HOW GOOD IS YOUR MUSEUM?
(Page 3 of 4)
July/August 1985
Gerry Lestz
1984 was a banner year in many ways for the museum and show.
Membership reached over 900 members. We had over 40,000 visitors
from all over the world. The museum received over $50,500 in
donations to build a permanent blacksmith shop. The building is 40
by 80 feet with engine shedline shaft and everything a person would
want in a blacksmith shop. In June of 1985 Don Finney, Richard
Schrader, Joe Nielson and friends will be able to do many things
with hot iron in the new shop that they've been doing in their
cramped up temporary quarters. It will also provide much better
viewing for the public who come out to see us.
RELATED CONTENT
Eastern Shore Threshermen & Collectors Association Show...
Northwest Pennsylvania Steam Engine and Old Equipment Association...
Oxen were used to snake logs for the Saw Mill and to turn the Horse power''...
Eastern Shore Threshermen & Collectors Association Show...
Gonnerman engine I found on my vacation at Fredericktown, Missouri''...
Of course the color article in American Ways Magazine in July
1984 didn't hurt us or the hobby in anyway. We had visitors
taking taxis from San Diego to Vista whenever they stayed in San
Diego having flown in via American Airlines. Mr. Lestz was kind
enough to mention in Iron Men Album about the article and in case
you hadn't seen the article, the hobby as a whole was portrayed
as an international hobby through the eyes of our Vista museum. (If
any one wants a copy of the article, please send a self addressed
stamped envelope to the museum address.)
One other highlight was the building of a full-scale sawmill by
one of our early club members, Bert Ninteman, and his family. Bert,
several club members, and the Ninteman family spent 6 months
building the mill as Bert had remembered it from his childhood. One
thing different was the incorporation of several safety factors.
Right after getting the sawmill set up, many of the club members
bought an Advance Rumely steam tractor to use at the museum. It was
put to work on the sawmill and acted like it was made for it. John
Ninteman and Bert made the saw dust fly like there was no tomorrow.
If we can just keep logs coming in for the mill we'll have
enough lumber to put up more equipment storage sheds.
Dave Denny of Compton, California, with 200 HP Allis
Chalmers-built Corliss, weight 52,000 pounds, which runs on live
steam all day at the Museum shows.
Lest we forget, we acquired six more acres of land from the
County of San Diego, and the Carlucci brothers loaned us some other
adjacent land so that we have over 50 acres under our control. We
planted about 35 acres of wheat, oats and barley for our 1985
shows. We had so many tractors, plows, discs and seeders in the
field you couldn't see the ground. We thank the likes of Gary
Jondle, Al Luedtke, Virgil White, Ernie Walder, Kenny Dutenhoffer,
Charlie Pfrunder, Bill Rohr, Tom Mathews and the Jondle boys. I
think I even saw Larry Nelson with his Percheron draft horses out
in the field.