1988

The Village of Short Tract

William Short took up a large tract of land through which the Short Tract Road has its course, and which embraces the Village of Short Tract. It was conveyed to him by the Ogdens, and it was from this purchase that the present village, which extends almost a mile along the road mentioned, derived its name.

It contained in 1878, three stores, two churches, a cheese factory, two wagon shops, three blacksmith shops, a school house and a Town Hall which had been built by Jonas R. Collister in 1872. At that time the population numbered about 100.

Short Tract Christmas Times in the Early 1920’s

The Guy James family lived on the Knibloe Road on the farm owned by Fred Ricketts, (Zilker). The two little James boys were excited about Christmas. Dick was nine and Bob, four years old the year Santa gave them a “Fleet Wing” sled. Guy tied the sled behind the cutter, so the paint would wear off the runners. He hopped on the sled, but made Bob ride in the cutter.

It was a Christmas custom to go to Grandpa and Grandma James for dinner. They lived across from the cheese factory (Town shed). One remembered Christmas, Uncle Don Piatt made two trucks. One for Dick and Bob, and one for Uncle Leon’s (Pete) boys, Francis, Merlin, Hollis and Alvin (or as Grandpa called them: Dutch, Tony, Bill and Mike).

The trucks were 14 inches long, wood with metal cabs and fenders, and painted black. The rubber wheels were from old Bissell carpet sweepers. He built them using a window shade spring, that would wind up when the truck was pushed backward, let go, and it would propel forward. Another Christmas, Bob saw a toy team of horses and wagon in Jess Merriott’s store, he would have liked. Costing $2.00, it was more than the family could afford.

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