Pottsville In Merlin, OR
This Father's Day weekend celebrated the 25th annual Early Day Gas Engine & Tractor Association Inc. Branch 9 celebration.
Pottsville was established by Eugene "Debbs" Potts, former State Senator and Mayor of Grants Pass. It is the home of thousands of items from Oregon's history.
You will find tractors, steam engines, logging and mining equipment, a stagecoach and a group of old cars.
You couldn't begin to count the people here today. There were vehicles from many states and all parts of Oregon.
Over the years, I had head of Fordson Tractors, named for Henry Ford and his son Edsel; thus the "FORDSON."
This huge tractor was built in 1912, and was used a lot in the Dakota's and other vast farmland areas. It is steam powered and burns wood, and has water tanks on each side.
When wood was not available, they fed it the straw residue left from the threshing, and it burned vast amounts to keep it running.
This Portable Sawmill made short work of creating a huge square timber out of a rough log. With this, you could buy a piece of Oregon forest, and build your own cabin.
This amazing diesel engine weighs 56,000 pounds and was used in the 1930's to provide irrigation for Fresno, California.
The man pictured, bought it because he appreciated its' rarity and transported it to its' new home here in Pottsville.
Its' new job is to impress crowds and blow smoke rings. When it's running, the ground vibrates! It was very impressive!
There were tents all over the area selling all types of food and non-alcoholic beverages. We found a huge flea market selling everything from tractor parts to barbie dolls.
Exhibits from gold panning to rug weaving made for an event with interest to everyone.
We met some old timers who lived during the Great Depression, and how very difficult it was for those people is hard to fathom.
One gentleman entertained us with stories of life in the 30's; where they worked hard every day just to have enough to eat. At the last, he left one lingering warning. He said today's economy seems a lot like the Great Depression era, and that we're not out of this one yet. I hope he is wrong.
It was an enlightening experience. To realize how hard our previous generations had to work, we sure have it nice by comparison!
