RFD #2, Grand Ledge, Michigan 48837
This is about some acquaintances who deserve recognition out in
Gas Engine Land. All these people are very active in steam and gas
engines in Michigan, and they have forgotten more than I will ever
know about gas engines.
First is Cliff Peterson of Grass Lake, Michigan (center
tractor). Cliff built a miniature oil pull for his nephew, Donald
Rhoads (miniature Oil Pull left). This was Cliff’s first
attempt about 12 years ago; then in 1977, Cliff thought that it was
time to have one for himself. Then Elwin Bronson of Otsego,
Michigan, told Cliff that he would surely like to have one, so back
to the shop for Cliff. By spring of this year, behold-another mini
Oil Pull is born. I might add that all three of the fellows have an
almost full line of full-size Oil Pulls, plus many gas engines and
tractors.
My next picture shows a 1/2 scale spoke flywheel John Deere
‘D’ built by Dave Barry of Hastings, Michigan. Dave is also
very active in steam as well as gas. The steam show was held on his
land for many years. Dave talked about building a scale model for
many years and collected iron for miles around. One day he came up
with an idea to build a 1/2 scale J.D. ‘D.’ I was over to
Dave’s shop in mid-winter of 1978, and in one corner of his
shop lay the remains of two John Deere H’s, and I mean
remains!
It looked like a junk dealer’s delight. Six weeks later, it
looked like a pile of rusty junk with axles on it. When I went back
to see Dave on July 8, as usual he was in the shop with wrench in
one hand and paint brush in the other. Dave told me that he had
well over 100 hours in building the flywheel alone-Dave is scale
conscious-even the spokes in the rear wheel are to scale. The only
modification he said should be made is when he added his Amish
rubber to the wheels; it made the diameter of the wheels one inch
too big (picky, picky).
At the show at Charlton Park on July 9, and 10,I wish that I had
had a movie camera and a tape recorder to record the look on
people’s faces and the questions that they asked. Dave got off
the tractor once to get a bite to eat so he let me go for a ride
and a man stopped me to ask if it was a salesman sample. The man
turned out to be a John Deere dealer. I might add that the tractor
runs as beautifully as it looks. In our quick start competition,
Dave had a combined time of five seconds for three starts.
I would like to comment on the Charlton Park show held on the
second weekend of July. The four men in the pictures are probably
as responsible for the show as anybody. The Park was willed to the
county by a man by the name of Charlton. He had a private
collection ‘Of many tractors and gas engines covering about 40
acres. These four men, plus a couple of others, got together with
the Park manager and offered to restore some of the iron, from an
1896 Flamlicker aids to J.D.D. to many other pieces. They now have
a large two-story fieldstone museum, church, inn, blacksmith shop,
one-room school, three stores, post office and a bank. The Park was
built on the banks of the Thornapple River near Hastings,
Michigan.
