Tractor Pulling in Montpelier, St. Helena Parish, Louisiana
File submitted by Mrs. Inez Bridges Tate and prepared by D.N. Pardue

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From publication "Old Montpelier, 1804, New Montpelier, 1904"
compiled by Inez B. Tate and published by St. Helena Historical
Association, 1993.  Reprinted with permission.

     For a while Montpelier was home to the Tractor Pulling Con-

test which was co-sponsored with the Hillsdale Tractor Pullers

Association and Montpelier Fire Department.  The gate was divid-

ed after expenses were paid.

     The contest was set up on permanent tracks with a weight

that got increasingly heavier as it moved forward.  When a trac-

tor lost its forward momentum, that spot was measured and marked.

A tractor got two pulls for his $5 entry fee.  Spectator admission

was $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for a child.

     Justin Wilson served as Master of Ceremonies on August 28,

1976.  Mr. Wilson is noted for his Cajun cooking and humor.

     Through this fund-raising means the Fire Department was

able to purchase a fire truck in 1980.

     These attractions continued for several years and received

the honor of having the State Champion Tractor Pull here.

     In the beginning farmers would work their fields in the

morning and participate in the "Pulls" at night.  As it became

a more popular sport, the tractors became larger and were fueled

by higher octane gasoline (the kind used for jet planes).  Be-

cause of the ever increasing cost of insurance, the Tractor/Truck

Pulls were discontinued in 1981, leaving many memories.

     Montpelier held the franchise as Louisiana State Champion

Tractor Pull.  When it was advertised the State Champion Tractor

Pull would be held in the Superdome, New Orleans, Montpelier

still held the franchise.  The relinquished to New Orleans as

the event was no longer held in Montpelier.
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