10839 Girdled Road Concord, Ohio 44077
The Pioneer Steam and Gas Engine Society of Northwestern
Pennsylvania, Inc. 1988 Show was a real success. The show was held,
for the first time, on their new show grounds at Coon’s
Corners, near Saegertown, Pennsylvania.
The show grounds, purchased in January 1988, consists of sixty
acres of gently sloped land, partially wooded, and bordering on
Interstate 79.
Many hours were spent, throughout last winter, by several of the
society’s officers and directors, in finding and purchasing
this superb site.
It was only in April that it was decided to hold this year’s
show at the new site. Previous shows have been held at the Crawford
County Fairgrounds near Meadville, Pennsylvania.
A tremendous amount of work was accomplished between April and
the show dates of July 15,16 and 17, including putting in two
driveway entrances and a gravel road of about 800 feet long,
drilling a water well, clearing brush and general cleanup, building
a loading dock, and setting up a house trailer as an office. Much
required material was donated.
Due to long distance, the cost of electricity at the grounds is
prohibitive. Therefore, the club decided to generate their own
electricity at a fraction of the cost.
Future plans included a sawmill and a pole building to be used
for food sales, music entertainment, model displays, and storage
during the off season. Long range plans may include an historical
village, permanent large gas engine display with a full-sized model
of an antique oil field with rod lines.
Exhibits this year included many gasoline and gas engines from
models up through a 15 HP Bessemer owned by Joe Vogt of Trumbull,
Ohio. About every major brand of tractor was represented, including
a 10-20 Titan; a 25-50 Baker, owned by George Nicholas of Kinsman,
Ohio; and a 20-40 Oil Pull, owned by Bert and Wilbert Green of
Jamestown, Pennsylvania.
Traction engines this year included an 18 HP Aultman Taylor, s/n
9212, owned by Jim and Marilyn Malz of Andover, Ohio; a 20 HP Gaar
Scott single sidemount, s/n 15480, owned by Francis Day of Andover,
Ohio; a 13 HP Nichols & Shepard, owned by Mark Hissa of
Middlefield, Ohio, operated by Morgan Hill (now deceased); a 20 HP
single M. Rumely, s/n 6991, owned by Blake Malkamaki of
Painesville, Ohio; and a 12 HP Russell, owned by George Pappish of
Erie, Pennsylvania. A real nice model Case engine was exhibited by
Charles Flint of Marienville, Pennsylvania. It was operated by
Chuck and Dan Miller of Marienville.
There was a brand new stationary steam engine with generator,
built and displayed by the Skinner Engine Company of Erie. This
engine has an all welded steel flywheel with an automatic governor,
Teflon rings and cylinder and requires no cylinder oil.
Mary Stanford of Waterford, Pennsylvania made bean soup in a
large steam kettle, powered by steam from Dale Fobes small vertical
boiler. Dale is from Albion, Pennsylvania.
There were many more exhibitors of gas engines and tractors than
I have named, due to space I am unable to include them, so I
apologize.
The weather was hot and dry, until the first few bundles of
speltz was hand fed into the Westinghouse separator on Saturday
then it poured like crazy. Nobody seemed to mind a little rain
after all the drought.
Next year’s show should be on the 14th, 15th, & 16th of
July and should be better yet. Everyone is welcome to come and have
a good time.
