Antique Power show brings a ‘piece of history’ to El Dorado
Visitors from across the state gather downtown for annual event
Travelers from across the state lingered in downtown El Dorado on Saturday to show off their antique tractors and military vehicles.
The vehicles were part of the 12th Annual Antique Power Show, held in the Union County Courthouse square Saturday.
“It’s just old guys showing off their toys,” said a laughing Rita Jones, one of the event’s attendees.
Jones came to the show with the North Louisiana Vintage Tractor Club. The Tractor Club brought along a working miniature replica of a drilling rig. Buster and Michael Norris spent time working on the machine throughout the day, adding fuel and making adjustments to keep it running.
“It kind of simulates what a drilling rig would be like out in the field,” Buster Norris said.
He and Michael Norris, his son, are from El Dorado and said they had attended the event in previous years.
“We just like to come and show our stuff off,” Buster Norris said. “This is better than last year.”
Event organizer Kermit Parks said this year’s event had more people attend than in 2018, which could in part be thanks to dry and warm weather.
“We’ve had a wonderful day, had a good turnout, had some happy folks today,” Parks said. “Couldn’t ask for much more on this day in El Dorado, Arkansas.”
Iverson Jackson was at the Power Show with his wife, Mary Jackson, and their friend Priscilla Williams. They traveled from Wrightsville, Arkansas, to attend.
“This is simply marvelous,” Iverson
Jackson said.
“Some of it is my connection with it, because we used to have some stuff like this … and I rode many days on a piece like that,” he continued, pointing out a tractor like one his family used on their salvage yard when he was a child and then an M35 series military cargo truck.
Iverson Jackson served in the military from 1983 through 2008. He said they called the M35s a “deuce and a quarter” when he served.
“It’s a piece of Americana … and it makes you thankful we have modern things now,” he said.
Several members of the Central Arkansas Antique Machinery Historical Society were at the Power Show. Roy Fryar was there in the Spirit of the West, a train the society inherited after its previous owner and conductor, Bobby Joe “BJ” Carter, passed away in 2009.
“Everybody loves the train, kids and grownups too,” Fryar said. “I thought it was pretty good to keep it going … He passed away and it keeps his memory going.”
The society participated in a St. Patricks Day parade last weekend in Little Rock, where the Spirit of the West and their antique tractors took home first place.
“Out of everyone there, it was very nice,” Fryar said.
He said he enjoyed traveling with the society to show off their antique vehicles; he and the others in the Society said El Dorado was a particularly nice small town.
“[It’s] something to enjoy. I like to go and see towns,” Fryar said. “I think [El Dorado] is fine. It’s an oil town for sure. It’s a good time.”
David B. Taylor was there with his father, David Taylor Sr. He said his father and another society member with them, Jackie Abernathy, were farmers and had worked with originals of some of the antique tractors they had on display.
“Most of us have been around it and doing it all our lives,” he said. “They were mechanics all their lives.”
Dwight Hairston, another society member, said his grandson was the one who got him interested in antique vehicles.
“Me, I built mine. It took a lot of time, like 60 hours,” Hairston said.
Abernathy said he liked El Dorado. The Taylors agreed, saying they’ve had an easier time this weekend than at the parade last weekend in Little Rock. “It’s a neat little town,” Abernathy said. Parks said he was pleased with this year’s turnout and hopes to continue the event indefinitely. He said he enjoys organizing the event because it provides a learning opportunity to El Dorado residents.
“It’s a little piece of history,” Parks said.