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| A snowroller at Boody's store. Boody's Corner, North Windham |
By
Walter Lunt
Windham
resident, Raymond Philpot, has an unusual hobby; he studies the history of
snowplows, and re-creates them in miniature.
“There’s
more to (snowplows) than meets the eye. The way they’re designed, all the
moving parts, the physics (behind) moving snow. Over the years, snow fighters
worked with what they had.” explained Philpot.
Utilizing
22-gauge sheet metal; hobby wood; strips of vinyl; micro nuts and bolts;
brazing rod wire; jewelry chain and parts of old, discarded toy trucks, Philpot
fabricates working models of old-time snow fighting equipment, including
V-shaped wooden draggers, snow rollers and 1920s and ‘30s vintage tractors.
As
seen in the accompanying photo, the wooden V-plow (A) from the 1800s was horse
drawn and used to clear one lane along a road way. “The operator would then
turn his rig around and, using only one side of the V-plow, clear the other
lane. And it could clear a parking lot (sized yard) by operating in circles.” said Philpot.
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| Philpot's recreation of snowplows through the centuries |
The
snow roller (B), is a giant, wide wheel used in Windham into the 20th
century. The horse drawn implement would pack snow to accommodate sleighs and
wagons equipped with skis or runners. The snow roller had a rear-mounted
scraper to clear the snow and ice that would stick to its wooden planks. Often,
boxes filled with rocks were fixed to the back of the roller for added packing
power.
In
most towns, including Windham, the municipality owned the roller; farmers with
teams of horses were hired to roll the streets. Philpot said his research
turned up humorous stories about Windham’s roller operators. It seems the
farmers were paid both money and grog for their services. Grog, a diluted rum
beverage, was said to “warm the body” of those working in cold weather. The
story goes that operators would frequently imbibe heavily and pass out in the
snow roller seat. The horses, familiar with the route, would finish the job.
“More
than one “old-timer” in Windham told me that story,” said Philpot.
In
an article written many years ago, the late Ken Cole, Jr. described snow removal
in Windham in the 1930s. “A bull dozer (C) would be put into a (plow) frame.” In
the days before hydraulics, a three-man crew consisted of a driver and two
‘wing men.’ In order to raise and lower the front V-plow, the big rig had to be
stopped. Operators would make the adjustment by hand, utilizing the built-in ‘pry
bar extensions’ that ran the length of the tractor. Cole reported “It was a
slow, hard task. And it would not begin until the storm was over. The great
plow could be heard a mile away, “venturing forth at a top speed of six to
eight miles an hour.” Farm families along the way would provide hot drinks and
snacks to the operators.
Philpot
said a similar tractor plow was sheltered near Boody’s Store during the 1930 Thanksgiving
Day fire in North Windham. “Someone drove it out just in time – it narrowly
escaped the blaze that destroyed the store.”
By
the late 1930s and into the ‘40s, heavy trucks pushing straight-bladed plows
became the norm. Before the days of the familiar yellow plows, the blades were
black and silver (D). There were two operators; one drove, the other raised and
lowered the plow by means of a second steering wheel connected to the plow.
Philpot’s working model recreates the lift assembly using a plastic worm gear
secured from the heater of a present-day automobile. The facsimile tire chains
were fashioned from necklaces. “Those chains,” said Philpot, “took 2 ½ weeks to
make.”
Soon,
Philpot’s working models will be on display at the Windham Historical Society’s
museum on Windham Center Road.
Nearly
all the snow fighting machines of the past have vanished into history’s graveyard.
But thanks to the artistry and craftsmanship of Raymond Philpot and his unusual
hobby, we get one last glimpse of snow clearing the way it used to be, before
the memory fades. <
The
Field-Allen Legion Post 148 of Windham is sponsoring candidates for this unique
program and will pay the tuition cost of $300.00 for each selected candidate.
Candidates are, however, responsible for their own transportation to
Waterville. Last year over 220 junior
boys from all over the State attended Dirigo Boys State. The goal this year is to have an even greater
number. 
