Old Roxbury Days

By Staff
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Leading the parade, a 1935 Case L owned and driven by Dudley Diebold of Roxbury.
Leading the parade, a 1935 Case L owned and driven by Dudley Diebold of Roxbury.
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Ben Stiles of Southbury, Connecticut demonstrates a drag saw during Old Roxbury Days.
Ben Stiles of Southbury, Connecticut demonstrates a drag saw during Old Roxbury Days.
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Jim Hine and Dudley Diebold operate a shingle mill powered by a 1919 Twin City tractor owned by Robert and Bob Current of Watertown, Ct.
Jim Hine and Dudley Diebold operate a shingle mill powered by a 1919 Twin City tractor owned by Robert and Bob Current of Watertown, Ct.
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8 HP Saxon engine, the largest engine owned by the Roxbury Historical Society.
8 HP Saxon engine, the largest engine owned by the Roxbury Historical Society.
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1950 Farmall M owned and driven by John Bardin of Danbury, Connecticut.
1950 Farmall M owned and driven by John Bardin of Danbury, Connecticut.
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Debbie Nelson of Roxbury drives a 1939 Case VC in the 1990 Old Roxbury Days.
Debbie Nelson of Roxbury drives a 1939 Case VC in the 1990 Old Roxbury Days.

52A South Main Street, New Milford, Connecticut 06776

A record-smashing year! At least for everyone involved with the
Old Roxbury Days fair in Roxbury, Connecticut. The Roxbury
Volunteer Fire Department hosted the 19th annual Old Roxbury Days
fair with a record attendance for recent years, of over 7,000
people. Another record also, for the Roxbury Historical Society, as
they had on display a total of 96 antique farm tractors.

One of the unique things about Old Roxbury Days is that when you
look at all the old farm equipment and tractors, that’s all you
see. For you people who have never been to our show, we have a rule
that states, ‘No cars, trucks, campers or vendors in the
display area.’ The reason for this is that we feel the public
who pay the price of admission to come in to see our fair want to
see an old time fair, and not a bunch of late model pickup trucks
with engines on the tailgate, or campers set up with engines out in
front of them. We want them to feel that they have actually stepped
back in time to an old time fair, something that their grandparents
may have attended in years past.

Exhibitors from all around the state of Connecticut and
neighboring states of New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire
had items on display. These exhibits ranged in size from scale
model engines to tractors. Some exhibitors had hands-on displays
for the children to learn about the old time ways that their
parents and grandparents may have used when they were growing
up.

The Roxbury Historical Society had many of its pieces of
equipment out on display and running. Gas engines provided power
for the water pumps, corn shellers, grinders, cord wood saw, drag
saw, and threshing machine. The tractors were called upon to belt
up to the wood planer, shingle mill, ensilage cutter, and hay
press.

The hay press that was on display is owned by Dudley Diebold of
Roxbury. This piece of equipment is a real crowd pleaser-people
gather around and watch with amazement as this machine presses the
straw from the thresher into bales. Viewers are impressed with the
timing that the operators have to have to run this machine, from
forking in the straw, to dropping the spacer blocks, to inserting
the wire and tying off the bales.

On Saturday afternoon, slow races were held for the tractors.
One race had thirteen tractors in it. This had the camera freaks
really clicking away. Some tractors just drove around to get some
exercise and to have their picture taken.

Sunday saw an invasion of antique tractors, as over 30 tractors
from out of town showed up for the big tractor parade that was
going to be held in the afternoon. A total of 85 tractors were in
the parade. Many were in better condition than when they left the
factory, both mechanical and appearance wise. Yet, some tractors
were there right off the farms with cow manure still on the tires.
You would be surprised, but old tractors still in use on farms that
come down to the parade, attract almost as much attention as the
ones that are all restored.

There are two tractors that deserve a special mention, not
because they look special, as both are in original condition, but
because of their local history.

The first is a 1947 Oliver Super 77 owned by Lewis Hurlbut of
Roxbury. Hurlbut is the original owner and still has this tractor
in use on the family farm.

The other tractor is a 1948 Farmall MD that was originally owned
by Sanford Smith of Roxbury, and is now owned by Russ Wheeler, also
of Roxbury. This was the first diesel farm tractor to work on any
farm in Roxbury.

With another safe and happy year behind us, the Roxbury
Historical Society has high hopes for 1991. This year on July 27
and 28 we will be having our twentieth annual show. We hope
everyone who has been to Old Roxbury Days in the past plans to
attend, and we extend an open invitation to anyone who has heard
about us but hasn’t yet attended our show. We hope you can make
it this summer.

Remember, this is just not a machinery show, it’s an old
time fair, with old-fashioned games such as a frog jumping contest,
Jello eating, bubble gum blowing, and watermelon seed spitting
contests too. We have a country store, draft horse wagon rides, a
flea market, and an antique car and truck show.

  • Published on Jun 1, 1991
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