CCHS receives grant from Jerred D Ruble Family Charitable Foundation

Jerred D Ruble was known as a humble, generous person with a love of agriculture— especially steam engine tractors—and a passion for keeping the hobby of collecting and showing antique farm equipment alive.

In 2010, the Jerred D. Ruble Family Charitable Foundation was created to preserve “America’s agricultural heritage through the collection, conservation, and exhibition of historically significant agricultural equipment, and memorabilia,” according to the foundation’s website.

Within the last few months, the Clay County Historical Society (CCHS) received a grant to construct a building to house tractors and equipment, in conjunction with Old Trusty—which is hosted each September.

CCHS applied for the grant and foundation members, such as Wyndham Sellers, looked at the viability of the proposed project, and if there was a connection between Old Trusty and Ruble’s overall goal.

In the application, CCHS had to provide solid estimates and a building plan from a contractor. To the best of their ability, the Foundation wants applicants to utilize local contractors, as a way to give back to the community.

The 50x80 foot Sentinel building, which was constructed north of the existing CCHS building in Clay Center, was built by Flatland Sales.

One stipulation is that any building funded by the grant must be named after Ruble— CCHS’s is named the Jerred and Eileen Ruble Building, after Jerred and his wife.

Both of them traveled to antique tractor shows, though Sellers is unsure if they ever traveled to Old Trusty.

Sellers attended this year’s show, saying it was “a very nice show. I’m glad to see it going well. Jerred would have been proud to see a building go up there.”

Groundwork started shortly after Old Trusty and was recently finished.

“It’s a nice building and a good design,” Sellers said.

According to Sellers, Ruble’s main hobby was steam tractors/engines, but he also had gas-powered ones, too.

In the 1960s, Ruble was a technician on computers, before helping to start a software company called Team-Quest.

Over the years, Sellers said Ruble had many restoration projects and also has a Steam School named after him.

The third weekend in May, Ruble would bring his steam engines to teach others, especially younger people, how to get it started and run, as well as maintain it.

“It was important for him to get younger people involved,” Sellers said.

Ruble passed away in 2022, but his legacy lives on through those who have the passion and drive to keep agricultural history flourishing.