53I Crestview Loop Grants Pass, Oregon 97527 Photo courtesy of
Virginia Loar
Bill Wallner of Cave Junction, Oregon, and Ben Garat of Eagle
Point, Oregon, along with Jack Versteeg, called a meeting of
interested individuals to form a new branch of the national Early
Day Gas Engine & Tractor Association on January 21, 1984. We
met at Dan Collins’ store, Wade’s Equipment Rental, in
Grants Pass. Bill Wallner was elected Charter President; Ben Garat,
Vice President; and Dan Collins, Editor of the Cast Iron News. We
started meeting bi-monthly with newsletters being sent the
alternate months.
Branch 9 was originally assigned to a group from Vista,
California of which Ben Garat was an original member. This group
dropped their membership to pursue building a museum. Therefore, we
became Branch 9 with sixteen charter members.
We grew over the next three years, meeting at homes of members
and at Pottsville, just north of Grants Pass near Merlin, Oregon.
Pottsville, home of Oregon Memories, was a creation of long-time
history buff State Senator E.D. ‘Debbs’ Potts back in 1959
to help celebrate the Oregon Centennial. It consists of several
buildings including a school-/church, blacksmith shop, and museum.
Pottsville became a natural place for us to meet and in 1986 we
began having an Annual Gas Up there in June of each year. This
year’s show will be held on June 4 and 5, 1988. The first
Branch 9 ‘swap meet’ will be held, as well as such exhibits
as logging, quilting, washing machine progress, muzzle-loader
target practice, and the usual displays of running engines and
tractors. Plenty of food, RV parking, and reasonable motel space
are available. Those who wish to fly in will be able to use the
landing strip now under construction.
L-R: Front row-Floyd Berg, vice president; Aileen Berg,
Sec/Treas.; Dan Collins, past president. Back row-Phil Finch,
editor, Cast Iron News; Roy Whisenant, president; Fred Dawson,
director; Rusty Brizen-dine, membership; Lloyd Nelson, director
(Director Lowell Crawford is not pictured).
At our hall Gas Up in 1986, Senator Potts was honored with a
lifetime membership in Branch 9.
We still enjoy meeting at members’ homes and alternate our
now monthly meetings between Pottsville and traveling to different
locations. We display at local fairs and historical events
throughout northern California and southern Oregon each year with a
Fall Gas Up at a member’s home. Visitors and guests are welcome
anytime. Our membership has grown to over 100 members and we will
be hosting the National EDGE&.TA meeting at Pottsville in June
1989.
