[Steam-engine] The missing Russell

[John & BJ McDowell]

Hi,
If you meen the engine the insurance co had it was donated to the Wayne
County Fair. That happened shortly after the Medina accident.
BJ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Ward" <psward at neo.rr.com>
To: "Steam" <steam-engine at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2005 11:17 AM
Subject: [Steam-engine] The missing Russell


> After about 2 years of research, I think I'm getting closer to the Russell
> Steam engine that my grandfather Burch once owned.
> Maybe some folks on the list will recognize names.  If you do please
> comment!
>
> My grandfather owned this engine in the late 50's and then sold the engine
> in the late 50's.
>
> The first reference to the engine I can find comes from the "Hillsboro
Press
> Gazette", July 16th 1957, where there is a picture of the engine, with the
> AT smoke stack.  The caption states the Paul Burch, the JD Dealer, and
> Norval N. Sams, the IH Dealer are sponsoring the engine for the sesqul
> parade.  The engine is owned by George Troutman of Seaman, OH and is being
> fired by Jesse Burdette of Hillsboro, OH.  The caption also indicates that
> the engine was build in 1915.
>
> Having this information, I went to "The National Threshers Association,
Inc.
> Steam Engine Directory", published in June of 1956 by Mrs. Leroy Blaker,
and
> looked up Mr. Troutman.  I found under the name of D.L. Troutman, of
Seaman,
> OH, the listing of a 16 HP Russell No. 17083.
>
> I believe that my grandfather purchased and sold this engine between 1957
> and 1959 because his engine had the same AT smoke stack.  I have a color
> picture of the engine but the smoke box is turned just enough away from
the
> camera that the serial number cannot be read through any means of
> enlargement.  I know for a fact that when my grandfather sold the engine,
it
> was to a fellow in western PA.
>
> Continuing, I cross-referenced the serial number to Blake Malkamaki's
> Russell engine list and found out that Roy Conn previously owned the
engine
> and then Wayne Mutual Insurance Co.
>
> >From an article in, "The Daily Record" of Wooster, OH, August 25th, 2002,
it
> states that, "In 1983, Ralph Gresser, president of Wayne Mutual Insurance
> Co., bought the Russell engine from his father-in-law, H. Lester Lee of
> Cross Creek, Pa." The engine then picked up the name of H. Lester Lee and
> Dave Tschantz operated the engine.
>
> I have several questions that I'm hoping the group can address.
> 1. Did Roy Conn sell the engine to H. Lester Lee?
> 2. Does anyone know where this engine is today?
> 3. Does anyone see any faults in my logic?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Paul Ward
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Steam-engine mailing list
> http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/steam-engine
>
>