“I was born 100 years too late,” he said. And thus begins your journey through the mind of Eddie McClendon.
Surrounded by nostalgic mementos that are the decor of the Conoco station, just over the bridge into Salina, he seems at home. A place he frequents. A place where he is comfortable. Then again, the world is comfortable to him it seems.
“Someone asked me one time if a man could know too much,” he said. “ I said sure. The more you know, the more there is to complicate.”
His eyes are knowing and kind. He spoke from a history he wasn’t old enough to know. Much.
One of 14 children, he began hunting old soda pop bottles at the age of 12.
“There was a lady that collected those bottles,” he said. “She paid me $1 a bottle.” His love for antiques took root and he bought his first antique at age 16. He surrounded himself with “old-timers” and listened to their stories, learning everything he could from them.
“Those old pieces of furniture,” he said. “There’s a story behind every piece.”
The man who built a new piece of furniture for his wife. The loving hands that formed and fixed the furnishing for his love, who was so happy to get it. These are the stories that taught McClendon a thing or two about life.
“That old primitive piece of furniture...the old guy built it for the wife because he loved her. Things were made to enjoy back then,” he said.
He easily reminisced about the times in the cotton fields with his father.
“I was in the cotton fields by the age of 6,” he remembered. “It was two cents a pound for cotton. Dad would drive folks to the fields so they could work.”
He remembered his father setting fishing lines in nearby streams at the beginning of each day.
“After we got done in the fields, he’d check those lines for dinner,” he recalled. “I try to teach my grandkids about those days.”
He recalled his great aunt who lived to be 95.
She remembered every little detail.
“She would say, you remember you were wearing yellow, the sky was darkened, it was this and that. She knew it all,” he said. “You’ve got so much crammed into your mind these days, it’s no wonder you can’t remember anything.”
McClendon taught himself to make Native American beadwork, handmade knives, then toy furniture.
He began to help a local Mennonite restore old wagon wheels and buggy wheels for no pay.
“I helped him so I could learn,” he said. The man told Eddie that he must have had a bunch of whippings because he “didn’t listen to nothing.”
“I listened, but did things the way I saw to do it,” he grinned.
Then the day came where he saw old man at the pumps with a doctor’s buggy in the back of his trailer.
“I asked him if it was for sale, he told me no,” he remembered. They ended up trading some merchandise, however.
“I traded a surrey for a 1919 Model T car. That got me messing with old vehicles. I turned it into a delivery wagon,” he said. Then an easy smile crept along his face and reached his eyes.
“The first day I drove it out on the road, I got stopped by the Highway Patrol,” he grinned. “I told him I worked on this car for three years. I just wanted to run it.”
He traded his way through to his current baby, a 1928 Model A Ford.
“Me and Mitch DeCamp over there at Locust Grove, we went through the rear end and the front end and tried to fix it,” he said. “If I told you how much trading I did just to get this truck where it is...”
The source of pride showed in his voice, finishing the sentence for him.
“When I die, they’ll put on my tombstone, ‘He was a trader, and he was a good one.’”
Features
A tribute to yesteryear
Salina man’s pastime is time spent remembering the past
- Features
-
-
10 most romantic hotels in the U.S.
Valentine’s Day will be here soon, and a romantic getaway may be just what the heart needs. TripAdvisor has released its list of the 10 most romantic hotels in the country, based on travelers’ reviews about the beautiful scenery, friendly staffs and romantic amenities like hot tubs and fireplaces.
- The gift of a good night’s sleep
- Kidney stones on the rise in children
-
Top 10 news stories of 2011
The killing of Osama bin Laden during a raid by Navy SEALs on his hideout in Pakistan was the top news story of 2011, according to The Associated Press' annual poll of U.S. editors and news directors. Here are 2011's top 10 stories, in order, along with a poll for you to cast your vote on the biggest story of the year.
-
Gift card givers, beware: 6 tips to protect your purchase
Many shoppers looking for a simple, easy present for friends and family this holiday season will turn to gift cards, letting the recipient do the shopping at their favorite store or restaurant. But the Better Business Bureau says consumer complaints about gift cards are on the rise, and buyers need to beware of potential pitfalls.
- Some chore tips from Redbud Physical Therapy
- Make your own drawer organizers
-
Guide to this year's hottest gift: The tablet
Tablet computers and e-readers are extremely popular and are expected to be strong sellers this holiday season despite a weak economy. But the array of models and brands can confound many potential gift-givers. Check out this guide to tablet-giving on any budget.
-
SLIDESHOW: 10 most dangerous toys
As you shop for the kids and grandkids this holiday season, keep an eye out for potentially dangerous toys. The nonprofit consumer watchdog group World Against Toys Causing Harm, or WATCH, has released its annual list of the 10 worst toys.
-
SLIDESHOW: 20 must-see films for the holiday season
One of the best ways to relax and remove yourself from the season’s stress is by taking time to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa or cider and watch holiday-themed films.
- More Features Headlines
-
