For years, Pete Hart was a valuable member of the Montgomery County Old Threshers Association.

So when he passed away in 2005, Old Threshers organizers decided to name the annual garden tractor pull that is held at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds after Hart in his honor. It was called the Pete Hart Memorial MCGPA Garden Tractor Pull in 2009.

Then when Hart’s wife, Ruth, died in 2013, the event was renamed again. It is now called the Pete Hart Memorial MCGPA “Hart”-Land Garden Tractor Pull. It received its new name in 2017.

Despite going through two name changes, the tractor pull event is still popular every year at the Old Threshers Show, attracting many people – young and old – from all over Missouri. It is held on Friday evening – which is the second day of the Old Threshers Show – at the Grandstands Arena. It has 10 different divisions – 900-pound youth, 12HP, 14HP, 1050-pound youth, Stock V twin, 1050-pound Sportsman, 1050-pound All Age, Hotstock, Outlaw and Open.
The event also gives children an opportunity to ride the Firecracker tractor that the Harts created. A total of 17 children rode the Firecracker during the “Hart”-Land Garden Tractor Pull on Aug. 15.

“That was Pete and Ruth Hart’s deal,” said Curtis Hillebrand, one of the directors of the Old Threshers Association. “That was their tractor. They provided it for any kids who wanted to ride and pull.”

Pete Hart was born Melvin Edward Hart on March 26, 1931 near Big Spring. He graduated from Hermann High School and married Ruth in 1950.

Pete Hart, who owned and operated Hart’s Garage, teamed up with Ruth to start the Montgomery County Garden Pull Association in 2001.

“At that time, it had locally Montgomery County pullers,” said Joe Baker, who was a friend of the Harts. “It was pretty small at that time, but it was built up and built up all of the time.”

Baker said when Pete Hart died at age 74 on New Year’s Eve 2005, he was working on building a tractor during that time.

“I went ahead and finished this tractor up and I actually named it For Pete’s Sake,” Baker said.

Ruth Hart died at age 81 on Jan. 6, 2013. She was born in Montgomery County and graduated from Montgomery City High School.

Bonnie Baker, another friend of the Harts and Joe’s wife, said Ruth was helpful when children were riding the Firecracker at the tractor pull.

“She would take the kids’ names down on a piece of paper,” Bonnie said. “As they pulled, we would announce and so forth.”

The Harts farmed west of Montgomery City for many years. They later moved to Williamsburg.