A Touch of Yesteryear
Sparkleberry Country Fair gives a peek of the past
Compiled by Mimi M.Maddock

Paul Towns rides with his grandson on one of his nine tractors built before the 1960s. Inset: Paul and Sarah Towns dress for the Sparkleberry Country Fair.

Paul Towns yearned for the days when his family farmed with old two- cylinder John Deere tractors on a dairy farm in Cedar Springs, Michigan. After 20 years in the Army, he retired from Fort Jackson in 1994 and settled in Elgin.

In 2004, he got "tractor fever." He bought an old John Deere tractor like the one his father got, but that was only the beginning. He now has nine tractors and the implements to go with them.

After contacting John Monroe, the chairman of the Sparkleberry Country Fair, Towns began planning for a large tractor and engine show, the first at the fair.

Towns said, "We will be plowing, disking, and operating these old tractors so everyone can see how it was done back then. We will have engines pumping water, grinding corn, and lots of other demonstrations. I'm hopeful we will have a hundred or more tractors from all over taking part."

Several of Towns's tractors will be on display in the Town Square in the Village at Sandhills April 11- 13 and April 18- 20.

The Sparkleberry Country Fair celebrates its 13th year April 26 from 9 am- 5 pm at the Clemson Research and Development Center located at Clemson and Two Notch Roads.

There will be other peeks into the past such as draft horse plowing, spinning wool, blacksmithing, chair caning, bucket and barrel making and homemade ice cream churned with a hit or miss engine. Also there will be carriage rides. Sonya Hodges will present Rice Culture and Gullah Culture and Donald Sweeper will be telling Gullah stories. Old time cotton farming will be on display, and there will be a Civil War Reenactment by the Lee County Horse Patrol. In addition, there will be barrel racing, jumping, and riding demonstrations.

All proceeds go the Richland County District Two Schools.