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BEFORE & AFTER
RESTORATION OF THE MONTH
Family Ties:
Engine collector specializes in Ottawa line
By Leslie McDaniel submitted photos
For Jerry Swanson, family comes first -- even when you're talking engines.
Jerry began tinkering with engines as a grade school student.
As he grew older, the collection also grew: Lots of engines, lots of manufacturers. But about 15 years ago, when he discovered a family tie to a Kansas engine manufacturer, he sold the bulk of his collection and began to specialize in one line: Ottawa Engines.
"I had a distant relation by marriage," he said, connecting him to the Warner family that founded the Ottawa Engine Company. "And, I grew up near Ottawa, Kan."
The Ottawa line, he says, has a unique appeal.
"In the 40 I have, there's something different about every one," he says. "They kept changing them all the time. Some of the machine work is kind of crude, but you can always tell an Ottawa; they just stand out."
Once he decided to specialize, he jumped in with both feet. He did extensive research on the Ottawa company, though his efforts were hampered by both fire and flood in the company's early years.
"All the records are gone," he says. "It's been pretty hard to research."