Hancock, New Hampshire 03449
The fifth annual gas engine meet in Dublin, New Hampshire, was
held on September 18 and 19, 1976. This was our first attempt at a
two-day meet and we had to move to a new location again this year.
We are now located on a very large field that is owned by a member
of our local club so, hopefully, we have found a permanent location
for this meet.
We found that there were many problems associated with a two-day
meet that don’t show up on a one-day get together. It becomes
necessary to have more food available and later in the day; and to
be able to recommend overnight accommodations, camping facilities,
and to have better toilet facilities. It is also very important to
be prepared for more exhibitors, especially more elaborate
exhibits; for instance, we had one man bring a loom which was
powered by a single cylinder engine.
1895 ‘Reid’ 12 HP owned by Carl and Elroy Eldahl of
Manchester, New Hampshire – a very unusual engine for the New
Hampshire area, considering we don’t have oil wells.
We also had people travel greater distances to display their
equipment. A man from Rhode Island brought a shingle mill which we
powered by a Fordson tractor on Saturday and part of Sunday. On
Sunday, too, it was powered by a John Deere GP. Both tractors
provided very good power. We tried to power the shingle mill with a
very early Mogul tractor, but couldn’t get the speed required
with the pulleys available.
Saturday was a good day, though it was slightly overcast and the
weatherman was threatening us with something nasty, but this
didn’t stop the people from coming. Things started off quite
slowly, but by noon we had one of the largest turnouts we’ve
ever had. By about three o’clock the rains came but didn’t
dampen the spirits too much as the people gathered under the cook
tent to talk and trade stories, etc. As the rains let up the
exhibitors and visitors went on their ways hoping that Sunday would
be even better.
The weather on Sunday was perfect and here again we got off to a
slow start. The warm weather created long lines of people at the
cider press; we pressed approximately 250 gallons of cider that
weekend. There was a railroad hand car set up and running on
tracks, no less, and a very nice early fire department hand pumper.
There were many cordwood saws operating. One display that was very
unusual to our part of the country was a Reid engine with a 12 HP
hot tube ignition built in 1895 and generally found in oil fields.
Other displays included many antique cars including a 1901 Lane
Steamer, over 300 gas and steam engines, watch fobs, a hay baler,
wood splitters, corn shelters, outboard motors, water pumps, a
washing machine and even squashes carved with gas engines and the
Dublin Meet dates.
We have scheduled a two-day event for 1977 to be held on the
17th and 18th of September. Please remember that there is no charge
to the exhibitors or spectators. We do have souvenir buttons and
books for sale that pertain to the hobby, etc. and there is a jug
where people can donate if they’ve enjoyed the Meet. And most
of all, there is plenty of food available from the Dublin Firemen
and Ladies Auxiliary.
This Dublin Meet is held in cooperation with the Dublin Fire
Department and the Granite State Gas and Steam Engine Association,
Inc. The Granite State Club is starting its third year of operation
now and we have close to 300 members from all over New England and
New York state. The Club sponsors four or five meets a year and has
an annual dinner meeting in April. A newsletter is sent out on an
irregular basis, but we are striving for four a year. The president
of the club is Carlton Ekdahl of Manchester, New Hampshire, who
along with his father, Elroy, is the owner of the Reid engine that
was shown at the Dublin Meet. David Dearborn is the vice president
and the host of a very popular meet at his home in West Campton,
New Hampshire, to be held this year on June 4 and 5, 1977. The
secretary-treasurer is Wayne Fisher of Hancock, New Hampshire who
owns the Fordson tractor that was running the shingle mill at
Dublin, and one of the organizers of the Dublin Meet.
Special thanks go to Brian Barden, Harold Clukay, Dennis
Monaghan, Cles Staples, Robert Weis, Michael Worcester, and the
Dublin Fire Department and Ladies Auxiliary, and everyone who
exhibited and helped make the Meet a success.
We hope that all of you people who are reading this article will
plan to attend the Meet this fall on the weekend of September 17
and 18, 1977. If you can, bring an engine (steam or gas), a
tractor, an antique car or something else to exhibit.
If you would like more information on the activities of the
Granite State Gas and Steam Engine Association, Inc., contact Wayne
L. Fisher, Reaveley Road, Hancock, New Hampshire 03449.
