A Century of Caterpillar celebrated
Pictured at the Century of Caterpillar event hosted by C.J. Moyna & Sons in Elkader on Sept. 12-14 is the limited edition grey “Centennial Dozer” on display next to the 1925 Cat 60. The commemorative dozer is painted in the original “Caterpillar Grey” used when the business was first established in 1925, and before they switched to their well-know “Caterpillar Yellow.” (Photos by Kaitlyn Kuehl-Berns)
Connor Lentz watches his dad, Travis Lentz, participate in the excavator rodeo at the Century of Caterpillar event in Elkader on Sept. 13. With a time of 19.81 seconds, Lentz was one of the quickest to complete the challenge of picking up three basketballs from the top of traffic cones and lowering them into a bin.
Talents of the community were on display, as the Elkader Opera House Players staged a production on the history of Caterpillar.
Besides sharing the history and equipment, C.J. Moyna & Sons President Justin Augustyn felt it was special to bring people with different backgrounds together. He said, “It’s cool to hear all the old memories, whether it’s people sharing stories from their fathers, grandfathers or other memories they have.”
By Kaitlyn Kuehl-Berns | Times-Register
The Century of Caterpillar event hosted by C.J. Moyna & Sons brought heavy equipment enthusiasts from across the globe to the industrial district of Elkader over the weekend.
The three-day event included equipment displays, exclusive workshops, live demonstrations and restoration reveals. Other activities included kids entertainment, food trucks, live music, fireworks and an Ovarian Cancer Research 5K Run/Walk.
C.J. Moyna & Sons President Justin Augustyn shared that the attendance exceeded expectations and organizers couldn’t have asked for better weather.
Visitors from across the United States, as well as outside the country from Australia, New Zealand and Canada, attended.
The idea for the event started about a year ago, when C.J. Moyna & Sons realized the upcoming milestone. Inspired by the celebration they held in 2021 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of C.J. Moyna & Sons, they put together a crew that met quarterly to plan the event.
Equipment was brought in for eight weeks prior to the event. It came from all over, including Washington, Illinois and Canada. The displays included John Moyna’s personal collection, as well as equipment on loan from other businesses, Caterpillar collection groups and CAT dealers.
Aaron Witt, an influencer who has brought a lot of awareness to the construction industry through his social media platforms, was in attendance. Augustyn shared that the Earthmoving Legacy Center also has its own YouTube account, where videos showing portions of restoration projects are posted.
A couple of unique pieces of equipment on display at the event included two Grey Centennial Dozers, which are special anniversary editions. Augustyn said, “It pays homage to the original gray paint that Caterpillar started with back in 1925.”
One of the dozers was displayed in the center of the event next to the matching 1925 CAT 60.
Another special piece was the Caterpillar 666 scrapper. It was produced in the early 1960s during the height of interstate construction. Restoration on it has been in progress for the last year and finished just before the event.
Besides sharing the history and equipment, Augustyn felt it was special to bring people with different backgrounds together.
He said, “It’s cool to hear all the old memories, whether it’s people sharing stories from their fathers, grandfathers or other memories they have.”
Augustyn said that, while they were excited to share their passion for Caterpillar and earthmoving, C.J. Moyna & Sons was also excited to introduce visitors to Elkader. It was important for them to highlight the local area, restaurants and shops. Talents of the community were also on display, as the Elkader Opera House Players staged a production on the history of Caterpillar.
Augustyn was excited for locals to see an inside look at C.J. Moyna & Sons. Throughout the event, they held tours of the facilities and the Earthmoving Legacy Center.
An impact Augustyn hopes the event may have on the community is “sharing a little bit about what’s going on and the opportunities in their own backyard.”
For youth in attendance, he hopes the event sparked their interest in engineering or equipment.
