Tuesday, November 2, 1999
It’s time to get ‘Abilenian of
Millennium’ entries in
By Bill Whitaker
If one thing was downright predictable when the Abilene Reporter-News
invited readers to nominate an “Abilenian of the Millennium,”
it was that more than one joker would nominate Texas wheeler-dealer
Billie Sol Estes.
And that several more would nominate perennial city candidate
and counter-culture icon Buff Hackney.
Which, with all due respect to Billie Sol and would-be Mayor
Hackney, is why it’s so important for Reporter-News readers
to submit suggestions to us for “Abilenian of the Millennium”
by the weekend, either by post or e-mail or even phone. In the
coming weeks, a blue-ribbon panel will sit down, debate names,
discuss yet other names and then make a selection.
People nominated can walk among us today or be from the distant
past. But they should have had some sort of influence on our history,
culture or just the way we live in this city today. Their names
may be well-known and already commemorated by city parks or they
may just float about in the indexes of history books, awaiting
greater acknowledgment.
And while we’ll feature the “Abilenian of the Millennium”
in our paper as the minutes count down the end of the century,
we’ll also offer a look at some of those in the running,
both well-known or obscure, so no person is below (or above) our
consideration. But it won’t work unless you add your two
cents.
How to reach us? It’s easy. Send the name (or names) of
your nominee, along with brief discourses on why you think they’re
deserving of the honor, to me at “Abilenian of the Millennium,”
c/o Abilene Reporter-News, P.O. Box 30, Abilene, TX 79604. Or
drop it off at the Reporter-News at 100 Cypress. Or e-mail me
here at whitakerb@abinews.com.
Be sure and leave your own name, address and phone number so
I can get in touch with you to learn more.
Lincoln survived
Judging from the success of Arrow Ford’s recent “Classic
Car Show” — one with a decided bent toward those old-time
cars descended from Henry Ford’s assembly line — the
local Ford dealer will almost certainly mount the event again
next year.
In a town that worships vintage automobiles seven days a week,
Arrow Ford’s event was one of the most intriguing.
Not only were the cars on display pretty intriguing, so were
some of the people. Sights ranged from a 1931 Ford fire truck
from Brady (dubbed “Same Day Fire Department”) to a
shapely spectator wearing a T-shirt touting, of all things, “Bungee
Condoms.”
Conversations proved lively, too, including one I had with
a fellow who only a few years ago sold an old Edsel to a former
car dealer who admitted selling Edsels decades ago had wrecked
his very business. When I asked why the old car dealer still bought
the very epitome of a lemon, the man replied: “Sentimental,
I guess.”
Tommy Wideman showed off his beloved ’57 Ford Thunderbird,
a classic which he bought from an area man seven years ago after
reading the car was for sale in the classifieds. Tommy found the
car in great condition — and its owner somewhat naive about
its value.
“He really didn’t know how to sell anything,”
Tommy said. “Now, he did tell me his wife didn’t want
to sell the car, that she’d rather give me their kids than
the car. And I said, ‘Well, I don’t want your kids.’”
Some tales were downright crazy. Consider 69-year-old Earl
Zimmerle of Abilene, who took great pride in showing off his solidly
built ’54 Lincoln convertible. It’s good he takes so
much pride in it, too, because he once abandoned it to a wrecking
yard only a year or two after buying the thing in 1956.
Earl bought the car from a Hardin-Simmons University student
for $450, drove it around for a while but eventually decided to
part with it because, he said, “I didn’t have any place
to park it.” In any case, only a couple of years after buying
the car, he took it to a local wrecking yard and left it with
a friend there.
“I told him to cut it up, but he never did,” Earl
said. “I think he was too busy at the time. Anyway, I never
bothered with it again and about 15 years later I’m watching
an old movie on TV and I see this lady driving around in an old
’54 Lincoln. And, well, by then I guess that car looked pretty
good to me.
“So I began wondering what happened to the old Lincoln
I’d left at Broadway Wrecking and I went back out there and,
believe it or not, it was still there! I told my friend out there
that I wanted my car back. He said, ‘Well, that’ll be
OK, but it’s going to cost you two and a half dollars per
day for all the time you left it out here!”
Fortunately, Earl’s friend was just joking. Earl eventually
left with his old ’54 Lincoln, doubly glad his wrecking yard
pal hadn’t cut up his car for easy cash.
“Now, the wheels and the radiator and the breather had
been sold off the car, but that was all,” said Earl, who
regularly shows the car in events both far and near. “I’ve
been driving this ever since!”
Bill Whitaker, who with all due respects to Henry Ford is
still driving his ’72 Volkswagen, can be reached at 676-6732
or whitakerb@abinews.com.
Send a Letter to the Editor about This
Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address)
of This Story to A Friend:
Copyright ©1999, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews
/ E.W. Scripps. Publications
| 
