Minneapolis, MN
Marvin the Minneapolis-Moline is her ‘one and only’
In 2015, Lauren Castle of Sussex, Wis., was traveling on vacation to Eagle River, Wis., with her boyfriend, Brent Riemer, who is now her husband. The couple spotted an abandoned 1952 Minneapolis-Moline U tractor. That trip sparked an interest and a goal to find another one.
“His family has tractors, mainly Farmalls and Allis-Chalmers, but I wanted something different,” Castle says. “Some friends had a similar machine and were willing to part with it, so I purchased the U for $500. It had been previously used as a hobby tractor for handling tillage chores and was sitting outside under a tarp. Some of the parts from the tractor were in boxes because the previous owners were planning to restore it.”
The history of this tractor line began in 1929 when the Moline Implement Co., Moline Plow Co., and Minneapolis Steel and Manufacturing Co. merged to form the Minneapolis-Moline Co. The U was a standard-tread tractor, and only 2,404 units came off the assembly line at the manufacturing plant in Hopkins, Minn., between 1952 and 1956. In all, there were 11 different models, ranging from the UTU row crop tricycle to the UTIL military row wide or single format.
Features included manual steering, open operator station, five-speed gear transmission and one reverse, hand clutch, starter button, and 81-inch wheelbase. It had a 40-hp rating on the drawbar; 4-by-2 two-wheel-drive chassis; and a Minneapolis-Moline 4.6-liter, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled diesel engine.
When Castle bought the U, it had not been started for eight years and needed major repairs. There were layers of beehives in the motor, which was frozen. Someone had tried to pull the tractor but broke the cam and oil pump shaft. All tires had deteriorated.
Up and running
Riemer and his uncle Kevin were confident they could get the tractor back together and running again. The U needed a hood, muffler, tires, rims, seat assembly, seals and spark plugs. Items were purchased online and at local salvage yards, and by removing pieces from other machines. After spending $700 to $800 on parts and a month to finish all the repairs, the U was operational.
Castle has entered tractor pulling contests and does some plowing with the U, plus it powers the buzz saw.
She takes it to the Dodge County Tractor Show, Richfield Historical Society Plow Day and Sussex Antique Power Association parade. It has also been used at Basse’s Taste of Country Market in Colgate, Wis., as a people mover during the annual pumpkin harvest.
“Today, the U operates about 30 hours per year. I need to find some extra time and hopefully it will get repainted,” Castle adds. “This is truly my only and favorite tractor, named Marvin the Minneapolis-Moline, because it’s a cute little machine, unique for this area, and I enjoy going on rides in the country with my husband.”
Persinger writes from Milwaukee. To have your favorite tractor featured, email or send in a photo of yourself with your tractor, along with a 300-word write-up about the tractor, to: [email protected] or Wisconsin Agriculturist, P.O. Box 236, Brandon, WI 53919.
The scene of the crash at 26th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis woman was sentenced for her role in a deadly crash that killed two women and injured two other people in December 2024.
READ MORE: Minneapolis woman charged in fatal high-speed crash faces additional charges
Woman sentenced in fatal Minneapolis crash
Big picture view:
Prosecutors say Teniki Steward drove a Buick Enclave into a bus shelter and a Ford Explorer after speeding through a red light.
Both of the women in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were identified as 53-year-old Ester Jean Fulks and 57-year-old Rose Elaine Reece.
During the crash, the Ford Explorer went off the road, injuring a 17-year-old boy who was waiting for a school bus.
The passenger in Steward’s vehicle also suffered injuries.
Minneapolis police said that Steward was also injured in the crash.
Steward pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.
What they’re saying:
During the sentencing, the daughter of one of the victims had a statement read on her behalf:
“There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the moment your entire world is taken from you. Losing my mom has left a pain in my heart that words will never be able to explain.”
What’s next:
Minnesota law requires that Steward serves at least two-thirds of her sentence, a bit under eight-and-a-half years, in prison.
Fatal Emerson and 26th crash
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, through surveillance videos from the scene of the crash and witnesses, investigators learned that Steward, driving the Buick Enclave, had been driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Emerson Avenue North.
Before the fatal crash, Steward sped through the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and Broadway Avenue North, running a red light and nearly causing a crash, the charges said.
Steward then continued to speed northbound down Emerson Avenue North, and ran another red light at 26th Avenue North, hitting the Ford Explorer, which was traveling eastbound, according to the complaint.
The Ford Explorer had been at the intersection of Emerson and 26th on a green light.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement:
“This was an egregious act that took Rose and Esther’s lives and injured a child waiting to go to school at a bus stop. Ms. Steward was driving at extremely dangerous speeds on city streets and narrowly avoided multiple collisions before the incident occurred. Third-degree murder charges are appropriate to hold her accountable and protect our community.”
The Source: This story uses information gathered from an Olmsted County court appearance and previous FOX 9 reporting.
A motorcyclist is dead after an early morning crash in Minneapolis Friday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that at 1:20 a.m., a Suzuki Motorcycle going north on I-35W at Johnson Street hit the left side of the median guard rail.
The motorcycle continued north for about another quarter mile before coming to a rest on the right-hand side.
State Patrol said the rider came to rest on the left shoulder. He was later identified as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Spartans boys volleyball team played its second game on consecutive nights. The Spartans beat Minneapolis Camden 3-0.
Rochester’s next game will be Tuesday, April 21, at St. Anthony Village at 7:00 p.m.
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