By Fred Hendricks
Note: This feature is in the May TT&C 2013 issue.
Note: This feature is in the May TT&C 2013 issue.
 Gary Tabor stands beside one of many display units chock-full of trucks in the vast Tabor collection center.  Shown is a nice display unit filled with an assortment of miniature trucks and field equipment.  Pictured is a large group of 1:64 scale trucks representing a variety of toy manufacturers.  Shown is a table loaded with an assorted group of construction equipment. | Toy truck collectors launch their hobby through many different scenarios. Gary Tabor’s interest in toy trucks materialized through his family’s farming operation. “I don’t know how I started gathering toy trucks, it just happened. I bought my first trucks from the dairy that picked up our milk off the farm. About the same time I got into the Hess truck line. Hess put out a truck every year. I now have about 36 years’ worth. Tonka trucks fascinated me so I added several of those to my collection up to about 1960. Those early Tonka trucks resembled Fords. I also got involved with fire trucks because they held a special interest. There’s about every line represented, including: Nylint, Winross, Matchbox, Tootsie, Hess, Marx, Turner and some older cast-iron pieces. My former hobbies had potential danger connected with them, but accumulating toy trucks made it very hard to get hurt,” Gary stated. Gary along with his late wife farmed and raised their family of four children in the obscure community known by the locals as Dolittle Corners. A notable location may be familiar by a landmark or by a settlement, village, town or city. Dolittle Corners is a notable location to the natives, but there are no remaining landmarks only homes and farm buildings. Gary reflected, “There’s a ‘Y’ in the road on the west side of our farm. There was a small settlement that formed at that fork; it became a central meeting point. There was a house with a church connected on the backside. That old church has become the garage on our family home. There was a one-room schoolhouse, a blacksmith’s shop, a cheese factory, a small country store, a train station, stockyards, post office and milk factory. A neighbor came up with the catchy name as folks would gather in one of the stores and do nothing but catch up on local happenings. So it became known as Dolittle Corners. None of that exists today, only the ‘Y’ in the road.” Dolittle Corners is located near Williamsfield of Ashtabula County, situated in Northeast Ohio. Williamsfield was one of the primary dairy farming communities of the county. Although unincorporated, Williamsfield has a post office including zip code. Williamsfield was named after an early landholder, General Joseph Williams. In 1799, Williams bought a large parcel of land from the Connecticut Land Company and began developing the area. The first Williamsfield School soon followed in 1809. During the mid-1800s, Williamsfield prospered resulting from two railroad lines that crossed through the township. Over time, history left its mark on Williamsfield, but its bustling community thrives today, albeit a small population. And without any remaining landmarks, old-timers remember Dolittle Corners at the familiar ‘Y’ in the road.  Want to read the rest of the story? It's available in the May TT&C 2013 magazine! Download here: MAY TT&C 2013 Call (701) 883-5206 or (701) 883-5206 to purchase or order online at: http://www.toytrucker.com/past-issues.html |
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