Pres.Rt 4, Box 1645 Elizabethton, Tennessee 37643
The 17th annual East Tennessee Crank Up was held June 8-10, 1990
at the farm of Jeff and Brenda Hutchings near Johnson City,
Tennessee. Jeff’s farm is nestled between two mountains in the
Cherokee National Forest. The weather was fine except for a brief
shower Sunday morning before church services. Soon after church
services the sun came out and the show resumed full operation.
Gilbert Key of Robbins, North Carolina, and his lovely wife,
exhibited their nicely restored 1959 Mack truck with their
homemade-ice-cream-making equipment. They have a John Deere engine
that runs the ice cream freezer. Gilbert told us that the recipe he
uses is an old Amish recipe from Pennsylvania, and it turned out to
be the best ice cream we have ever tasted. Ferrell Hughes had his
corn sheller set up along with his IHC powered grist mill. Each day
he provided fresh meal for those who wanted it. Each year the crowd
gathers when the 1882 Crossley slide valve engine is cranked up. It
seems to be a crowd pleaser.
We had many unusual engines displayed. There were more than 30
sideshafts, including Springfield, Columbus, two Ottos, Victor made
by Thomas Kane Co., four Geisers, Angola, Hamilton, Webber, and
many more. Other engines of note were two Quincys, two Backus,
York, Foos, Evinrude, Watkins and others.
The youth group of the Downtown Christian Church, Johnson City,
provided excellent food during the show. They also manned the gates
and helped out wherever needed. We had 99 exhibitors from many
different states both near and far. Many different mechanical
artifacts displayed gave everyone plenty to see and talk about.
There was an antique fire engine, antique toys, steam engines, hot
air engines, tractors, antique tools, toy tractors, models, and
about 350 internal combustion engines.
This year’s show will be held June 7, 8, & 9, 1991 and
it promises to be even better. Gilbert Key will again bring his ice
cream making freezer and Mack truck. David Oliver will be running a
blacksmith forge during the show and demonstrating a stamping
forge. He will also demonstrate blowing the anvil. Some very nice
engines will be present to improve the quality of our show. We
invite everyone interested in old iron to come be with us. We also
invite engine related flea market vendors to come.
The East Tennessee Crank Up is sponsored by the East Tennessee
Antique Engine Association.
For more information please contact Jeff Hutchings, Rt. 4, Box
1645, Elizabethton, TN 37643, (615) 725-3992, or Jerome Christian,
Rt. 8, Box 440A, Johnson City, TN 37601, (615) 928-2556.
