Ghosts of Bridgeport and Historic-Barn Opening
Herb Lindberg

Sunday, October 29, 2006
Part 2 of 2

Howard Voshell as Alfred Kneebone tells about his gas station and the Kneebone Pleasure Resort just upriver.


A few hundred yards along the Virginia Turnpike toward Kneebone Cemetery, an old timer
(played by Doug Leach) explains several ways he extracted gold from river gravel during the Gold Rush.


He starts by explaining the simplest method -- gold panning.


Children carry the casket for the Ghosts of Bridgeport burial ceremony.


This is deadly serious stuff, complete with Halloween costumes.


Many folks toured the barn and its old time wagons, this one a dump wagon with chain operated bed doors.


This log wagon with massive wheels was pulled by 12 to 20 horses.


It appears the wheels were made by filling the circle of heavy steel rims with large and then smaller
cross sections of wood.  The smaller pieces were pounded in last to force a tight fit against the rims.


During the Ghosts of Bridgeport pageant, those in the theater-rows of chairs waiting for the Historic-Barn Opening
celebration were entertained by the Wildwooders Barbershop Quartet, who sang many old and new classics.


Barn Stormin' Committee Chairman Don Denton was master of ceremonies.


First to speak was former radio announcer Jim Kerr.


Park docents listened from hay bales next to the theater-like rows of chairs.

After a few additional words by Susan George, President of Penn Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Supervising Ranger Jeremy McReynolds, Diane Marten spoke last, to thank once more all the people and organizations who made the barn and historic wagons re-conservation possible.  As her remarks came to a close, Bert Hall joined her at the podium to tell a funny story about a bear he saw on the Buttermilk Bend Trail.  The bear disappeared above the trail and then reappeared on the other side of Bert -- he'd climbed around to avoid an encounter.   We didn't know Bert was that scary!

It was fitting that SYRPA President Diane Marten and Bert Hall were windup speakers.


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