PO Box 223, Hughesville, Pennsylvania 17737
The East Lycoming Farm and Heritage Association 1995 Show held August 25-27,1995, at the Hughesville Fairgrounds, Hughesville, Pennsylvania, has been deemed a success. It featured the ‘Lumber Era’ made famous by Lycoming County, which also celebrated its bicentennial this year.
Working demonstrations were band saws, saw mills, chain saw artists and a shingle mill. Shingles were stamped with the name and date of the show, which are destined to become collectors items. Shingles were also nailed to a roof structure on site. A dismantled pin and mortise building showed the old way of construction without the use of nails. Four, forty foot douglas fir trees were planted on the infield. Forestry students from Williamsport Penn College of Technology cut and debarked the trees. Three horses teams dragged the logs to the mills for processing like in the old days. There was a contest held to find the best depiction of Mr. Lumber ‘Jack’ scarecrow.
The show was dedicated to a Charter member, the late David Wodrig, who died as a result of a lumbering accident in November 1993, at age 36. His family brought his large collection of classic cars, antique John Deere tractors and memorabilia from his life, including many awards in woodsmen contests.
New this year was a vintage fashion show highlighting wedding gowns. The oldest gown displayed was 1910. Other clothing featured were prairie dresses, frontier garb, western wear, tea gowns, carnage dresses, bell bottoms and top hats to name a few.
New displays included: spark plugs, locks and license plate collections, lantern collection, a real barbershop complete with a live barbershop quartet, and a Victorian music room with live dulcimer music. Old time crafts were quilting, chair caning, candle dipping, cooking and a ‘sheep-to-shawl’ con test. The making of apple butter was presided over by the 1995 Pennsylvania State Apple Queen. Over 150 photos of early ancestors and landmarks of our local area were shown. There was even a lawn tractor square dance.
The Sunday morning worship service speaker arrived on horseback clad in costume depicting the ‘Circuit Riding Preacher’ of early times. Astride his steed, a short history of the perils faced by his predecessors was given. The offering of $302 was donated to our local chapter of Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Lycoming County.
Annual events that are always crowd pleasers were hit & miss engines and the machines they operate; over 240 tractors displayed with 204 tractor pullers attending, to delight the crowds; antique machinery demonstrations, kids games and pedal pulls, flea market and good food.
Next year’s feature will be Allis-Chalmers, August 23-25, 1996, at the Hughesville Fairgrounds. For more information, please write to us at PO Box 223, Hughesville, Pennsylvania 17737. Hope to see you at next year’s show!