1950s Handmade Child's Tractor

Charles, the oldest son of Harry (Cappy) and Blanch Stansfield, was born April 15, 1925, and lived in Lawrenceville until enlisting in the Navy during WWII. He then returned to Lawrenceville and worked a number of years for Central Cigar Company. Subsequently, Charles decided to use his G.I. college benefits and enrolled at Spartan School of Aeronautics, graduating as an aeronautical mechanic. Charles returned to Lawrenceville and was employed as an airplane mechanic at O'Neal Airport. He owned a Piper cub airplane.

During that time, Charles taught a boy's class at Sunday school at the United Brethren Church, later the Otterbein United Methodist Church. If any of his students had perfect attendance for 6 months, Charles would reward them with a flight in his plane. Needless to say, his class grew and was well attended.

Later Charles was offered a job with Milwaukee Butler Company that serviced corporate and large privately owned planes. In the winter, if the planes were too large for Butler's hangars, Charles and other crew members would fly to Florida and work on the planes there.

Charles was very generous with his mechanical skills, making riding toys for his nephews and nieces as well as salvaging bicycle parts to provide bikes for the neighborhood children and others in Milwaukee.

Family members donated this handmade tractor circa 1950s made by Charles Stansfield and his nephew Dennis Parrot to the Historical Society and it is now a part of our Vintage Toy Collection.