A wagon in progress

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Bringing back a vintage popcorn wagon that was once a fixture in downtown New Ulm is going to be a work in progress.

Every since the Brown County Historical Society bought the circa-1914 wagon, there has been talk of restoring it to its original condition.

The society's efforts to bring the once-dubbed "New Ulm Corny Wagon" back to its original state started recently.

From 1914 to 1999, the wagon graced the corner of Center Street and Minnesota Street and changed hands five times before the society raised $10,000 and bought the wagon in 2002.

During those times, its steam boiler-powered popcorn popper and mechanical peanut roaster were replaced with electric motors, its color changed from red to silver and then to white and electric lights were added so snacks could be sold at night.

Restoration began in November. Volunteers started by photographing the entire wagon and numbered each spot where they could take a paint sample. They removed its windows and glass on Friday. The trim and the electrical work were taken out before the wagon was moved to Mike's Collision in New Ulm, where volunteers have been working on removing the paint from the metal frame.

"Our goal is to do no harm and to do the best we can," society director Bob Burgess said.

The wagon was built around 1914 by C. Cretors and Co. of Chicago and arrived in New Ulm shortly afterward.

Literature from the time shows that the company sold five different models of popcorn wagon and all of them were built by hand. The version that the society owns is a Model D and it has a number scratched into it, 8014, and "Henry" besides it. It is estimated that there are only three other original models like it that are still in use in Chicago, New York and Pittsfield, Mass.

It was first brought to New Ulm by the Meyers Jorgenson family, who sold it in 1926 to Hans Larson, who sold it to Ben Bauermeister in 1940. Bauermeiseter sold the original steam-driven equipment for $20 shortly after he bought the wagon. Bauermeister sold it to Diann Warta in 1970 and Warta sold it to Sylvia Hopkins three years later, who operated the wagon until 1999. Hopkins sold the wagon in 2002.

At present, the wagon is little more than a rusty metal frame sitting in a corner of a garage.

Although he's unsure of exactly how original the popcorn wagon is, Burgess estimated that roughly 80 percent of the original remains today, including its interior, two of its windows, the peanut roaster and its dump box, several drawers and shelves, all which are in storage in the society's museum annex.

The next phases in the restoration are to reattach the wagon's undercarriage and replace the Ford Model T wheels with replacement wagon wheels that resemble the kind that were found on the wagon in 1914. The society's goal, he said, is to enter the wagon in a Heritagefest parade under horse power.

So far, volunteers have put in 240 hours working on the wagon and local businesses have donated services. Burgess said the total cost of the project will depend upon who performs the work. He said the society would like more volunteers to help with the restoration.