R. F.D.I, Box 193,Sharon Road, Bridgeport, Ohio 43912
Our 8th Annual Reunion was one of the best and largest we have
had yet. Hanna Coal Company leveled a lot of their stripped ground
and that gave us some more parking area. In spite of it all, at
times traffic was tied up over a mile and a half each way trying to
get to our show grounds and a lot of people never did get in.
Another year we will have close to 60 acres. The weather was fine
this year. Cool in the mornings and real warm in the afternoon and
lovely for our evening program.
Our working engines were as follows: 9 hp. Case, W. C. Dunlap,
New Athens, Ohio, 20 hp. Russell, Charles Harrison, Scio, Ohio; 6
hp. Portable Russell, Francis Young, East Sparta, Ohio; 16 hp.
Frick, Laurl Runnals, Lagrange, Ohio; 16 hp. Huber, Herbert Holmes,
Moundsville, W. Va.; 19 hp. Baker, John McDowell, Plainfield, Ohio;
24 hp. Greyhound, William and Edgar Flowers, Adena, Ohio; 16 hp.
Russell, William Humpreville, Mt. Pleasant, Ohio; 20 hp. Farquhar,
Glenn Fullerton, Burget tstown, Pa.; 12 hp. Groton, Harry and Fred
Rogers, Kensington, Ohio; 18 hp. Keck-Gonnerman, Oliver Sword,
Dalton, Ohio; 16 hp. Russell, Raymond Laizure, Cadiz, Ohio; 15 hp.
Peerless, Herbert Holmes, Moundsville, W. Va.; 20 hp.
Aultman-Taylor, George Richey, Norwich, Ohio; 20 hp. Reeves, Asel
A. Gabel, Bridgeport, Ohio; 20 hp. Baker, A. R. Patton, Amsterdam,
Ohio; scale model Case, Thomas Hatcher and sons, New Concord, Ohio;
scale model Case, Thomas Hatcher and sons, New Concord, Ohio; scale
model Frick, Russell Gary Waynesburg, Pa.; scale model Frick, Gary
Arnold, Marietta, Ohio; Oil Field Steam Engines, William Glowers,
Adena, Ohio.
Other working machinery was Shingle Mill, John Sell, Lisbon,
Ohio; large saw mill, Stumptown Club; Model Saw Mill, Thomas
Hatcher and Sons, New Concord, Ohio; Stone Burr Corn Meal Grinder,
Harry Rogers, Kensington, Ohio; 30 x 50 Huber Separator, James
Fisher, Scio, Ohio; Champion Hand Fed Separator built in 1895,
Raymond Laizure, Cadiz, Ohio; John Deere Baler, Herbert Holmes,
Moundsville, W. Va.; Oliver Baler, C. W. Saffell, Belmont, Ohio;
Birdsall Clover Huller, hand feed drag stacker, built in 1899, Asel
A. Gabel, Bridgeport, Ohio; Horse Power Baler and Horse Power Feed
Mill, Willard Lorenz, Adena, Ohio; Two teams Belgian Horses,
Willard Lorenz and Wanda Downard, Adena, Ohio; Oil Pull Tractor
20-35, C. W. Saffell, Belmont, Ohio; Oil Pull Tractor 25-40 Charles
Harrison, Scio, Ohio; John Deere Tractor (Lovingly called Big Bad
John) Lloyd Leofler, Elm Grove, W. Va.; McCormick-Deering Tractor
15-30 and an SC Case Tractor, Edgar Flowers, Adena, Ohio; Gas
Engines, Henry R. Shore and Lloyd K. Loefler, Elm Grove, W. Va.;
Gas Engines, Edgar and Jom White, St. Clairsville, Ohio; Gas
Engines, Antique Truck and car and numerous antique toys, Charles
and Tom Absalom, Martins Ferry, Ohio; Gas Engines, James Creighton,
Cambridge, Ohio; Gas Engines, Delmar Snook, Mt. Perry, Ohio; Gas
Engines, Ken Burner, Salem, Ohio; Gas Engines, Henry Newton,
Hartville, Ohio; A Selection of antiques including a dog power
churn, washer, etc., Walter Watson, Hanoverton, Ohio; Selection of
glass antiques, Herbert Xonkler, Lancaster, Ohio; Antique Clocks,
Doc Saffell, Belmont, Ohio.
A Birdsall Road Wagon and a Surry with fringe on top drawn by
beautiful Belgian Horses attracted a lot of attention and were in
the parade both days.
Our rodent proof corn crib owned by Edgar Flowers, Adena, Ohio,
was at the show so people could see how the corn was hand selected
and kept for corn meal. We shelled the corn right at the show. Our
stone burr corn meal machine was kept busy grinding corn meal.
People stood in line to buy a bag or two of that good old fashioned
corn meal.
Our Shingle Mill was kept busy and everyone went away with a
souvenir shingle. The logs for the shingles were sawed out with the
scale model saw mill.
Our Baker fans and Ashcraft fans were kept busy turning all the
time.
Our saw mill buzzed away each day turning out some fine
lumber.
Our ladies Auxiliary had a bazaar, antique show and bake sale.
Many lovely old antiques were on display.
Our picture gallery is always a popular place. The pictures are
owned by Mr. Raymond Laizure, Cadiz, Ohio.
Each day at 4 PM we had our grand parade which gave the crowds
an opportunity to see the antiques and models pass in review. Mr.
Kenny Cope was in charge of the P. A. System. Mrs. Herbert Holmes
was crowned Queen of our show and she headed the parade each day
riding in the ‘Surry with the fringe on top’ pulled by a
team of Belgian horses.
Saturday evening we had a tractor pull. We also had an ‘Old
Fiddlers Contest’. After the contest, the men all got on the
stage and played together for several hours of square dancing.
Sunday morning at 9, we had our worship service which always
features the hymn ‘Bringing in the Sheaves’.
On Friday Evening, November 13, we held our Fall Fun Meet at the
4-H Building in Cadiz, Ohio. We had a covered dish dinner with ham,
turkey, rolls and coffee served by the club. Mr. Warren Calle was
the master of ceremonies. The prize given the family coming the
fartherest was to Mr. and Mrs. J. Warren Terrell, Maple Lane Farm,
New Vienna, Ohio. The oldest gentleman attending was Mr. Chester
Busby, 83, Freeport, Ohio. The oldest lady was Mrs. Edna Miller,
77, from Sugar Creek, Ohio. The youngest child was Holly Van Dyne,
21 months old, from Belmont, Ohio
After dinner, movies were shown and the crowd square danced for
several hours. The attendance was estimated at between 325 and
350.
The Officers of our club are Charles Harrison, Scio, Ohio,
President; Mr. Herbert Holmes, Moundsville, W. Va., Vice President;
Mr. Asel A. Gabel, Bridgeport,
Ohio, Secretary-Treasurer. Our board of directors are Raymond
Davis, Scio, Ohio, William Humpreville, Mt. Pleasant, Ohio; Edgar
Flowers and William
Flowers, both of Adena, Ohio; C. W. Saffell, Belmont, Ohio,
Lester Toole, Cadiz, Ohio; James Fisher, Scio, Ohio, and Kenneth
Cope of Cadiz, Ohio.
We were very sad indeed at the passing of two of our beloved
members, Mr. Ralph Bowden of Zanesville, who was our hauler, and
passed away in October with a heart attack. Mr. Emery Soos of
Adena, Ohio, was crushed in a mine accident where he worked.
Now remember folks, our show is always the Saturday and Sunday
following Labor Day. Hope to see you all next year when we expect
to have a larger and better show than ever.
