Halfway between Lynden and Bellingham, WA, lies Bruce Bouwman's nine acres. Along with his house and shop, you will find more than 20 tractors in various states of repair. Fourteen are running in top shape, some are newly acquired and still sitting on the trailers they arrived on, and a few are undergoing 'surgery' in the shop getting a new mechanical lease on life.
Bruce has been at Lynden Tank Company in Lynden, WA since 2001 and is a Welder/Fitter and Safety Supervisor. His interest in tractors started early. "Both my mom and dad came from dairy families in Whatcom County," he says. "My best friend lived on a dairy farm around the corner from us, and I helped him with chores like moving irrigation and bucking (hay) bales. There were always tractors around."
Today, Bruce not only collects and shows his tractors, he is also the creator of a YouTube channel called Trust the Rust with the tag line, "Play with, work on, keep running and use, old tractors, cars, and trucks."
"I've always been mechanically inclined," he says. "My first tractor was one I saw at a show. It was a Minneapolis Wide R with the wide front. I saw another one on my way to work in 1992. I ended up buying it despite the stuck engine and rotten tires and rims. I had it running in a few years. You can't just buy one, you have to buy two!" Bruce travels to auctions and shows all over the Pacific Northwest searching for his next buy. His latest acquisition is from Corvallis, OR.
Bruce's daughter Raeann joins him in parades, each driving a tractor. They also enter the tractors in pulling competitions and use them around the property to spread manure and harrow fields. The 1946 Minneapolis Moline is a big hit at Washington fairs.
Tractors aren't the only historic vehicles at Bruce's place. He also owns a 1966 Plymouth Belvedere II hardtop. "I've had it since 1986 when I was in high school," he explains. "I traded a 1972 K10 pickup for it. I also have a 1971 Chevrolet C-10 Cheyenne painted hugger orange and white, and a 1940 International pickup that my parents bought in 1979." Add a 1992 Dodge W250 pickup, and his daily driver, a 2008 Dodge Megacab with a Cummins 6-speed, and that's it...for now.
"My tastes have changed over the years so my collection has expanded and shrunk accordingly. I have sold some tractors and traded some, but not the 1949 Minneapolis Moline R – that one makes me happy," Bruce says.
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