Boone Show JULY 24 TO 26, 1998

By Staff
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Engine collection and shingle mill demonstrated by Neal Winebarger, of Boone, kneeling.
Engine collection and shingle mill demonstrated by Neal Winebarger, of Boone, kneeling.
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Recently restored Farmall owned and driven in the tractor parde by Bill Herman of Taylorsville, NC.
Recently restored Farmall owned and driven in the tractor parde by Bill Herman of Taylorsville, NC.
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Lynn Castle of Boone, and his log saw rig.
Lynn Castle of Boone, and his log saw rig.
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One of the displays of small gas engines.
One of the displays of small gas engines.
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Local park ranger hewing cherry mantel.
Local park ranger hewing cherry mantel.

Sec. Carolina Fly-Wheelers Engine Club 3841 Highway 421 S Boone,
North Carolina 28607

Each year as I send in this article, I hesitate to call it a
show report. While I do try to describe some of the events that I
know about and/or find interesting, it seems to be next to
impossible to get an accurate count. Many vendors do not register
and many of the exhibitors don’t register either, including
some of our own club members! For what reason they do not do so is
truly hard to comprehend. I suppose they’re just too busy
having a good time to bother with what they must consider trivial
matters. Oh well! I guess it will continue to be a mystery.

Our ’98 show opened on a sad note due to the death of the
property owner where we hold this event, Mrs. Learon Keller. As
quickly as we were able to do so, the club ordered an appropriate
flower arrangement which was placed in her memory at the entrance
gate with a note of explanation. I know she would have wanted us to
continue with the show because she knew how much everybody enjoys
themselves. She, and other family members, always attended our show
when she was able. She was such a sweet, quiet lady; and what a
beautiful memorial service. Mrs. Keller is survived by two
daughters and three sons.

We might as well discuss the weather next and get that out of
the way. According to our local radio station, the average high
temperature for Boone is 78 degrees with the hottest it’s ever
recorded in Boone is 92 degrees. Our 19th annual was a ‘clean
show’ again. Out of a near-drought-summer, on Friday afternoon
we had a RAIN! The joke at the showgrounds, following about a
two-hour-and-fifty-minute rain, became, ‘Do you know how to
make it rain in Boone?’ The answer, ‘Plan an engine
show!’ Everybody seemed to take the rain in stride, realizing
that we desperately needed it and everyone has grown to expect it
to happen sometime during the show. Of course, most of us will take
that over the wind, cold weather, and SNOW that we occasionally
experienced when we had our shows in October.

What records we have show that we had exhibitors, vendors and/or
spectators from Florida to Colorado. Out park ranger decided to do
something other than a split rail fence, which involved just as
much manual labor. This time he took a rather large cherry log and
hewed a very nice mantel, ideally suitable for a log cabin. He
surely made lots of wood chips and shavings, as well as attracted
lots of onlookers. Next to the park ranger was Neal Winebarger with
quite a collection of small hit and miss gasoline engines. One of
which he used to power a shingle mill. Neal and his dad Ben had
Neal’s display set up next to his uncle, Lynn Castle, who
always attracts a lot of attention with his log saw rig. (It is
featured in this year’s 25th Anniversary Edition of the 1999
Steam and Gas Show Directory. See their picture on Page 13.) These
are normally located across from the Hodges clan, whose active
displays include corn meal grinding and antique wood lathe
demonstrations. All of these are conveniently located next to the
food service area.

We try to reserve the front row of ‘gasoline alley’ for
our own club members. They seem to have more fun than anybody!
Also, they can be easily located if they are needed. Then we have
the various vendors who provide most everything from food to tarps.
On down the line is the steam equipment. Raymond Scholl, along with
his dad, Marvin, and J. C. Greene, pretty much take care of these
displays.

Last, but not least, as the saying goes, are the antique cars
and tractors. So many of our people are involved here that it would
be hard to name them all. However, Rick Watson and Jeff Hodges
arrange the usual tractor parade. Plans are already under way for
some extra activities for our special 20th annual show coming up
this summer, not only in this area but some of the others as well.
Be sure to look for my husband, John Hodges, he always has some
kind of different eye-catcher most every year. This time he really
has a weird-looking contraption that he put together this winter,
using part of his oiler collection.

Our club tries to showcase and promote the preservation and
restoration of antique farm equipment and tools through our
meetings, publications and shows. We also try to involve the family
in as many activities as possible. We always have a cook-out/picnic
for our last meeting each year. Plus, this fall, on a very chilly
Saturday morning in November, 32 club and family members bundled up
quite early, and met together in Bryson City to ride the (steam
engine-powered) Great Smoky Mountain Railway. We even had our own
private car, a dining room, called the Panama Coach. It turned out
to be a beautiful fall day. We all had such a good time that we
want to do it again this year.

Come enjoy the natural beauty of the high country and help us
celebrate our 20th anniversary. Make plans now to head for the
hills (some of the oldest, highest, and most scenic mountains in
the world) to enjoy some sunny days, warm nights, and gentle
breezes and a great little engine show on July 23, 24, & 25,
1999. For information call Raymond Scholl (828) 297-4406 or Betty
Hodges (828) 264-4977.

  • Published on Jul 1, 1999
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