R. R.2, Box 6 Slaton, Texas 79364
Two teachers from Lanesville High School of Lanesville, Indiana,
planned a heritage program in celebration of our country’s
birthday. From its beginning at L. H. S. with the community’s
support, it has grown into a full weekend of History Comes
Alive.’
Lanesville, by the way, is just west of Louisville, Kentucky.
Lanesville has the philosophy of our forefathers, of working
together for a common good. This has a rippling effect. For
example, churohes, schools and school organizations, athletic
pro
grams, boy and girl scouts, non-profit organizations, as well as
individuals, are helped financially, enabling them to continue
their good works. These people attract their friends, relatives and
acquaintances who, more often than not, volunteer to help at
various booths.
Visitors enjoy listening to Kitten’s musical exhaust all its
own while running the saw. Even owner Francis Lindauer (at center,
in the fishing hat) stands back and listens.
To have more than 30,000 visitors for the weekend, Lanesville
has quite a variety of events.
A parade is a must, and there were an amazing 176 units in the
parade. Some of the activities include a fiddler’s contest, log
sawing contests, horseshoe pitching and, of course, an antique
tractor display. The tractors included 210 tractors, 100 pull
tractors, and 11 steam engines. The oldest tractor was a 1916 Titan
owned by Lindauer Farms of Ferdinand, Indiana. Lindauer Farms also
had a Kitten steam engine to power the various displays.
The steam engines huffed and puffed and whistled as each engine
took its turn to furnish power to run the sawmill, grain
separators, Baker fan, and even a spark display after dark. History
did indeed come alive in Lanesville.
Members of Southern Indiana Horse and Mule Association worked
hard as they plowed, disked, harrowed and rolled the ground in
preparation for seeding and planting a crop much as did the farmers
of the early and mid-1900s. Hit & miss gasoline engines had a
display of over 100 engines.
Antique tractor games included a slow race, barrel roll, quick
start (electric), quick start (hand crank), egg cracking, and a
bucket brigade. Saturday night the tractor pull had a surprise
entry of one Avery under-mount steam engine owned by none other
than Lindauer Farms. By the way, it made a full pull.
Maynard Lambertus, eighth year chairman, said the reasons for
the success of the show are experience, volunteer-ism, dedication,
and of course good weather.
For people not so interested in tractors or engines, there were
plenty of other activities like apple butter making, quilting, soap
making, small crafts, and food and craft booths 260 in all.
Lanesville sure knows how to put on a festival, and I enjoyed
running the steam engines again especially the Kitten. Bernie Pund
and I had the Kitten on the sawmill for about an hour and we used
about a half bunker of coal and 1/3 tank, of
water. Sure seemed like the ole Kitten was running efficiently that
day.
1976 to 1998 is 23 years of remembering the history of our
country in September each year, and Lanesville has a good formula
to keep it alive.
