AUTUMN TRAILS FINAL WEEKEND
by
Maryann Miller

 

The weekend that brings the antique cars putt-putting down Main Street in Winnsboro is always a favorite among locals and visitors. Hundreds of people come to see their favorite cars and enjoy the sidewalk sales by local merchants. Main Street is closed to regular traffic, so people can wander freely to shop, check out the the cars and visit with drivers.

The Antique Car Rally is always the fourth weekend in October and is a fitting finale to a month of special activities in the city that celebrates its heritage every year.

Some drivers are from Winnsboro or close by, while others travel several hundred miles to participate in the parade and show. It's a tradition that has been going on for some families almost as long as Autumn Trails has been happening, and that is true for Burnell Hutcherson, pictured here with her son-in-law, Peter Maddox. Daughters Sharon Gorham (L) and Sylvia Maddox (R) are in the rumble seat.

"This car lives right here in Winnsboro," Burnell said. "And it has been in the parade since about 1980. My late husband and I used to belong to the local car club. I think it was called the Winnsboro Motor Club and we really enjoyed the Autumn Trails parade each year. My daughters talked me into doing it again this year."

Burnell was in a 1924 Ford that had been beautifully restored by her late-husband, Ed Hutcherson.

The Willis's are another local family with a long-time connection to the car event. John Willis was one of the organizers of the first Autumn Trails Antique Car Rally, and members of the large, extended family continue to participate.

This year, Chana Willis (L) drove this 1930 Tudor. It is speckled with bullet holes, and she said she did that for fun. "I just wanted a Bonnie and Clyde effect," she said.

People noticed the bullet holes and there were lots of comments as she drove by. Chana and her husband David own the car, but he was not there that Saturday. "He's in the National Guard," she said. "He left recently to go to Georgia for training before being sent to Iraq."

There were no bullet holes in the 1926 Chevrolet belonging to the Ramsey family. It had been used in the film The Photographer and was shot at, but dad, Carey, was quick to point out that they missed on purpose. "We really didn't want to damage the car."

Samuel Ramsey, who can be seen behind Chana in the picture above, directed and produced the short film with the help of the entire Ramsey family. Sisters Johanna, Grace, and Emma are pictured here from left to right, and they are wearing some of the period costumes used in the film.

In addition to filmmaking, the talented family is launching a music career, singing at many local venues, including The Crossroads in Winnsboro.

Jason White is from Austin, but he does have a Winnsboro connection. He is the nephew of Ron & Denise Miranda. He drove his 1999 Plymouth Prowler up for the weekend. His parents came from San Antonio, so they had a little family reunion while everyone was in town.

"This and the Plymouth Voyager were the last two models made before the Plymouth emblem was retired and the company became part of Chrysler," he said. "It is all original, except I modified the doors to open up instead of out. I just had to change the hinges, and that was done with a kit, as was the little trailer I pull."

Jason belongs to an Austin car club called the Hill Country Drivers. "We all get together on a weekend and decide a route we want to drive, including where to stop for lunch. It's kind of like a trail ride on wheels," he said.

That is something he really enjoys along with a little bit of track racing. "We don't race other cars, though," he explained. "We just rent the track so we can see how fast we can go."

Jason said he first looked at a classic Chevy, then saw this Plymouth on E-Bay. It was on a car lot in Frisco, Texas, so he contacted the dealership. "We talked a few times and they sent me pictures," he said. "When I decided I wanted it, I flew up, bought it, and drove it back to Austin."

And he hasn't been sorry at all. He works as a day trader and "playing with his toy" is a good way to relax.

The car was a hit during the parade, drawing a lot of applause as he drove by, and car-lovers young and old couldn't resist a close up view. Garrett Rogers, son of J.L. and Mindy Rogers of Winnsboro, stopped to admire the car.

In addition to the car rally, the fourth weekend of Autumn Trails always includes the three-day swap meet. Out at City Park, people can find all kinds of treasures from western art, unique birdhouses, jewelry, antiques, and pets to odd pieces of old machinery and bins of "stuff." It's a "scroungers" version of heaven.

One of the venders was Rita's Ragtags, unique works of art from old wood. Rita Ray is the artist and she has been making items for about four years - selling as a business for about two years. She refers to what she does as "building" and explained that often she will find something old at a garage sale and build around it. "That's what I did with that piece," she explained. "I bought the wooden shutters at a sale, then built the cabinet around them out of old wood in my shop."

Rita's dad and granddad were carpenters and she inherited all their tools and a lot of old wood, so one day she decided to start making things like wooden planters, small tables and benches, and unusual boxes. She worked with the wood crafting as a hobby for a long time, but started doing a lot more after she retired from nursing. "It's nice now because I can do as much as I want or as little," she said. "I sell mostly by word of mouth, although I do go to events like this around the area."

Rita's work is primitive and each piece is different. "I never do anything more than once," she said. "And sometimes I will pick up an old door or window and not even have an idea of what I am going to build around it. Then I start playing around with it and an idea begins to form."

Jim Carr of Winnsboro was showcasing his latest enterprise at the swap meet, doing puppet shows at regular intervals. He has a host of puppets and marionettes in The Little Theatre, and is shown here with Mr. Kool. Other characters include Coco the Clown, Jimbo & Dolly, and Little Boy Blue. Jim made several of the puppets and marionettes and created the stories and songs that he uses in the shows.

He does short skits and songs, explaining that "most children have such short attention spans, they have a hard time being still for a long performance."

This is a family enterprise, and his wife, Dianne participates as does his daughter, Melody. They will do shows at libraries, churches, nursing homes, as well as for private parties.

Jim has only been doing this for about a year, but he said he is learning. He belongs to the Houston Puppetry Guild, where resources are available for those just starting out. He enjoys what he is doing and was like a kid showing off his latest treasure as he introduced Mr. Kool. Maybe that child-like sense of fun is a pre-requisite for being a good puppeteer. For information about The Little Theatre, call 903-342-0582.