Broken Axle

The 1953 Broken Axle Accident

Dad decided that I was old enough to take the tractor after the milk cows in the evenings. This particular day, my little brother, Dan, chose to ride along. He had taken a few rides with our older brother so he was full of information on how I should drive the tractor. My mistake was that I listened. The cows were on their way down hill in the trails they had made during many pervious such walks. Just as I started to drive down the hill in the picture to the right, Dan said, “Bill always take the tractor out of gear and lets it coast.” I did. As the tractor sped downward I tried to brake, put it into gear, and everything else I could think of that might stop the tractor. Before long Dan who had been standing on the tractor hitch was thrown off. About half way down the steep hill the tractor hit a cow trail and snapped the front axle. It stopped! I was thrown into the steering wheel but managed to hang on. Just one bloody nose for me and Dan was fine. Guess who was in trouble, not Dan.