GENTRY -- Though quiet now, the show grounds of the Tired Iron of the Ozarks were alive last weekend with the sounds of old engines, the clanging of hammers on hot iron in the blacksmith's shops and the buzz of the saw mills as large logs were cut into timber planks. Tractors which often rest quietly in a barn or shed roared to life on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, to pull wagons and give rides, to plow a small field and to demonstrate their power and usefulness.
And, more importantly, the men and women who put on the shows each spring and fall had opportunity to show off their antiques, tell their stories of the past and demonstrate what farm life in Arkansas was like in the 1900s. It was a chance for those with experience in the old ways to share them with a new generation that knows little about them.
With near perfect weather, many took advantage of the free show and spent some time looking at the old tractors, watching a variety of old engines sputter and smoke and seeing pieces of iron heated red hot and then shaped into tools and decorative items by blacksmiths.
The Spring Hollow Bluegrass band provided some musical entertainment on Saturday afternoon as club members and visitors talked about years gone by and of the workings of the old engines and tools.
In addition to the old tractors and engines, the Bella Vista Woodcarvers joined the show this year, carving designs on canes and drawings into wood. Unique and stylish pens were made on the lathe, and a number of old household machines were demonstrated for visitors.
The show provided an enjoyable time for both those showing and those observing, new friends were made and old friendships rekindled.
Yes, it's quiet now, but you can be sure club members are already beginning to think about cranking up those old engines and doing it all over again in September. Though the engines and those operating them grow older, the shows never seem to get old.
General News on 04/20/2016