Pass It On . . .

By Staff
Published on September 1, 2004
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Children are encouraged to get involved at the Yesteryear show, which celebrates its 32nd year in 2004.
Children are encouraged to get involved at the Yesteryear show, which celebrates its 32nd year in 2004.
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Children have fun at many of the events at Yesteryear, but none is as fun as the 'Duck Train' where kids are allowed to be their fun-loving selves. The train is powered by a 10 HP lawn tractor.
Children have fun at many of the events at Yesteryear, but none is as fun as the 'Duck Train' where kids are allowed to be their fun-loving selves. The train is powered by a 10 HP lawn tractor.
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Corn shelling is also popular with children at Yesteryear. It gives them a chance to see how Grandpa and Grandma prepared their meals.
Corn shelling is also popular with children at Yesteryear. It gives them a chance to see how Grandpa and Grandma prepared their meals.
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Shucking corn and sawing wood are more of the activities for kids at Yesteryear.
Shucking corn and sawing wood are more of the activities for kids at Yesteryear.
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Undoubtedly, most come to better appreciate central air and supermarkets after the experience.
Undoubtedly, most come to better appreciate central air and supermarkets after the experience.

On Saturday morning, Sept. 25, 2004, things in Jamestown, N.C.,
will be a little different than the normal routine. This quiet, but
fast-growing little town will take a step back in time. It will
relive a time when things were a little slower paced – a time when
our machines weren’t run by a computer, and our engines
weren’t propelled by jet fuel.

As the Jamestown-Union Hill Lion’s Club kicks off its
Yesteryear in Motion, people of all ages will gather at Willard
Moore’s farm for the 32nd annual event. Everybody will have
their own preference as to what draws them back each year: It may
be the hum of an old engine or the smell of bellowing smoke. It may
be the music and dancing, or it may be the simplicity of an almost
forgotten era that stands in contrast to our busy, modern times.
But for whatever reason, people come back each year to share their
love for engines both big and small.

As the years pass by, each year we have a few less of our elders
to remind us of our shared history. Yesteryear is becoming an
urgency for those of us eager to remember. It’s an urgency to
teach the younger generation what it’s all about before the
arts, the crafts and the history of old machines are lost. At the
Yesteryear show, we try to find things that excite our young
children, and we have hit on three or four that are great ways to
share it with them. A large group of kids take part in our corn
shuckings. It’s amazing to watch the face of a 4-year-old
who’s never held an ear of corn in his or her hand and to show
how to shuck it.

We also have a corn sheller, and the kids race to see who can
shell the most corn. They also like to show their strength and
speed in the log-sawing contest. They love the old-fashioned ice
cream that’s sold at Yesteryear, as well.

All the kids especially love the ‘Huey, Duey and Louie Duck
Train.’ About 20 years ago, Joe Moore made a donation to the
Lion’s Club, which covered most of the amount needed to
purchase a used 10 HP lawn tractor. Willard Moore had a vision for
this tractor and took his idea to Bob Rodriquez, a local artist and
painter. Bob drew the pattern for the ducks, Willard cut them out
of wood, and Bob painted what we affectionately call the ‘Duck
Train.’ The Duck Train is a hit at Yesteryear, but the joy
rides don’t stop there. The ‘Ducks’ have traveled to
other antique machinery shows, church fundraisers, fundraisers for
cancer patients and are always a hit in the Jamestown Christmas
Parade. Keep your eyes open – you never know where you will find
horsepower. Sometimes – it’s in a duck.

Please help us celebrate the machinery and lifestyles of all the
men and women who helped shape America in its early years by
teaching the children a little bit about it. It’s our duty to
pass it along before it’s too late. The 32nd Annual Yesteryear
in Motion will be held Sept. 25, 2004, in Jamestown, N.C. The show
is located between Interstate 85 and Interstate 40, near
Greensboro. For more information, contact Willard Moore at: 3139
Dillon Road, Jamestown, NC 27282; (336) 454-1958.

Dean Jordan is a member of the Jamestown-Union Hill Lions
Club. Contact him at: 7814 Woodpark Drive, High Point, NC 27265;
(336) 454-2056.

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