(Courtesy of Rosey Kahley)

Shown above is a snapshot (a bit on the dark side) of a 1916 Model T that Bill Shirk (shown driving with Philip Spaid alongside) bought from Billy Hartley for $7.00. Even though it sat for years, it started with one crank. It was taken to my grandfather’s coal shed on Cherry Alley and painted with black and white squares, yellow doors with red lettering. Then it made one trip and rounding the corner at Sassafras and Walnut, it upset and was taken to Skip Amig’s who bought it for junk. Of necessity, this is a small part of the story!

(Who was said could fix old Fords up with nothing more than bailing wire and a screwdriver? Answer next month.)

Answer to Last Month

The land of the old Spaid Mill was sold to the fire company by Roy Zechman. How he acquired the land is unknown to me. The bulk of the land to the south of the old railroad right of way had been part of the Squire Wetzel farm which had been farmed by Jake Hackenberg in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Albert (Bert) Bowersox then farmed it for a few years. Guy Narehood bought the farm in 1946 to obtain the southernmost field in order to extend his airport. The remainder of the farm was divided into three parcels -- the house, barn and outbuildings plush the meadow to the west of the buildings were bought by Bob Edmiston and the land to the east and west of the Edmiston parcel was bought by Carl and Kathryn Herbster. They added the land to the family farm and farmed it for years. The parcel across the road from John Cam, Roy Thoman, the little house and Al Camp was sold at a nominal price to the fire company by Mr. and Mrs. Herbster with the proviso that if the fire company ever became defunct, the land would revert to the borough for public use. There was a small tract behind the Zechman (Engle) parcel that was owned by Rudy Coleman which he donated to the fire company after they had obtained the parcels from Roy and the Herbsters. This is the land that is now the carnival grounds. (Thanks Don Herbster and Trent Erb.)