Hooked on Camden tractor pulls
By Kevin Schnepp

Camden's 56-year tradition of hosting tractor-pulls has garnered attention from The Hook, an international magazine focused solely on the sport of pulling.

The magazine, based in Marshfield, Mo., took notice of the town's annual event after international attention began to come its way. The feature article is available in the current issue of the magazine.

The event was called the Camden Community Pull when it began in 1950. It was originally held in front of Camden school.

After a successful first year, the pull was taken over by Camden Lions Club as a fundraiser and moved to the Camden park. There were two locations in the park where the pull was held before it moved to its current location in the front of the park around 1976.

According to Bill Dittman, chairman of the tractor pull committee, some of the farmers to participate in the inaugural event included Harold Trapp, Bob Dittman, Voris Chapman, Raymond Ringer and Lester Yost. Names of others who were part of the original group were lost in a fire that destroyed some of the pull's historical records.

Camden's tractor-pull tradition has received worldwide

attention in recent years. Event and tractor sponsorships from tobacco, motor and lubricant companies have increased.

"Several other countries have begun to show interest in the local pull," exclaimed Dittman. He said visitors from Canada, Mexico, Spain, the Netherlands and other European countries increasingly make the trip to Camden to witness the pull and take part in the weekend festivities.

Dittman said Holland was so enamored with the Camden pull they hosted their own. The country went so far as to have several drivers from Camden take their tractors to the overseas event.

Camden also has Friday and Saturday night truck-pulls during the weekends and The Indiana Garden Tractor Pulling Association sponsors a garden tractor pull.

Other activities include softball games, bingo and raffles.

These activities and many more are what draw attendees and competitors, but according to Dittman, "It's the peoples' interest and the community aspect that keep it going strong."