REUNION REPORTS

Black smoke billowed and steam whistles sang sad songs of a
by-gone age, as the ‘iron men’ of seven states gathered at
the fair grounds in Lexington, North Carolina July 20, 21 and
22.

It was the first convention of the newly formed North Carolina
Steam Historical Association, a non-profit group organized to keep
alive the memories of the age of steam and to show the old iron
engines to the young people of today who may never have seen any of
them.

It was also a gathering to give honor to the men who once used
steam power for threshing and wood sawing the ‘iron men’ so
called because of the massive iron castings of which the old
engines were built.

Bob Powell, of Mocksville, President of the Association, called
the convention a success, although it did not draw more than
several hundred people as spectators. It was held practically
without publicity. An announcement in the ‘Iron Men Album’
and word of mouth news brought some 150 participants and their
families.

There were 14 traction engines on exhibition huge puffing
monsters fired and traveling over the grounds under their own
power. There were eight ‘portables’ engines made to turn
machinery but which had to be pulled along by horses or mules.

J. W. Nipper, of Warrenville, brought along a three-foot model
of a traction engine which operated under its own steam, pulling a
red wagon in which he gave free rides. Bill Carrick, of Denton,
brought a new threshing machine which was belted to several of the
old engines, one at a time, of course, and used to thresh
wheat.