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Auctioning Off History in Wayne County

BERLIN TOWNSHIP — In one part of Wayne County, they’re auctioning off some pieces of history this weekend. Hundreds of antique farm tractors will hi...
wayne auction

BERLIN TOWNSHIP -- In one part of Wayne County, they're auctioning off some pieces of history this weekend.

Hundreds of antique farm tractors will hit the auction block this weekend at Marshall Machinery near Honesdale -- spanning all types of brands and conditions.

They serve as a lasting legacy of the late John Marshall, who passed away in late 2016. John collected the rare and unique tractors for the past decade, going all across the country to find new additions.

"He liked shiny machines and he liked rusty machines, so we have everything under the sun," said his son, Earl Marshall.

Earl has now taken over the family business -- Marshall Machinery along Route 652 near Honesdale. It's a business that John Marshall built for roughly half a century, specializing in dealing farm equipment. This collection -- featuring International, Farmall, John Deere, and Allis Chalmer's -- is all up for auction Saturday. The auction is expected to bring about one thousand people -- some as far away as the state of Wyoming.

"Due to the rare nature of the pieces, we`d be speculating how much the total auction will be sold for," added Marshall.

People have already started coming out in numbers to check out the massive collection. Aiden Fulton brought his grandparents along to look at all the antiques -- from the rusted and in need of TLC, to the impressive, to the not-so large.

"My Grandpa Fulton has a big farm and wants to come and buy tractors for it," said Fulton of Bethel, New York. "Some of the Allis Chalmer's.. that big Allis Chalmer there.. I wonder how those back tires move."

Others were simply amazed at the enormity of the collection.

"To have that much...he lived a long time and had been to a lot of sales," marveled Edward Gabriel of Equinunk.

John Marshall certainly did spend his time and money on these prized antiques -- and now some of the money raised at the auction will go back to the community he cared for in the form of scholarships.

"Worried about industry, agriculture, worried about diesel mechanics and designated certain machines," added the younger Marshall. "All the proceeds will go to scholarships."

That auction is set to start at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday at Marshall Machinery, just north of Honesdale.

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