As a child of three or four, grandma would spend time during the summer with her grandparents near Grove City, Pennsylvania where they lived on a stone covered road. Grandma liked to go bare foot on walks with her grandfather. Being very small in size, not quite able to form her words yet, and playing on her grandfather’s love, she would often ask him to carry her by sweetly reciting this simple request, "Tarry me Grandpoo, so the tones don’t hurt my feet."

I had forgotten that story until a few years ago when I was shuffling through some photos and letters that belonged to my grandmother. Among those items was a letter written to her from my great great grandfather, James Madison Montgomery. The letter was a note of congratulations on the birth of her daughter, Lois, my mother. "I do not know whether I will ever see this new addition to my little bunch of great grandchildren, but my love and my blessing goes out to her and her mother as it always did to you from the time when you would say, "Grandpoo, won’t you tarry me, so the tones don’t hurt my feet." Immediately the letter brought back sweet memories of the discussion I had with my grandmother. I became interested in finding out more about this great great grandfather and this led to my overall interest in genealogy.

Opening family photo albums and boxes stored in the attic, I gathered quite a bit of information about my maternal grandmother’s side of the family. But the search for the Lynch family, my maternal grandfather’s family, would prove to be a bit more difficult.

A few weeks later, Marjorie called to tell me that James had sent a box of memorabilia to his sister’s home. I now refer to that package as the "Box o’ Lynch." It was filled with photos, several books on the history of Pennsylvania, but most importantly four journals. I picked up the first journal and read several pages, realizing these books were actually a personal diary. I was immediately fascinated, particularly when I read the following:

As I scanned each entry, I also had the opportunity to read each word written on the cracked, fragile pages. At times, a few of the pages from the journal written more than 100 years ago, would crumble between my fingers.

I learned that my great grandfather had worked at the Elizabeth Marine Ways and a majority of the first journal dealt with the work performed at the Ways. Lists of men and boats were documented and daily activities were recorded. Because of my personal interest in genealogy, I recognized that some of these recollections could be helpful to others seeking information on their ancestors. I would also later learn the importance of the river history as it was noted on these pages.

One of the entries from 1908, indicated that JW and several other men had built a scale model of some barges which were to be used for display purposes. I did not give the entry any additional thought at the time. 

However, several weeks after reading that entry, I came across the following which was written in 1926:

..."The miniature ½ inch scale model barges –coal boats—coal barges – coal flats – coal boat bottoms – a replica of the Str. Sprague and a miniature bridge were built at the Elizabeth Marine Ways August, 1908. These were first on exhibition at the Pittsburgh Exposition 1908-1909. The barges and other coal craft were hitched into the Str. Sprague representing the largest tow that ever went down the Ohio River. They were exhibited in a large shallow tank of water. They were all loaded with coal and passing under the bridge. This display was put on by The Monongahela River Consolidated Coal and Coke Company and were installed, ready for public inspection by Jno Wiegle and Jno Morgan and myself. Later they were exhibited in Europe, London, Paris and Rome, after which they came back to the Ways. The bridge and coal craft are still at the Ways, 1926. The Str. Sprague is in the offices of Pittsburgh Coal Company, Oliver Building, Pittsburgh, Pa. Three of the men who helped build these models are gone from all hard work -- Frank Worchester, George Balsinger, Herb Wiegel. The others that are still living are William Packard, Jno Morgan and myself...."

It seemed obvious that this must have been a very significant model if it was displayed not only at the Pittsburgh Exposition of 1908 but also in Europe. To satisfy my own curiosity, I would have to find some photos of this model.

The following Saturday I was at a local mall and while my wife was having her hair done, I decided to kill some time at Waldenbooks. In the local history section, I began to leaf through books looking for information on the Pittsburgh Expositions. The last book I looked at was titled, "Only In Pittsburgh," by S. Trevor Hadley. In Chapter two, titled, ‘Pittsburgh’s Great Expositions (1875 - 1916), on page 14, I read:

..."Elizabeth Ledwidge, a teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, wrote about attending the Exposition in 1908 which was also Pittsburgh’s Sesqui-Centennial. She wrote: ‘We spent Exposition Day at the Point. Large crowds had assembled to hear Mayor Guthrie and Roger Pryor’s Band play compositions from Pittsburgh composers. Among other things we saw were specimens of armor plates and many projectiles. The major exhibit was a model of the Sprague, the largest river steamboat in the world, towing 50,000 tons of coal in barges....’"

My knees actually buckled slightly as I read those words. I was overwhelmed and knew I now had a mission to find a picture of this model. I wondered if the model could possibly still exist even though the exposition was 90 years ago. Not likely. But I should at least be able to find a photo.

I continued to research the model in "Way’s Steam Towboat Directory," compiled by Frederick Way, Jr. with Joseph W. Rutter. On page 211, I found the following excerpt about the display:

.."A working model of the SPRAGUE was built in 1908 for exhibition at the annual opening of the Pittsburgh Exposition along the Allegheny River, near the Point. The SPRAGUE was reproduced with a revolving paddlewheel and electric lights and was hitched to 56 miniature coalboats loaded with coal. The whole of the exhibit was contained in a tank 50x21 feet, filled with water, with a model of the Cairo, IL bridge featured. This exhibit of the high art of coalboating was sponsored by the M.R.C.C. & C. Company and supervised by John W. Zenn of McKeesport. Later this model was on exhibit at the Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh for a number of years, into the early 1930s...."