“Pullets & Doodlebug” 9/12/1943 Red Hook, NY by John Losee

From 1931 until the late 40’s/early 50’s my grandfather owned and operated an apple orchard on the west side of Rt. 9 just south of Rockefeller Lane in Red Hook, NY. It was a tough business that he was forced to take on after his father died. Previous to that he was a scientist working for Bell Labs in the city. I have other shots of the Doodlebug and should see if I can identify the make, but this one is my favorite. I also love how he recovered a seat with an old flannel shirt.

During WWII, tractors were not mass produced as they are now. Instead, farmers took components from cars, trucks, and any other machinery available to build and repair their tractors so they could continue their farming. They called their invention “the doodlebug.”

They used their doodlebugs to plow, hay fields, haul logs, and pull out stumps. To do all this, the doodlebug needed good ground clearance for use in any conditions, going under trees, and climbing most any terrain. For protection they had a hood, cowl radiator, a small seat, some had a small truck bed, and most had a hitching point to tow with.

– Dundee Creek Doodlebugs

The shack in the background may be a chicken coop, but may also be his residence, which was a re-purposed chicken coop! When he married in 1944, my grandmother moved in there with him and they had their first two children with them until moving to Rock City in the early 50’s. My grandmother really, really loved my grandfather!