George E. Murphy of Abbeville, Alabama, became an IH dealer in 1954 when IH released the 2pt Fast Hitch for C Farmalls. In the early 1950s it was not popular in his area because all of the other brands used a common 3pt hitch, and most farmers in Henry County had the equipment that attached to that hitch. This limited sales for IH in his local crops and field conditions, although he sold many Farmall Cs and later models over the years.

 

He began selling IH trucks--the L and R model lines--which were stronger and reliable, and were good sellers for his dealership. Later, he took on the IH appliance line: refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners. These were very reliable, and when George sold out his dealership in 2002, these original units were still running.

 

George shared his story with us at the 29th National Red Power Round Up in Montgomery, Alabama in June 2018, just a month shy of his 99th birthday!