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Historical Society hosts Howe truck collection

“Follow your bliss.” For Stephen Howe, that was never in question. From an early age, he knew he loved anything that had wheels.

When he was just a toddler, his Uncle Dennett presented him with a toy Farmall tractor like the one Stephen’s father used to work the small family farm in Hollis. That red, metal tractor was the beginning of a collection of toy tractors and farming implements that included John Deeres, Allis-
Chalmers and Fords.

By the time Stephen could read, his favorite book was “The Big Book of Real Trucks.” Just in time for Christmas, The County Store on the Oval in Milford, would publish a catalog of the many toys they offered for sale. And for the next several years Stephen would find a very special trailer truck under the tree waiting him on Christmas day ordered from that catalog. The orange Allied Van Lines truck or the green and white Green Giant truck were just two of the thoroughly magnificent trucks that travelled the routes over the farm kitchen floor.

In the early 1950s, Stephen’s father purchased a new Ford car from the Ford auto dealership on Main Street in Nashua. In the showroom was a display of promotional model cars, essentially salesmen’s samples, that showed the styles, features and colors of the current model year’s automobiles. The display caught Stephen’s eye and much to his delight, the owner, Mr. Bell, allowed Stephen to choose one of the models – which would be replaced by the next year’s newer selections – and take it home as a gift. And, to make a young lad even happier, Bell invited him to come back the following year to choose another.

From this beginning, Stephen’s collection of model cars continued throughout his lifetime.

Because he was disabled at birth and suffered multiple handicaps, Stephen was never able to have a driver’s license and operate a tractor trailer truck, which was his heart’s desire, but he always kept his “wheels” on display in the house where he spent his life.

Growing up on a small family farm in Hollis in the 1940s and 50s was very different from today. We children entertained ourselves outdoors playing cowboys and Indians, riding bikes and helping with the farm chores. Indoors, we played board games at the kitchen table for hours on end and built highways with blocks on the floor and played with Stevie’s vehicles. We had no television until Stephen was 12 years old and even then we only watched it occasionally when a special program was on.

Last October, Stephen passed away but in his memory his lifelong collections will be on display at the Hollis Historical Society’s Always Ready Engine House Museum for children young and old to view and enjoy and perhaps share a moment of nostalgia for a time gone by.

The Hollis Historical Society presents its summer exhibit, “The Life of a Hollis Lad” – Stephen L. Howe, July 20, 1943 to Oct. 30, 2011, as seen through his lifetime collection of toys, games and model cars at the Always Ready Engine House Museum, Main Street in Hollis. Open the first and third Sundays from 1-4 p.m. through October.

For more information, call the Hollis Historical Society at 465-3935.