Published: August 10, 2009 09:35 pm      

Steam, gas show set for weekend

PERRYSVILLE, Ind. — Norman Skinner loves collecting history, and he loves making it available for the public to see.

His farm will come alive this weekend for the 29th annual Skinner Farm Museum and Village Steam and Gas Show.

“I always liked to collect,” said Skinner. “I still have my first Model T car.”

Skinner has developed 10 acres of his 89-acre farm west of Perrysville into an historical village.

Tourists can roam the grounds and check out several buildings of historic interest, including a for-mer justice of the peace office from Newport, former Perrysville jail and a former warehouse from along the Wabash River.

A round barn came from Alvin, Ill., and a log cabin was moved from south of Union Corner, Ill. Rare tractors, a Conestoga wagon and horse-drawn equipment also will be on display.

Skinner said many of the buildings probably would have been torn down if he had not moved them to his farm.

Several animals also will be on display, including sheep, horses and donkeys

“There will be threshing and blacksmithing,” Skinner said. “Several antique cars will be on display.

The Wabash Valley Gas and Steam Club will have several old tractors on display, according to member John Ohl.

“I will help with the threshing,” Ohl said.

Several food and flea market vendors will be featured. Several different food items, including buf-falo burgers and homemade ice cream, will be featured.

“(Skinner) features a lot of history and old machinery,” Ohl said.

IF YOU GO

The 29th annual Skinner Farm Museum and Village Steam and Gas Show will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT Saturday and Sunday at the Skinner farm on Indiana Route 32 about 3 miles west of Indiana Route 63. Admission is $4. For more information, call (765) 793-4079.