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Posted 06-20-2003 FOUR News-Bits of Reading-Berks historical interest.... ======================================================= ======================================================= 1- Centre Park's annual GARDEN TOUR postponed until SUNDAY 2- Amity Historical Society's program SUNDAY on Civil War 3- Baumstown (Exeter Twp.) had a race track in 1939-1940 4- From the PHOTO ALBUM: ======================================================= ======================================================= 1-The Centre Park Historic District's annual GARDEN TOUR and ICE CREAM SOCIETY is this coming SUNDAY, June 22nd, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Rain caused the postponement.) Twelve gardens will be featured, many for the first time. If you've never seen the gardens of Centre Park area, you're in for a major surprise---esp. in the realm of ornamentation and objects of art. The Historical Society building at 940 Centre Ave. will be open to offer a last glimpse of the basket exhibit, which has been a major success. (Ordinarily, the Society is not open on a Sunday---since around 1972.) Tickets for the tour----$8 for adults; $5 for children----may be purchased Sunday, in Centre Park. Tickets include ice cream and strawberries in the park---and admission to the Historical Society. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2- This coming Sunday, June 22nd, at 1:30 p.m., the Amity Historical Society, which includes the townships of Exeter, Robeson, Union, etc., will present a CIVIL WAR program featuring Mark Pflum, who is probably Berks County's leading Civil War enactor. A Civil War letter, recently found in a log,cabin in Weavertown (Brumfieldville), will also be displayed and discussed. This meeting Sunday at 1:30 will be held in the society's headquarters in historical Fairview Chapel, along Route 422 (Perkiomen Ave.), in Exeter Twp., at Fairview Chapel Road. Look for a white frame building right against the highway, one that looks like an oldtime Berks Sunday School building. Have a question? Contact either Charlie Miller at AmityHS@hotmail.com or Tony Matassa at mgt67@aol.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3- A race track at Baumstown?!! Yes, read on..... "Cup Speedway" Submitted by Bob Joos Cup Speedway was located in Baumstown, Pa and ran from 4/30/39 to around 7/28/40. It was located on Philadelphia Pike, which is Route 422. The track sat around where Route 422 West and Route 82 meet. Back at the time, 422 was a two lane highway, which would have been what Route 422 East is today. The track was around 1/2 mile in length. Classes of races were Model T's , 1928-32 4-cylinder Ford roadsters and touring cars and stock cars, which were cars from the years 1918 to 1933. Races were run on Sundays and the starting time was usually between 1:00 -2:00 pm. The program was billed as Jalopy Races and were promoted by Charles H. Kauffman. Admission was between 25 to 35 cents. The days events included time trials, 3 heat races and a 10-lap feature race. Prizes were awarded to heat and feature winners. Drivers who ran at the track include John Lenczden, Paul Reed, Harry Moyer, Paul Althouse, Ted Horn, Carl Koller, Nelson Beyer, Ernie Musser, James Pomeroy, Herbet Landis, Fred Jones, John Hines, Irvan Roush, Jimmy Mal, Wally Maurer, Woodie Gehret, and Art Snyder---just to nane a few. On October 5, 1999, I had the pleasure to conduct a phone interview with John Lenczden, who was 80 yrs. old at the time. Here a few excerpts from that interview: "The track wasn't level...the front stretch was level but when you would go into the 1st and second turns, the track would go down hill and then level off when you came thru the 3rd and 4th turns into the front stretch. I remember winning a race one time and was awarded a chicken for my prize... another time I won a ring of bologna. I won quite a few features and the most money I ever won was 3 dollars. The track was basically just plowed out of a field as I remember it." NOTE: Does anyone receiving these News-Bits recall the races at Baumstown? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4- From the PHOTO ALBUM: Mohnton c. 1910, as viewed from the south. For a treasure-trove of Mohnton photos, including views of Lake Valmont and the Mohnton Navy Yard, access: http://www.harpweb.com/mohnton/history/pictures/ The Mohnton web-site adds photos constantly. Bookmark the address and return from time to time if you have an interest in Mohnton. This web-site is the brainchild of DOUG REINERT of Mohnton who oversees the Historical Society of Berks County's web-site as well--and several others. His speciality, as a computer consultant, is developing home pages for history buffs, genealogists, industry, and business---in the Berks area, and occasionally beyond. Your editor's home page was designed by Mr. Reinert. Accordingly, those needing help to add software or to fix a computer problem.....or to learn how to add sound clips to emails or to learn the fine points of their computers and scanners.....would do well to contact him at DR@harpweb.com ============ gmmix ============= end ============

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