Letters to Ben from Grand Dad
Ben, this is for you from Grand Dad. This is a story about his oldest brother.
“The great “A” Model Ford trek.”
It started in Habersham at Clayton and went to Ellijay , Ga.
By: Grand dad Chris Gardner
We had just passed through the Toccoa Falls gorge and the foothills of the Great Smokey Mts. And the Blue Ridges of Georgia . Clayton , Ga. , near the Dillard house would be our starting point. Over one-hundred miles of so called road lay westward before us. It was about ten years after the last stone had been laid by the CCC and the WPA. They had arisen from the Roosevelt program to bring us out of the depression. These workmen had done a great job with small bridges. In some respects the Indian Trails and wagon paths had improved, but just enough to let you know you were headed west.
Ed, I and two of his friends set out one beautiful day to register our attempt to conquer this vastly undeveloped area of North Georgia . I am seventy-seven now, and I fondly remember the paved, the graveled and the muddy roads than snaked west. The only gas that could be bought was in small towns or from farmers who stocked for their tractors.
Our two Model “A” Fords were stocked with many spare parts, like gas and supplies. We especially brought extra water pumps; the most replaced part on the model “A”. We were unaware of the rains that had fallen the previous weeks.
It was just after the war. No affordable cars were available. The Model “A” became the car to restore and own. It was easily repaired and all areas of the engine were accessible. The water pump stood right up front at the radiator. Luckily we brought with us over one-hundred feet of rope. We needed it. We forded about 15 streams and encountered the most mud I had ever seen. We once had to employ a farmer to pull both cars free with his mule team. He and most of those great old mountaineers thought we were strange, crazy but funny. We were helped on our way with smile, best wishes and a handshake. You cannot beat these kinds of people. I do not know the sum of miles on our trip because the roads were much more crooked then but, we had spent the night over, sleeping in our cars. The sounds I heard that night still haunt me when I lie down to sleep.
We made the trip. Over one-hundred miles and a boatload of memories were acquired. Mine was the love of those hills and its people. I returned to witness to them while in Junior College not far away.
My brother Ed and his friends were so very intrepid. They would do anything that was a descent challenge, on a dare. All over Stone Mountain was their favorite place to romp. We found, what we called “Little Stone Mountain” or Pig Mountain as some called it. Today it is Panola Mountain State Park and is a delight to visit and was much closer to our home near Lakewood Heights in Atlanta , Ga.
Sometime I would get so tired; I wished I had stayed behind but when I heard the toot of the old Model “A” I was always ready to go again. Ah, maybe I will go fishing at Jackson Lake next time, with my Uncle Brooke. He was Bass Champion.
“The great “A” Model Ford trek.”
It started in Habersham at Clayton and went to Ellijay , Ga.
By: Grand dad Chris Gardner
We had just passed through the Toccoa Falls gorge and the foothills of the Great Smokey Mts. And the Blue Ridges of Georgia . Clayton , Ga. , near the Dillard house would be our starting point. Over one-hundred miles of so called road lay westward before us. It was about ten years after the last stone had been laid by the CCC and the WPA. They had arisen from the Roosevelt program to bring us out of the depression. These workmen had done a great job with small bridges. In some respects the Indian Trails and wagon paths had improved, but just enough to let you know you were headed west.
Ed, I and two of his friends set out one beautiful day to register our attempt to conquer this vastly undeveloped area of North Georgia . I am seventy-seven now, and I fondly remember the paved, the graveled and the muddy roads than snaked west. The only gas that could be bought was in small towns or from farmers who stocked for their tractors.
Our two Model “A” Fords were stocked with many spare parts, like gas and supplies. We especially brought extra water pumps; the most replaced part on the model “A”. We were unaware of the rains that had fallen the previous weeks.
It was just after the war. No affordable cars were available. The Model “A” became the car to restore and own. It was easily repaired and all areas of the engine were accessible. The water pump stood right up front at the radiator. Luckily we brought with us over one-hundred feet of rope. We needed it. We forded about 15 streams and encountered the most mud I had ever seen. We once had to employ a farmer to pull both cars free with his mule team. He and most of those great old mountaineers thought we were strange, crazy but funny. We were helped on our way with smile, best wishes and a handshake. You cannot beat these kinds of people. I do not know the sum of miles on our trip because the roads were much more crooked then but, we had spent the night over, sleeping in our cars. The sounds I heard that night still haunt me when I lie down to sleep.
We made the trip. Over one-hundred miles and a boatload of memories were acquired. Mine was the love of those hills and its people. I returned to witness to them while in Junior College not far away.
My brother Ed and his friends were so very intrepid. They would do anything that was a descent challenge, on a dare. All over Stone Mountain was their favorite place to romp. We found, what we called “Little Stone Mountain” or Pig Mountain as some called it. Today it is Panola Mountain State Park and is a delight to visit and was much closer to our home near Lakewood Heights in Atlanta , Ga.
Sometime I would get so tired; I wished I had stayed behind but when I heard the toot of the old Model “A” I was always ready to go again. Ah, maybe I will go fishing at Jackson Lake next time, with my Uncle Brooke. He was Bass Champion.
posted by Ben and Tara at
5:59 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home