Model T Fords line Main Street in Bramwell during the 2015 Poor Boy Model T Ford Tour.
BRAMWELL,W.Va. — Main Street Bramwell was like Main Street USA Wednesday afternoon as Model T Fords from 11 different states lined both sides of Main from Bloch Street to the Duhring Street Bridge.
Tom Thomas, 86, was walking up Main Street sharing a story with friends about an old “Tin Lizzy” that was traveling on the old roads from Athens to Hinton and passed a horse-drawn wagon as the Model T Ford left Athens.
According to Thomas, the Model T made good time on the way to Hinton despite having to stop five times to fix flat tire. He said that by the time the Model T arrived at the bridge over the Bluestone River the driver felt confident about winning the race with the horse-drawn wagon, “but the wagon passed the Model T when it was at the bridge,” he said with a smile.
Thomas never owned a Model T, but he used a Model A Ford when he worked with the Princeton Times and the Sunset News Observer and Bluefield Daily Telegraph. “I was in advertising, but I worked with Sid Barksdale, Kyle McCormick and Squire Browning. The Model As were going out at about the time I left the Telegraph.”
Hal and Judy Monteguise of North Carolina got into Model T touring soon after Hal left the U.S. Marine Corps. Hal served 25 years in the Corps then worked an additional 20 years for the Marines before retiring.
“You meet more people on every tour you go on…
