Box 43 Somonauk, Illinois 60552
The Sandwich Early Day Engine Club, Inc. held its 12th Annual
Antique Gas Engine, Tractor and Car Show on June 25 and 26, 1983,
at the Sandwich Fairgrounds, Sandwich, Illinois. Our engine
exhibit, with almost 400 engines, did its best to ‘bang’ up
some rain to break our hot, dry weather, but couldn’t get the
job done. Guess we need a few more Maytags to seed the atmosphere!
Engines were pumping water, grinding feed and flour, shelling corn,
running fans, generating electricity, and just sitting there
talking to themselves! The most unusual display was the
‘Mint-A-Coin’ mobile mint that Bob and Lynn Smith and Don
Blecker of Loves Park, Illinois brought to make commemorative coins
from lead musket balls.
The Sandwich ‘Excess Power’ Line was well represented
with all models present. Vern Kindschi and Paul Young brought their
nicely restored 10 HP from Wisconsin; Stan and Dave Thompson and
Shawn Rogers brought their 10 HP, which they had just gotten home
and running in time for the show. Les Forrer of Fairbury got his
model of our 1 HP finished and running as the smallest Sandwich
engine in existence.
Through the efforts of Bill Crawford, Dave Thompson, and Harvey
Redmon, we had a very interesting exhibitors’ tractor pull with
our own sled. On Sunday afternoon we held a Kids’ Pedal Pull
with 39 entrants in four classes competing for trophies.
Special thanks must go to Verle Johnson, Gordon Ferguson, and
the rest of the South Prairie Bunch for their efforts on putting
together the registration tent. Many thanks, also, to all our
friends, old and new, who make our show possible. (The 1984 show
was held June 23 and 24.)
