In the 1940’s early in the run of the CJ2-A, Willys-Overland was enthusiastic about proving (and selling) the rural, agricultural and farming abilities of the new civilian jeep. As we have seen last week with the Data brochure, Willys had no shortage of proof to present to the post-war world on why the jeep was a vital part of the new economy and developing society.
One of these opportunities that they took was the event that took place in the Ohio Valley on or near the land at that time owned by the Rio Grande College’s farm. The college owned some 300 acres that was used as a fully functioning farm that its students worked on to help defray the costs of tuition and to provide food. This unique situation was utilized by the college from when they bought the land in 1938 until 1953 when the land was sold to Bob Evans, the sausage manufacturer and owner of the restaurant chain of the same name.
Willys-Overland took this and ran with it, providing jeeps and equipment that showed off the capabilities of the jeep in a two day event in such various activities as clearing land, running tools with its PTO and agricultural tilling and planting. The program was run under the auspices of the U.S. Soil Conservation Service with the message that “The land is our heritage... protect it!” It must have been a message that resonated with Americans after the destruction visited upon much of the world after the war. And of course, the jeep was as much a vital part of the peacetime world as it had been during wartime.
Keep checking back every week. I’m still working on a revamp of the website, designing new products for the This-Old-Jeep.com Zazzle marketplace and in the middle of a couple of large scanning projects that you will see here! Have a suggestion or something to submit? You can find us on Facebook and Twitter or email me @ThisOldJeepDotCom@gmail.com.
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