However, six years earlier, in 1972, Clyde saw an auction ad for a McCormick-Deering grain binder and threshing machine.  Clyde's son, Vance, was sent to bid on both items, and $72 later, the obsession began.  Hundreds, if not thousands of auctions and garages sales have contributed to the collection.   

In the mid 1970's, and after careful restoration of both items, Dad approached several local civic organizations in an attempt to start up an antique power show.  At the time, he was told that "nobody's interested in that old stuff".

Then lightning struck in 1978, and he was approached by several folks in Winamac, IN who were interested in starting up an annual antique power show.  Northern Indiana Power From the Past, Inc. was soon formed.  Dad has served as the advertising coordinator for the show for most of its history.  Around at the same time in 1978, my sister Karen saw an IHC Autowagon at the IH engineering offices in Fort Wayne, IN and went up to look it over.  The next year, Dad saw an ad for a 1910 IHC Autowagon for sale in Lubbock, Texas, it didn't take long for it to become the prized possession in his collection.. It is one of the last 125 known to still exist.

Focusing most of his energies on the Winamac show and adding to his ever-growing IH collection, both quickly grew.  A one-day toy tractor show in January was added to the Northern Indiana Power From the Past schedule that brings enthusiasts from all over the Midwest to Winamac, IN.  Recently, a dealer told Dad that the Winamac toy show nets him more sales and profits than many of the multiple day shows occurring during the summer. 

Then an idea was formed between Dad and Mont Hoover to form a National IH Collector's Club.  In 1990, a charter show and meeting was held to form the "National IH Collector's Club".  That first year, 800 members joined and today it is over 7,000 members strong.  Though Dad gives most of the credit to Mont for doing most of the work, I know it was a life-long dream for him to see the growth and strength of Red Power Round Up every year.  Since inception, he's missed only one RPRU and only because of Helen's illness.

Even though the Tenneco buyout of IH in 1984 forced the official dealership to close, it didn't stop him from amazing a huge parts inventory.  Today, he believes he has purchased some part of over 290 dealerships through the years.  The inventory is housed in over 3500 parts bins and generally speaking, Dad can walk straight to the exact bin to find a part without looking it up on the card system.  That's right, no computers to tell him, it's the same card system that's been used for 40 plus years.

Today his IH collection has taken over the store built in 1978 until it's busting at the seams.  Some days, there is only a path to walk from one part to another.  It includes 80+ restored tractors (7 of which he sold new and has either traded for or bought back), 65+ pedal tractors, hundreds of small toys, 10 trucks, a copy of Cyrus McCormick's will, thousands of pieces of advertising and memorabilia, wrenches, freezers, cream separators, clothes, hats, pens, and of course, the threshing machine, binder, and Autowagon that started it all.  Dad's goal was to own every tractor IH built and I believe he's now 2 short of that goal.  Most of all the collections is out for display hanging from the ceiling, plastered all over the walls, in glass cases, and stacked from wall to wall.

Over the years, the entire family has grownup and worked in the store including four children, nine grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren carry on the tradition.  Mom always handled the bookkeeping and kept Dad from spending too much money on his obsession.  As the last of the four children, born to Clyde and Helen late in life, I was literally raised in the dealership.  I have met dozens of people who "remember" me as a little girl in the playpen near the parts counter.  I have overhauled everything from tractors to trucks to Cub Cadets and loaded them on to the trailer whenever complete.  I learned to answer the phone, look up part numbers and trouble-shoot maintenance issues.  And growing up in rural Indiana, most farmers didn't care for pre-teen tomboys answering questions, working up their parts invoices, and taking their money.  I can also remember crawling up and down parts bins performing annual inventory with Mom that would take nearly all my summer vacation.  That is, whenever, we weren't going around buying up dealerships and hauling them home to sort out.  Some of my fondest memories are of going to auctions with Dad and hauling his "treasures" to the truck.  Sometimes he was buying faster than I could carry and load. 

Even at 86, (I'll be in big trouble for admitting his age"), Dad is still at the store every day, answering the phone and shipping NOS parts all over the world.  If you need parts or just want to drop by and look at the collection, just give him a call at 574-643-3115.  Just don't show up on the weekends as he's still out searching for the newest item to add to the collection.
 

BY PERMELLA CAMPBELL, DAUGHTER