155 W. Cross St., Box 36 Clarksville, Michigan 48815.
Well, the 16th and 17th of August were the dates of the second
Clarksville Steam and Gas Association Show.
The dates got in the show directory the 23rd and 24th. We
apologize for the inconvenience of some who came on that date. We
put corrections in the Iron Men Album, Gas Engine Magazine, and
Engineers and Engines Magazine. Some of you missed them and I am
truly sorry. We tried to get out extra handbills and other
advertising.
Thursday morning I thought I would check the grounds, and
behold! There were people unloading tractors, buzz rigs etc., so we
spent most of the day there.
Friday morning broke bright and warm, and the tractors and steam
engines started arriving that hadn’t come the day before, as
well as some gas engines.
We were set up in Bill Lachniet’s alfalfa field and already
had a sawmill ready. The Seeses had put down a well and had a
little 2 HP Sears Roebuck gas engine on the pump jack pumping water
in a tank for engines and also for a drinking fountain. We had saw
milling, shingle mill, threshing, obstacle race, slow race and noon
whistles. Friday night at 5:30 p.m. the scouts started serving
roast pig sandwiches with the trimmings for a price. The pigs were
furnished by the Clarksville Elevator. They were bought from the
Ionia and Lowell fairs and processed by the Jones market. These
were raised by 4-H kids. They were roasted by Frank Reser and
son.
The entrance tickets entitled the holders to prizes donated by
business places.
Saturday we awoke to a hot humid morning, and talk about thunder
showers! It was about 2:30 p.m. It was a real thunderstorm. We
covered the load of wheat and the rain came down so hard that some
of us spent some twenty minutes under the wheat wagon until the
rain let up. That put a stop to moving around with the tractors and
engines, and of course the parade was out of the question, we did,
however, have the big drawing from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m.
After 6:00 p.m. people began to take everything down and go
home, so the second annual Clarksville Steam and Gas Association
Show was history. We have started to talk about what we will do and
not do for the show next year.
Also, I should tell you that there were some places to eat on
the grounds and some delicious homemade pie! On Friday night after
the spark show they made popcorn in a big iron kettle.
All of these things added to the good time.
