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Latimore Valley: Where Memory Fuels Motorsport Heritage · BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show

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Break Fix's History of Motorsports Series is brought to you in part
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by the International Motor Racing Research Center, as well as the
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Society of Automotive Historians, the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of
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Commerce, and the Argo Singer family.
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On this episode of the Logbook We'll Journey into the Heart of Motorsports,
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history and community heritage.
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This story begins at the Latimore Valley Fairgrounds in Adams County, Pennsylvania.
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A place that first roared to life in the 1920s and thirties as a
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local fairground and dirt speedway.
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Though time brought decline, the spirit of racing never truly faded.
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But by the 1980s, members of the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing stepped
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in, reviving the dormant track and transforming it into one of the
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nation's first dedicated vintage race car exhibition venues here.
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History isn't just remembered.
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It's lived through the thunder of engines in the passion of
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enthusiasts across generations.
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At the center of this narrative is the power of institutional memory,
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the collective knowledge, stories, and experiences that guide preservation,
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programming, and community connection.
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And leading us through this exploration is Alison Kreitzer, director of
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Collections at the EMMR, with a PhD in the history of American Civilization
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for the University of Delaware.
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Alison brings both scholarly insight and deep dedication to
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preserving Motorsport heritage.
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Together we'll uncover how memory shapes legacy, and how Latimore
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Valley became a living bridge between the past and the present.
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Good afternoon.
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Today I want to take you on a journey spanning nearly a century
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of Motorsport, history, community engagement, and preservation.
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This story centers on the Latimore Valley Fairgrounds, a site located
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in Adams County, Pennsylvania.
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That evolved from a vibrant local fair in the 1920s through decades
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of dormancy to its revival in the 1980s as one of the nation's first
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vintage race car exhibition tracks.
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But this presentation is about more than just the rise and
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rebirth of the historic speedway.
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It's a story about institutional memory, the collective knowledge that
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organizations accumulate over time through both historical documents and artifacts.
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As well as informally through storytelling and mentorship, Latimer Valley exemplifies
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how this institutional memory built from the shared experiences of its
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community can shape the way cultural heritage is preserved and interpreted.
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At the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing or EMMR, we see this every day.
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Our mission extends beyond preserving physical artifacts.
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We strive to safeguard the stories, the human connections.
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And the living traditions that define motor sports culture.
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The emergence of the Latimore Valley Fair in the late 1920s offers a revealing case
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study of rural life in Interwar America.
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Both the activities on the race track and the events surrounding
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the fairgrounds mirror the broader cultural shifts and tensions.
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Unfolding across Pennsylvania at this time.
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The Latimore Valley first opened in August, 1925.
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It was the vision of Robert B. Nelson, a York Springs resident who
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transformed his private property into a bustling public fairground.
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That first fair was a lively spectacle, a four day celebration featuring glee
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clubs, live bands, trape artists, roller skating champions, and
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displays of modern consumer culture.
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Like automobiles and furniture, visitors could enjoy mule races,
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stroll the midway, or even take an airplane, ride, a thrilling novelty
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for Royal Pennsylvanians in the 1920s.
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Yet the fair debut ended dramatically.
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The Lebanon Daily News reported a state police raid during
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the Saturday of the fair.
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Seven people were arrested and officers confiscated roughly $800 worth of
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gambling equipment and merchandise.
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Latimore wasn't the only regional fair to attract the attention of the state police.
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In 1924, Pennsylvania had banned gambling and immoral entertainments
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at publicly funded fares.
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Critics complained that what had once been wholesome agricultural
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expositions were turning into spectacles of vice with alcohol, gambling, rig
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games, and burlesque shows becoming common Midway entertainments.
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Many fair organizers, including those at Latimore, sought new ways to attract
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visitors without running afoul of the law.
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One of the most effective and popular solutions was automobile racing.
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Throughout the late 1920s, fairground associations across
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the state began hosting auto race.
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On their existing horse tracks, the combination of speed, noise, and local
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talent proved irresistible transforming motor racing into a major attraction
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throughout South Central Pennsylvania.
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This enthusiasm for technology centered hobbies reflected a larger
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transformation in rural life.
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In 1914, only about 7% of Pennsylvania farmers owned automobiles.
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By 1921, that number had risen to 72%.
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Automobiles were reshaping not just transportation, but culture.
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A 1925 Harrisburg Telegraph reporter remarked quote, nearly everyone
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owns an automobile these days, and nearly everyone craves speed.
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Americans modified their passenger cars into trucks, tractors, campers,
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and increasingly raced cars.
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Fairs like Latimore became a natural stage for technological tinkering
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in the pursuit of new speed.
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Records determined to recover from the setbacks of the initial 1925
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Latimore Valley Fair Coordinators announced their plans to construct a
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permanent racetrack for future events.
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Organizers sent letters to local elites attempting to entice area residents
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to buy stock in the Latimore Valley Fair Association for $50 per share.
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By 1927, the Fairground Speedway was complete.
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The Latimore Valley Fair hosted auto and horse races under the promotion of the
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Dolphin County Auto Racing Association.
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The event offered $1,000 in prize money, a remarkable sum for the
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time amounting to nearly $19,000.
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Today, the race drew notable entries like the Chevrolet Special driven by CH Rule,
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who also happened to be the president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
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Racing even then attracted a fascinating mix of professional
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and working class enthusiast.
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Henry Ford's Model T played a central role in the development of grassroots
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racing, affordable and widely available.
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It provided an entry point for spying racers.
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By the 1920s, a thriving aftermarket industry had emerged, offering
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parts to increase the power and performance of the humble Model.
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T mechanics and hobbyists stripped down cars, removing fenders, lights,
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and unnecessary weight to create sleek, cigar shaped racers known
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as big cars, innovations from the likes of the Chevrolet Brothers.
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Such as high compression cylinder heads and improved camshafts turned everyday
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engines into the competitive racing machines that competed, uh, at Latimore
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and other area fairground tracks.
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Drivers worked out of garages and barns fabricating by hand.
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Safety features were minimal.
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Creativity and courage were essential.
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This was the backyard mechanic culture where racing was
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accessible and experimental.
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While the interest in automobile racing brought many local residents together at
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the Lamore Valley Fairgrounds, the site also reflects a more complicated truth.
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Community spaces often mirror the social, racial, and ethnic
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divisions of their time.
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In 1927 and 1928, the KKK held at least two major events at Latimore.
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A 1927 advertisement for a clan picnic promised amusements
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of all kinds for everybody.
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End quote.
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These amusements included baseball games, foot races, live music, fireworks,
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and notably the burning of what the clan claimed would be the largest
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cross ever ignited in Pennsylvania.
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The following year, the clan returned to Latimore to host a six day fair
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featuring daily entertainments, dancing and onsite camping.
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These were not isolated occurrences.
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Membership records preserved in the Pennsylvania State Archives
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estimate that by the mid 1920s, nearly a quarter of a million
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Pennsylvanians belonged to the clan.
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That Second Air Clan found support among many native born working class Americans.
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Tapping into nativist fears over immigration, job competition, racial
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and religious differences, organized crime and other perceived threats
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to white Protestant identity.
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These anxieties were widely felt across the nation and contributed
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to federal policies such as the Johnson Reed Act of 1924, which
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imposed strict quotas on immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe and
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barred immigration from most of Asia.
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The clan of the 1920s promoted an ideology that was intensely racist towards African
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Americans, as well as anti-Catholic, anti-Semitic, and anti-immigrant.
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At the same time, its leaders sought to normalize the organization by
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presenting it as a community service network, helping members find employment,
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offering mutual aid and hosting family oriented social events with food,
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entertainment, and recreational activities such as those hosted at Latimore.
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By acknowledging this history, we better understand how places like
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Lamore Valley were shaped, not only by moments of celebration, innovation,
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and community building, but also by the exclusionary forces that
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define much of American society.
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During the 1920s, historians have shown that African-Americans
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were largely barred from full participation in mainstream automobile
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racing during the interwar years.
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Even exceptionally skilled drivers such as Charlie Wiggins were
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systematically shut out of fairground dirt tracks and major racing venues.
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In response to this exclusion, groups such as the Indianapolis
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Colored Speedway Association were created to have opportunities for
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black drivers from 1924 to 1936.
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The Colored Speedway Association organized a 100 mile race for African
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Americans at the half mile track at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, known
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as the Golden Glory Sweepstakes.
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This annual event quickly became the premier national stage for African
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American racers, showcasing extraordinary talent and determination in the
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face of widespread discrimination.
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One of the earliest documented racing events for African American
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drivers in Pennsylvania took place at Arden Downs Fairground,
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which is located in Washington.
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It's about 30 minutes south of Pittsburgh on July 4th, 1927.
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The holiday program drew prominent African American racers from as
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far away as Detroit and Chicago.
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A year later on Labor Day 1928, Arden Downs made an remarkable leap.
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The track hosted an integrated field of 40 black and white drivers competing
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together on its half mile oval.
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Local African American undertaker Quinn Banks surged to an early lead before
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collision with Fence, took him out of contention, allowing white driver
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Tony Boyle to take the checkered flag.
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Coverage in the black press celebrated the event as a sign of racial progress.
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The Pittsburgh Courier reported that quote, competent color drivers
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match their wi skill and courage against Ottawas of the other group,
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and the comparison was favorable.
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Yet this moment of integrated motor racing in Pennsylvania was short-lived.
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Arden Downs does not appear to have hosted similar interracial contest after the
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1929 season, and there is no evidence that Latimore Valley ever held such events.
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By the late 1920s, the Timore Valley fairgrounds, like many small, rural,
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fair sites, were struggling to remain financially viable, declining
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attendance, increased competition from larger regional fairs and shifting
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entertainment trends all took a toll.
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In 1928, the property was put up for public sale, 26 acres with a half
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mile track, grandstand, stables, and several exhibit buildings.
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Yet not a single bid was made a sign of the growing economic uncertainty
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gripping the region even before the Great Depression fully took hold.
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Throughout the early 1930s, the fairgrounds passed through the
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hands of several owners, each attempting unsuccessfully to revive
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racing and generate steady revenue.
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Their difficulties were far from unique.
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During the depression, many local racetracks either closed or
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temporarily disappeared altogether.
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Families had fewer resources for leisure activities.
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And promoters face rising insurance costs in declining gate receipts at
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Latimore, both the automobile races and the annual fair were suspended
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in the early years of the Depression.
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Yet the grounds did not sit idle.
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As farm prices plummeted, Latimore became an important site of
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practical day-to-day exchanges.
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Local farmers and residents gathered here for public sales, livestock
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auctions, and community markets.
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These years illustrated a lotti more like many community fairgrounds
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adapted to changing circumstances.
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By 1935, a new generations of organizers were determined to revive the fair.
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This also included reviving the automobile races that were held there.
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Drivers from across the eastern United States met in 1935 to compete for
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modest purse money, and a mission was set at just 10 cents a price that
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reflected both the desire to make the event accessible and the continuing
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economic strain of the depression.
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But again, the revival was not without local controversy.
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This time, LATI Moore's new owner, Bruce Wagner, faced community backlash
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when he held races on Sundays.
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He was charged with quote desecration of the Sabbath and fined $4 a relatively
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small sum, amounting to about $90 today, but significant in symbolism.
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Wagner's prosecution fell under Pennsylvania's longstanding
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blue laws, which dated back to the colonial time of the 1740s.
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These laws were still largely in effect during the 1930s and restricted
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commercial and recreational activities on Sundays for religious observance.
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Racing at the Latimore Valley Fairgrounds peaked in the period of 1937 to 1939.
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During this period, promoters hosted races roughly every other weekend
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resulting to about 10 races per season.
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The races drew large crowds, eager to see the local competition.
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The track operated as an outlaw venue independent of the American
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Automobile Association, and became a hub for a diverse cross section of
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Eastern drivers independent tracks.
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Lake Lamore Valley played a dual role in the racing ecosystem.
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They offered local drivers a place to learn and hone their
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skills, and they provided an opportunity to earn money outside
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the tightly controlled AAA circuit.
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The distinction between independent and AAA racing was not always clear.
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Cut.
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Many AAA drivers raced under assumed names at Outlaw tracks
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to supplement their income while avoiding fines or disciplinary
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action from the governing body.
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Keep in mind that they also race motorcycles at Lamore during that period.
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So if you think the big cars were bumpy, um, I can't even imagine
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what it would've been like to race.
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A motorcycle during that period to think about the drivers that were competing
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in this period of the late thirties.
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A case study that is good to kind of illustrate these local
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independent drivers is Vic Naman.
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Like many of his peers, he relied on a local car owner to fund his racing career.
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NAM and ZR two was owned by Leonard Redding.
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Who operated an auto repair garage in nearby Shippensburg Redding supported
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a two car team during the late 1930s.
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He's shown in the top right, uh, with the team car, the ZR
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one, driven by Elmer Norris.
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Norris and Naman, along with their contemporaries, often served as their
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own mechanics At the races, independent drivers had to be inventive, adjusting
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on the fly, patching cars after crashes, and experimenting with setups to gain
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even small advantages on the track.
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Like many of his peers, Naman raced it, several independent tracks across
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central Pennsylvania, traveling from Lancaster to Lebanon to the Harrisburg
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region throughout the racing season.
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Oral histories play a vital role in preserving community memory, yet they
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also can diverge from the verifiable facts over time as stories are retold
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and reinterpreted through generations.
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A telling example of this at Latimore can be found in the
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case of racer Leroy Swaggart.
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The 19-year-old racing novice died at Latimore when he blew
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a tire and crashed into a tree.
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Swagger's story became part of Lattimer's local lore.
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Just one day earlier, he had married his sweetheart who witnessed his
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fatal accident from the grandstands.
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Over time, Swagger's accident became intertwined with explanations
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for the Speedway decline.
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To this day, MMR members consistently used this story as evidence for
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why big cars stopped racing at the track after the 1939 season.
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At some point, a museum volunteer even wrote on the bottom of the photograph of
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Swaggart killed at Latimore in 1939, and you can see the handwriting right there.
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It's a little blurry on the slide today.
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However, contemporary newspaper records confirm that Swagger's death actually
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took place in 19 37, 2 years earlier than the collective memory suggests.
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This discrepancy illustrates how institutional and community narratives
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can shift sometimes unintentionally blending fact and fiction.
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And with our conversations this morning, I think it's also relevant that we're
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reading 21st century responses to things such as accidents and thinking through
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safety onto this period of the 1930s.
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Because the newspaper coverage from the 1930s focused on the sensationalism
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surrounding his age and his recent marriage, his untimely death does
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not appear to have significantly impacted the 1937 racing season or
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to have created a critical response.
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Over changes to track safety.
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The closure of the Lamore Valley fairgrounds at the end of the 1940
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season was most likely influenced by notable factors such as the opening
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of nearby Williams Grove Speedway, known as the Ascot of the East Williams
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Grove was a purpose built facility that quickly became one of the premier
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racing venues on the East coast.
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And I'll show my sprint car bias in this room and say, I still
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think it holds that status today.
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Unlike Latimore.
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Williams Grove regularly sanctioned AAA races and consistently attracted top
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tier drivers from across the region.
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The Grove offered significantly higher purses, drawing both
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competitors and spectators away from the smaller fairground tracks.
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Its modern amenities and central location made it a natural magnet
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for race fans effectively eclipsing local venues like Latimore.
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Lamar's decline was compounded by the broader context of the
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late 1930s and early 1940s.
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The onset of World War II restricted rubber and fuel
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supplies, curtailing racing events.
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Lamore was unable to sustain regular racing even before the federal government
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officially banned all auto racing in 1942.
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In the decades following the war, Latimore largely returned
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to practical community uses.
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The fairgrounds hosted livestock auctions, public sales, and other local gatherings.
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While the track itself fell into disuse, Latimore joined the ranks
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of Pennsylvania ghost tracks.
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Remember primarily through the stories told by drivers and spectators
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who had once gathered there even without formal preservation.
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The fairgrounds lived on through these oral histories, but also through the
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personal collecting of individuals who had attended races there.
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Family photographs, newspaper clippings, racing trophies.
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Fair ribbons and ticket stubs were carefully saved each a tangible
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reminder of excitement and adventure experienced at Latimore.
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This kind of grassroots preservation reveals the powerful impact that
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shared experiences can have on individuals and communities.
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In the large scope of racing history landmark's impact is minimal.
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However, the fair and Its Speedway was memorable to the people who had
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experienced it firsthand enough so that they took the effort to save and preserve
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these mementos from the fairgrounds.
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In some cases, for over 50 years, these informal archives later proved
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invaluable in guiding the tracks reconstruction and interpretation.
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Many artifacts eventually found a permanent home at the
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Eastern Museum of Motor Racing.
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Allowing the new generations to connect with the history stories
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and spirit of Latimore Valley.
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The photographs are of Drivers Vic Nomans on the top right.
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The dairy bottles are there because in the 1930s, the local dairy crawls.
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Dairy had a truck, and the dairy truck became the ambulance for the speedway.
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So if a driver was hurt, crawls, dairy, generously then transported
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the injured driver to the local physician or maybe a nearby hospital.
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For many racers and fans who grew up hearing stories about racing in this
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period of the twenties and thirties, Latimore and other Ghost Treks
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became symbols of a history worth preserving, and it was precisely the
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sense of nostalgia and responsibility.
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The desire to keep the spirit of places like Latimore Alive that
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inspired new generation of racers to take action by the 1970s.
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Williams Grove Speedway promoter, Jack Gunn wanted to honor racing
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pioneers and preserve the rich history of Williams Grove Speedway.
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He envisioned uniting past and present members of the racing fraternity
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through the formation of a new club called the Williams Grove.
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Old-timers well-known drivers, Dwayne Carter, Joey Chitwood and Cliff Griffith
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were among the club's early supporters.
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Within a year, the Williams Grove Oldtimers had grown to over 375 members.
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Charter members of the group hailed from over 10 different states.
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The group published their first newsletter in April, 1975, stating their mission
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and vision for the social club quote.
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We're very glad to have you in the cockpit with us.
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You are now a charter member of what is about to become one of
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racing's finest organizations.
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The Grove Oldtimers.
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With its inception, we hope to bring you and all of our members
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nostalgia, surrounding methanol memories and castor oil charisma
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of the fabulous dirt track past.
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To do this, we have to enlist your aid in obtaining the whereabouts of old
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time drivers, mechanics, and car owners.
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After all, this is what this club is all about.
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We want to get these greats together and bestow long and belated honors upon them.
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Members mingled with racing legends at the early conventions
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held at Williams Grove Speedway.
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Attendees spent the weekend camping at the track, enjoying barbecue picnics, watching
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old racing movies and bench racing.
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They hosted track time for vintage race cars, interviewed former drivers and
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displayed their personal collections of racing memorabilia in an old barn
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located off turn, one of the speedway.
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One of the early participants of the Williams Grove Old Timers was a local
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sprint car driver named Lynn Paxton.
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Popular with the fans.
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Paxton captured multiple feature wins across Pennsylvania's toughest circuits,
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including Williams Grove, port Royal and Seals Grove during the late 1970s.
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He was hardly an old timer, but he had a keen interest and enthusiasm for history.
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He had already acquired several of his own vintage race cars by the late
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1970s, including a 1947 Miracle Power special driven by his personal racing
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hero, Tommy Haner with his established connections within the racing community.
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An interest in racing history.
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Lynn was a natural fit to become a leader in the developing
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Williams Grove old timers.
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When Jack Gunn died in 1980, the future of the old timers was in jeopardy.
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Since the group operated out of guns, Williams Grove office
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members worried that the tracks knew owners once support the club.
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A small group of members led by Lynn Paxton recognized that the old timers was
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more than just a social group, that they were a group that had an important role in
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documenting Mid-Atlantic racing history.
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In 1981, the Williams Grove old timers were formally established as
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a Pennsylvania educational nonprofit.
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The vision of the newly formed board of directors was ambitious.
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They wanted to create a living museum where history could be
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experienced, not just displayed.
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They hoped to achieve this goal by building both the permanent
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museum and an exhibition track.
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As Williams Grove Oldtimer President Carl Schweigert envisioned quote, the
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exhibition track will not only serve the needs of those acquiring and restoring
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antique race cars, but together with our Planned Museum of Automobile Racing
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history will help fulfill our ultimate purpose of preserving and displaying
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the history of American automobile racing for the benefit of the general
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public, and will enable us to present operating examples of this history.
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While the group started searching for a site for the Eastern Museum
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of Motor Racing, they also began actively collecting donations of
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historic race cars and other artifacts related to motor racing history.
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The board of directors first approached winds growth Speedway about purchasing
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land for a proposed racing museum when the tracks owners declined.
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Mel Paxton, Lynn's father.
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Recommended an alternative, the long abandoned dirt track at
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the Lamore Valley Fairgrounds.
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Mel had deep personal ties to the site, having raced there in the 1930s
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and attended the fair all the way back to the early 1920s as a trial.
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The revival of the Lammore Valley fairgrounds truly began
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then in 1982 when the old timers purchased the historic property.
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While they envisioned Latimore as the future home of their museum,
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their immediate priority was creating the dedicated exhibition
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track for vintage race cars.
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As swagger explained, the exhibition track at the museum will be the first
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permanent facility of its type in the United States, devoted solely to the
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exhibition of antique racing machinery, and our ownership of the facility will
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guarantee its continued existence.
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All the work was done by members and volunteers, organized work
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parties to begin clearing and restoring the old racetrack.
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Early in the process, they discovered that previous land surveys of
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the fairgrounds were inaccurate.
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One of the turns actually extended beyond the property line to faithfully
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reconstruct the historic oval.
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The board of directors had to approach the neighboring farmer and negotiate
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the purchase of an additional two acres.
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EMMR members then installed wooden guardrail around the track, built
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bridges over Latimore Creek, constructed pavilions and restored the original
26:47
house in small barn on the property.
26:50
In 1983, members held their first open house at the fairgrounds.
26:54
They wanted to showcase the revitalized speedway, but weren't
26:58
quite ready yet for vintage racing.
27:00
The event featured a static display as well as 1938 Lamore Valley Speedway Track
27:06
Champion at Stein, who paced the oval in a vintage 1930 sprinter local racing
27:12
greats such as Stein Tommy Henner ship.
27:16
And Buster Workie played a vital role in the early years of the old timers
27:20
As active members, they regularly attended conventions and track
27:24
time events serving as living links between racing's past and present.
27:29
Their participation helped bridge the generational gap.
27:32
Allowing younger fans and aspiring drivers to learn directly from
27:36
those who had shaped the sport.
27:38
These legends generously shared their knowledge and experience
27:41
posing for photographs, offering interviews, and discussing not
27:44
only their racing careers, but also their contributions to car design,
27:48
fabrication, and mechanical innovation.
27:51
By engaging directly with members and fans, they helped cultivate
27:55
a shared sense of community.
27:57
This intergenerational involvement became a defining feature of EM'S culture.
28:02
Also in 1983, the old timers took on a second major step in
28:07
expanding their public outreach.
28:09
They purchased Shorty Miller's Mobile Museum of Racing History, a 30
28:13
foot trailer outfitted with display cases, lighting and climate control.
28:17
This mobile museum allowed WTOT to bring the history of
28:21
motorsports directly to the public.
28:23
Volunteers traveled to Speedways Faires.
28:26
Conventions throughout the region.
28:28
For many, this was their first opportunity to see historic racing artifacts up close.
28:34
Making the sports pass tangible and accessible.
28:37
At the time, the old timers had already masked an impressive collection of
28:41
drivers, uniforms, trophies, helmets, and safety equipment, as well as an extensive
28:46
archive of racing photographs and programs documenting the sports evolution.
28:51
Lynn Paxton was.
28:52
Essential in acquiring these objects for the future museum.
28:57
He's shown here on the left with Bruce Craig, who was a member and a local
29:01
photographer, and they would travel around Wednesdays was the day where they go to
29:07
different places across the Mid-Atlantic region to acquire things that they thought
29:12
would be good for the Racing Museum.
29:14
So an example that they're shown here, this is the tale from Ted
29:17
Horn's car that he died in in 1948.
29:21
And it's still something that we display at the museum to this day.
29:24
By bringing artifacts, stories, and racing history directly
29:27
to fans across the region.
29:29
The mobile museum demonstrated the public's interest and engagement, proving
29:33
that a full-time brick and mortar museum was both necessary and sustainable.
29:38
Latimore Valley, once again, echoed with the sounds of racing engines.
29:42
By 1984, during the second annual open house members like Stein
29:48
and Billy Gauss took to the track and restored cars that they had
29:51
originally raced there in the 1930s.
29:54
For the first time in over 40 years, cars raced around Lamar's
29:58
oval turning memory into motion.
30:00
The group hosted track time on both Saturday and Sunday.
30:04
These events weren't designed to stage races.
30:07
Instead, drivers paced the track at speeds roughly 20 miles per hour to showcase
30:13
the restore machines for their fellow enthusiasts and first time visitors.
30:17
While the cars circled the TrackR announcers shared details and historical
30:22
information about each car as well as each different period of racing
30:26
history, much like the independent racers of the 1920s and thirties.
30:31
Vintage race car restorers are artists and craftsmen dedicating countless hours
30:35
to rebuilding cars, sourcing hard to find parts, and fabricating components by hand.
30:41
In doing so, they preserve not just machines, but the skills, creativity, and
30:46
relationships that define racing culture.
30:49
Recognizing the importance of preserving the identities and
30:52
stories of historic race cars.
30:54
The old timers established one of the earliest organized historical
30:57
databases for vintage racing vehicles.
31:00
Members understood the need to have accurate documentation to
31:04
protect and share these histories.
31:06
Vintage Conos could officially register their vehicles and received a number
31:10
dash plaques signifying inclusion in the organization's historical record.
31:15
By the mid 1980s, the old timers had documented histories and photographs
31:19
for over 130 significant cars, and this number has continued to grow.
31:24
To this day, I think we're approaching about 400, 4 50 that have been registered.
31:29
So car owners frankly come to the museum to trace the lineage of vehicles
31:34
bearing these original dash plaques when they purchase a vintage race car.
31:39
Even to this day in 1985, the Williams Grove Oldtimers had another milestone,
31:44
the first rebirth of the Latimore Valley fair with supportive local volunteers.
31:50
They reopen the fair featuring antique tractors and engine live
31:54
entertainment crafts, children's games, and of course vintage race cars.
31:58
The Latimore Valley Fair became an annual tradition and the primary fundraising
32:02
event for the organization in 2025.
32:05
The fair celebrated its 40th anniversary today.
32:08
The event both preserves the legacy of the original fair while
32:12
reinforcing Lati Moore's role as a community gathering place and a
32:16
living museum for racing history.
32:18
By the time construction of the Eastern Museum began in 1989, the Williams
32:24
Grove Oldtimers had 1700 members.
32:27
Phase one of the museum included exhibition space for about
32:30
20 cars, as well as displays a library and a gift shop.
32:35
Today the museum has expanded through several renovations and
32:39
grown to offer nearly 24,000 square feet of exhibit space.
32:44
We now display more than 60 vintage race cars alongside countless artifacts from
32:49
Chris Mackie's typewriter to Malcolm Durham's racing jacket to Jimmy McGuire's
32:54
prosthetic arm In less than a decade after becoming a 5 0 1 C3 nonprofit.
33:00
The Williams Grove Oldtimers had not only achieved their original goals,
33:04
but they had made their mark on preserving Pennsylvania racing history.
33:08
Their leadership drove the purchase and restoration of the Lamore Valley
33:11
Speedway, the revival of the Lamore Valley Fair, and the construction
33:16
of a permanent museum dedicated to the region's motorsports history.
33:20
The passion and vision of those original Williams Grove Alzheimer's founders
33:25
inspired a broad network of volunteers.
33:27
Local businessmen area speedways and racing enthusiasts to
33:31
rally behind the organization.
33:33
The legacy they set in motion continues to grow.
33:36
Vintage race car exhibitions have expanded far beyond Latimore, now
33:40
held annually at area tracks such as Williams Grove, Lincoln, Babs,
33:45
port Royal, and Hagerstown in 2025.
33:48
EMMR additionally hosted three track time events at Latimore, and in 2026,
33:54
the Jalopy Showdown will return to the fairgrounds, demonstrating that
33:58
the spirit first cultivated by the Williams Grove Old timers remains
34:02
very much alive at EMMR today.
34:05
Alongside ongoing museum expansions and the development of a permanent drag racing
34:09
exhibit, this Giy Showdown event helped EMMR broaden its mission beyond sprint
34:14
cars and midgets, celebrating the full diversity of regional racing vintage
34:19
race car exhibits at Latimar Valley.
34:21
Transform then history into living experience.
34:25
Visitors see these cars not just as static artifacts, but as functioning
34:29
machines that once thrill crowds.
34:31
Tested engineering limits and showcase driver skill.
34:35
Each lap around the track bridges past and present highlighting the craftsmanship,
34:39
innovation, and passion that define generations of Pennsylvania motorsport.
34:43
Through these events, the fairgrounds have become more than a historic site.
34:48
They're a dynamic classroom where motorsports continues to educate,
34:52
inspire and engage people of all ages.
34:55
For over four decades, then Lynn Paxton, who's shown in that Miracle power special
35:00
in the upper right, led these efforts ensuring that the stories, artifacts,
35:04
and experiences of racing history were collected, celebrated, and shared.
35:09
Following his passing in 2024, EMMR launched the Lin Paxton Memorial Fund
35:15
to honor his dedication to public history and the museum's mission.
35:24
Are there any questions?
35:27
So I'm interested in the Chris Koma connection.
35:30
What do you have in that collection or a little bit and, uh, how
35:34
did it come that you got it?
35:36
Sure.
35:36
I think Chris's collection was spread.
35:38
Some of it's here at Watkins Glen.
35:40
Some of it's at the Revs Institute, and some of it came to EMMR.
35:43
So what we have are a lot of Chris's personal mementos like that typewriter,
35:50
as well as a lot of his awards that he has pictures of him throughout his career
35:54
with the A b, C wide world of sport.
35:57
As well as things such as the newspaper bag that he handed out his original
36:01
newspapers and when he was just a boy.
36:03
So we have a lot of that as well as a large collection
36:06
of his books came to EMMR.
36:09
So we have a research room that has a display, uh, with a lot of the books that
36:13
came in from the Kane Mackey collection.
36:16
And Corin, his daughter actually just donated a series of programs to us
36:20
that date back to that early period of the twenties and thirties from various
36:24
tracks throughout the Mid-Atlantic.
36:26
I noticed when you were playing that video, it mentioned one of the
36:30
founding members was a swaggert.
36:32
Yes.
36:32
I'm assuming relative of Leroy.
36:34
No, not that I think, I don't think there's any historical connection
36:38
there that I've been able to find out.
36:40
Carl Schweigert was a track announcer at a variety of
36:44
tracks and an amateur historian.
36:46
So he came to the organization because of this shared love for history, and we
36:51
actually have a lot of his scrapbooks.
36:53
So all the races that he attended from that period of the thirties and forties,
36:57
he made scrapbooks of a lot of like the information, the tickets of the
37:01
ephemera, and we still have those today.
37:04
He was working as an amateur historian, writing kind of histories of area
37:09
racing and participating actively, and then joined our organization
37:13
when it started in the seventies.
37:15
I can attest to the uh, fact that Lynn was a storyteller.
37:19
I've only visited the place once, but honestly, within 15 minutes of
37:22
walking in, we were in a discussion with him and it was like we'd
37:25
known him forever and he was just.
37:28
Fabulous and and definitely appeared to be the driving force behind that place.
37:33
Those were brave men that drove those cars.
37:35
Then they're brave men that drive those cars.
37:37
Now, seriously, I urge anybody that has not visited EMMR at some point in
37:42
time, you've gotta put that into your.
37:43
Itinerary because it is just a absolutely fabulous place.
37:46
So happy you were able to come up and join us today.
37:49
And I will second what Kip said.
37:51
I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Lynn a couple of
37:54
years ago, and he took us on a guided tour of the museum.
37:56
We actually have that as a podcast episode and thanks to Allison, we've
37:59
been working to digitally remaster a lot of the old they call racers Roundtable,
38:03
which would be the equivalent in IMRC.
38:05
Speak to the center conversations, which do feature Lynn and a
38:08
lot of his comedy and a lot of.
38:09
The sarcasm and you get to really know him as a person and his personality.
38:13
So look for those in the next couple of months as we continue to drop those.
38:17
If you're interested, just come see me.
38:18
But it's been an absolute pleasure to be able to work on those projects as well.
38:21
Have you ever.
38:22
Driven any of the cars out in the track.
38:24
I have not driven the cars on the track, but I grew up attending dirt
38:29
track races in central Pennsylvania.
38:31
Silver Spring, Williams Grove Lincoln were the tracks that
38:34
I've attended since childhood.
38:36
So I have the fan perspective and some of the promotional perspective because
38:40
my family was involved in that, but never took an interest in wanting to
38:44
get behind the wheel, having witnessed.
38:47
Some of those accidents as a child, especially fire is something
38:51
that very much concerns me when you're strapped in like that, but
38:54
definitely grew up at dirt tracks.
38:56
So it's interesting to be at EMMR because we have this thriving drag racing culture
39:00
and it's a whole different speak, right?
39:03
It's a whole different vocabulary, a whole different kind of community.
39:07
So it's been great to expand my background in racing with lots of
39:10
other different types of racing since coming to the museum.
39:13
I just wanted to say thank you and I really appreciate the perspective of your
39:18
presentation in a variety of ways, but you really hit on, I think, an aspect of
39:22
racing that sometimes gets overlooked as we talk about F1, nascar, imsa, all that.
39:28
Like I actually think, even though I didn't grow up going to those sorts
39:31
of things, for me as an archivist in all kinds of racing history, that
39:36
kind of stuff gets overlooked, and I think it's really, really fascinating.
39:39
I love looking at the old pictures.
39:41
We have some great amateur photography from tracks that look just like that,
39:46
and so I'm really excited to see that.
39:49
Thank you, Allison.
39:50
I'm just wondering, do you have any kind of educational outreach to local
39:54
schools, to thinking some of the local colleges nearby, like Penn State,
39:59
Harrisburg, and places like that?
40:00
Is there any kind of educational component that you go out.
40:04
Or have kids come in to see.
40:05
So we're trying to build that, since I've joined the museum in the last three years,
40:10
starting mostly with school groups, so the Boy Scouts as well as homeschooling
40:14
groups in the area and charter schools, we've started to bring them in to do.
40:19
Tours, but also have kind of educational activities planned.
40:22
So I have a scavenger hunt now where there's great pictures of different
40:26
things in the collection and they have to identify that object and
40:29
then answer questions about it.
40:31
And I'm also trying to move some of our exhibits.
40:33
We now have a rotating exhibit gallery.
40:35
That's using more STEM connections with existing programs.
40:40
So for example, the NHRA has a YES program where they have on their
40:44
website a whole set of lesson plans.
40:48
So it's very easy to incorporate those into our galleries and encourage them
40:52
families as they're there visiting to finish these activities as well.
40:57
Now, can I thank Allison?
41:11
This episode is brought to you in part by the International
41:14
Motor Racing Research Center.
41:17
Its charter is to collect, share, and preserve the history
41:21
of motor sports spanning continence, eras, and race series.
41:26
The Center's collection embodies the speed, drama and camaraderie
41:31
of amateur and professional motor racing throughout the world.
41:35
The center welcomes serious researchers and casual fans alike
41:39
to share stories of race drivers.
41:41
Race series and race cars captured on their shelves and walls and brought
41:47
to life through a regular calendar of public lectures and special events.
41:52
To learn more about the center, visit www.racing archives.org.
41:59
This episode is also brought to you by the Society of Automotive Historians.
42:04
They encourage research into any aspect of automotive history.
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The SAH actively supports the compilation and preservation of papers,
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organizational records, print ephemera, and images to safeguard, as well as to
42:20
broaden and deepen the understanding of motorized wheeled land transportation.
42:25
Through the modern age and into the future.
42:29
For more information about the SAH, visit www.auto history.org.
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