Trailer full of engines owned by Keith Smith of 615 Buena Vista Ave., Sarasota, Fla. Among the engines are a 1900 Watkins marine, 1921 s HP IHC which was used by the Ringling Bros. Circus to drive tent stakes; a 2 HP 1925 Fuller & Johnson, 1929 Palmer marine, a 1940 Lawson marine, Monarch water pump, Maytag hitched to a water pump, an old Champion water pump with lots of brass made by Bishop and Babcock, Dayton, Ohio, a Sheppard diesel, 1907 Waterman outboard, a 1-1/2 HP Fairbanks and air compressor and an old Lally light plant made in 1917. Also a heavy duty trailer.
Arthur L. Crabille, 2704 Sunshine Drive S., Lakeland, Florida 33801 Pioneer Park, Zolfo Springs, Fla., was the scene on March 1, 2, 3, 1974, of one of the best attended shows yet held. Nearly 10,000 people visited the park to see the largest display of old gas engines, tractors, steam engines, cars and motorcycles. The weather was beautiful and sunny following a few days of our coldest winter weather. Our temperatures had dipped into the 30s just a week prior to the showing. The park features a permanent museum of early Florida artifacts and an old blacksmith shop and a small zoo. A locomotive is parked out front of the museum not shown. Here are a few pictures taken during the three days. A large flea market was also doing a good business; bottles, miniature engines, tools, old car parts –everything imaginable.
Our Florida Fly wheelers Antique Engine Club now has nearly 100 members and still growing. We try to meet once a month for a gas-up at a member’s home, take a few engines and have a feed.
Due to the gas shortage I was unable to find any out-of-state entries although there were many tourists who had engines at home.
Show Report
John Deere tractor and McCormick-Deering thresher hooked up at the Zolfo Springs Pioneer Days [1974 March 1,2,3]. Owned by Earle Nickerson, Wauchula, Florida.
Look at the nice collection owned by O. W. Crippen, DeLand, Florida -an FH and Y model Briggs & Stratton, an Aermotor and Aeromotor Pump and IHC. Center photo shows us a beautiful model gas engine built by Ross Bacon, St. Pete,Fla. And at bottom, we see more than a dozen nice engines shown at Pioneer Days by members of The Florida Fly wheelers.
At top is a 1934 Type A Fairmont motor car engine owned by Arthur Crabille and shown at Pioneer Park Days, Zolfo Springs, Florida. It is a 2 cycle ball bearing water-cooled engine. Note the condenser on top water jacket. At center is a tractor line-up at the same show. Bottom picture is a 25 HP Fairbanks-Morse diesel owned by Dave Glass and Charles Cockran of Bartow, Florida. [That’s Dave in the picture].
