The Rhinelander Daily News - Online news and information for the Rhinelander, Wisconsin region

Vern Hollister - Correspondent

At Wabeno's Steam-Up Days, now in its 22nd year, it's almost impossible not to meet an Ehlinger. About a dozen were involved in the planning and executing and working, and they are also officers of the Wabeno Antique Power Association. Along with the Wabeno Fire Department, they sponsor Steam-Up Days.

Ray Ehlinger is the president, Willard the vice president, and Paul the treasurer and one of the engineers of the G.W. Jones steam engine that he started and drove over the grounds about once an hour on Saturday.

When Steam-Up Days ends, the 1909 Phoenix is returned to its spot near the logging museum to await another run and display at the 23rd annual.

The three-day event occurred at the firefighter grounds in downtown Wabeno. The Fire Department provides the grounds, more or less, and the Association sees to the exhibits that included antique tractors and gas engines known as "hit and miss" engines that were once used for pumping water to shelling corn.

Display people collect and repair these type engines and travel to approximately a dozen shows a year to talk and to compare notes. They are almost like a traveling club and exhibit with little thought of monetary gain. Willard Maas from Ogdenburg, Wisconsin, near Waupaca, displayed some of his "hit and miss," putt-putt-miss-putt engines, but he owned 96 total. R' Toy Engine Company's rep called the Galloway antique gas engine "the Cadillac of engines."

However, like owners of Fords versus Chevrolets or Toyotas, collectors are as loyal to their gas engine models as others are to car brands. Mary and Merrold Prahl from Waupaca as well as Maas attested to Witte as the finest. Maas said he has so many engines, "Everytime a shed gets full, I build another shed." An exhibitor from the Eagle River area said that a rare Christianson hit and miss is worth $12,000 to $20,000 which may have settled the discussion.

Exhibitors began setting up Friday evening. One sawmill operator cut lumber from huge logs Saturday. Randall Grose from Pickerel drove an Allis Chalmers WC, 1938, with a trailer. Grose gave rides about the grounds to visitors, past the Phoenix, the sawmill, the two dozen or more garden tractors there for both exhibit and competition and on by the line-up of antique gas engines.

Willard Ehlinger said, "We increased the grounds to make a bigger exhibit area. We moved the CC building to provide some space."

Any money they make is used to improve the grounds or to go back to the community. The Association added showers for campers and for the ATV group that comes each year. The Knights of Columbus sold hamburgers and brats. The Presbyterian ladies offered pie and ice cream for sale.

For the first time, Steam-Up Days, partly because of expanded activities, offered a Friday Night Fish Fry. Since deejay Gregg Tallier spun music Friday evening and the tug of war brought in people, the thinking was it would be nice to have a fish fry. At the deep cooker area, another Ehlinger, this one Pete, fried the fish. The proceeds from the fish fry were for the Twin City Eagle Homeschool basketball team.

Outside the firefighter grounds, Wabeno's Chamber of Commerce sponsored a craft show. Exhibitors set up their booths with goods for sale along the main street and near the museum. By having both events the same weekend, more people were likely to attend. Once again, the Wabeno Rescue Squad sold breakfast Saturday and Sunday, and the first day cashier Terry Biening had recorded over 100 breakfasts, on a pace with the previous year.

A lively crowd attended Friday's Tug of War competition. The horseshoe tournament was Saturday, and the parade with plenty of tractors was on Sunday at noon. The committee added more music with the polka group, White Eagles, playing Saturday night and a bluegrass band, Grudgeville Grass, performing Sunday afternoon.

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