"Oswald" running a ski tow!

This photo astonished me when I first saw it. Our old car, which we fondly called "Oswald," was running a ski tow at Russell's in Kearsage, N.H.  How did that happen?

My father's friend John "Ace" Nutter had taken these photos. As he gave photos to me in 1996, he explained the circumstances. He and Nick had promised to provide a portable tow to Russell's for a specific weekend. But snow conditions were unexpectedly good at the previous location of their portable tow and they decided they couldn't remove it. Instead, they needed another engine, so used this car, which Ace called "Cut's car."

That was another surprise. I knew the car as Oswald; I hadn't heard it called "Cut's car" but that made sense, as my mother (Janet Cutler, nicknamed "Cut" ever since her college days) probably drove this old second-hand car for her errands.

That 1932 Model AB Ford had belonged originally to my great Aunt May (Mary Eliot Nichols), of 98 Preston St, Danvers. In 1940 she presented this car to my parents as a wedding present. Aunt May declared that her old car was still usable, worth more than the $18 trade-in value offered by a car dealer!  Indeed it was. That car became a handy extra car for my family. In the early 1950's we sometimes hauled our pet sheep in it!  It was roadworthy and officially registered/licensed in MASS from 1932 through 1955. Then it was retired to the old barn at Locust Lawn. Here's how Oswald looked in 1961 when brought out of storage for my driving lessons:

  

My father said, "If you can learn to drive Oswald, you can drive anything."  I drove around the cow pasture at Locust Lawn, practicing my driving skills.  In 1965 this car served as a fun "get-away car" from a wedding reception at Locust Lawn, driving down the back avenue of the private property and disappearing into the woods near Earl & Betty Clay's home (where a properly registered car awaited, ready for road travel).  In 1969, when the old barn and hill were about to be destroyed for construction of Rte 95, I purchased "Oswald" for $1.00. Nick towed the old car to my then home in Sparkill, NY on a trailer behind his station wagon. (He said it only fell off once!)  Unfortunately Oswald could not be registered in N.Y. state because we lacked proper ownership records; Massachusetts had not retained the records from 1955 or before. We had no proof of ownership of a car that had been owned by my family continuously since 1932! A sad end. Eventually an antique car dealer bought the un-registratable (is that a word?) car as a source of parts useful in restoring other antique Fords.

I do so wish that Ace Nutter could tell us more about this ski-tow adventure in NH. I don't recall many of the details. Unfortunately, Ace died in 2001.  At least we have these photographs to document Oswald's important role in helping the skiers one weekend at Russell's.

Perhaps someone else viewing these photos can provide more information about this history.