75 Kendall Avenue, Framingham, Massachusetts 01701
An antique gasoline engine and tractor show conducted at
Boylston, Massachusetts on August 12 and 13, 1989 by members of the
Straw Hollow Engine Works, Inc. was one of the larger shows held in
Massachusetts this year, with over 200 engines and 40 tractors on
display throughout the weekend.
Members of the club and others with engines or tractors came
from Northboro, Fitchburg, Framingham, Leominster, Oakdale, Berlin,
Sterling, Lunenburg, Boylston, Concord, Hanson, Uxbridge, Hampden,
Palmer, Monson, Sutton, Rutland, Bridgewater and Westboro,
Massachusetts.
Other machines on display came from Barton, Brattleboro, Saxtons
River and Athens Vermont; Burrillville, Rhode Island; Nashua, New
Hampshire; Scotia and Schoharie, New York.
Gasoline engine sizes ranged from scale models to a 16 HP
Jacobson. The most unusual setup was a display of 17 operating
engines-a collection of the The Museum of Antiquated Technology
owned by Mark Vess of Hanson, Massachusetts. Another group of eight
engines was owned by George and Dave Banas of Southbridge,
Massachusetts.
Marine engines displayed this year included several Gray
engines, an Eclipse marine engine built by the Bendix Aviation
Corp. and a 1? HP Pincors engine. A large selection of Briggs &
Stratton engines included both commercial and military models.
A cabbage planter powered by a 1? HP Fairbanks-Morse engine was
on the large field. Another unusual setup was a large Ransome
cement mixer driven by a Stover engine, and a 350 watt Onan
gasoline-driven electric power plant which was in continuous
operation.
Maytag twin and single cylinder models were in operation and one
display included 2?, 7 and 9 HP Economy engines.
Other engines were manufactured by Brownwall, Elgin, Domestic
(‘stove pipe’), Witte, Alamo, Fairbanks-Morse, Friend,
Jaeger, Termaat-Monahan, Ideal, International, United, Galloway,
Novo, Stover, McCormick-Deering, Aermotor, Cushman and Lee.
In the tractor lineup, owners displayed machines built by Ford
(Ferguson System), numerous McCormick Farmall and John Deere
machines, Case, Beeman, Minneapolis-Moline, Silver King, 1937
International Harvester, Rumely Oil Pull, a 40-year old Panzer and
a 1933 Cletrac Model W owned by John Davison of Northboro,
Massachusetts.
There were four different Massey Harris tractors and an old
conversion unit with metal wheels using a Model A Ford engine.
Miscellaneous pieces of equipment on display included a Fairmont
rail car, a 1987 steam launch, a 1901 Olds replica, an Eagle 75
corn chopper, a Sachs motor scooter, Whizzer motor bike and a Model
A Ford truck.
The Straw Hollow Engine Works, Inc. is an active antique engine
club with nearly 150 members. It is an area club with an objective
for its members to have fun.
In 1979, a few members of the Boylston Fire Department, after
returning from an engine show at Orange, Massachusetts, decided to
form a new club at Boylston.
This was done and this year the club observed its tenth
anniversary and engine show. Present club officials include: Don
Haitsma, president; James Peterson, vice president; Robert Pauplis,
secretary; Roger Wentzell, treasurer.
Three of the original club founders-‘Skip’ Ressigue,
David Hamilton and Roger Wentzell-are still active club
members.
The two-day show was sponsored by the Boylston Fire Department.
Food concessions were staffed by the wives of club members, members
of the fire department and ladies of the fire department auxiliary
unit.
