This year’s Harvester Homecoming will be held Aug. 5-6. The event will take place on the the Navistar Engineering Complex, 2911 Meyer Rd., Fort Wayne, Indiana. In its fourth year, the Harvester Homecoming invites the public to honor the men and women that made Harvester what it was. Former employees and their families are also invited to cherish the history of a company that was more than just a factory, but a way of life.
About Harvester Homecoming
From 1923 until 1982, International Harvester was a major employer in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with people coming from around the US, particularly the South, to work in the plant that focused on big trucks.
Additionally, from 1960-1980, the Fort Wayne plant produced the International Harvester Scout. At its peak, the company was producing more than 100 of the trucks per day.
Harvester Homecoming: why it matters
For those who did not live in a city where International Harvester was a major employer, the importance of the company might be difficult to understand. But, one way to look at Harvester is the life that it provided its workers, and by extension their families. The positions were unionized through the UAW (United Auto Workers). Workers were given substantial wages and benefits. Arguably, the work was difficult, but for many the rewards were high.
When Harvester moved to Springfield, Ohio in 1982, there was a change in the economic stability of Fort Wayne. The place where people could count on getting a job could not be counted on anymore. While there are other places that do various forms of automotive manufacturing, none seems to have the reach through generations of workers that Harvester had.
What to expect at Harvester Homecoming 2022
The event begins this Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, and runs until Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022. Harvester Homecoming will last each day from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. The days are intended to “celebrate Harvester’s and Navistar’s long history,” “and to honor the men and women who worked there.” Among the festivities will be an all-Harvester classic truck show including one-of-a-kind vehicles from the National Automotive and Truck and Auburn Cord Dusenberg museums in Auburn, historical displays, access to the legendary “Proving Grounds” test track and a reception/reunion.
While entry to the event is free, access to the Proving Grounds is $30. To enter a truck into the show is $20. For more information, visit: http://HarvesterHomecoming.com.
