Contributed by Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum
- Item 108703
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Description
Chester Nickerson of Hodgdon operated his homemade snow fence machine which he did in his spare time during the winter months.
He fabricated the machine himself in 1942 after selling his old one. He built the machine in his mind during the evenings first, then he gathered parts. Old Ford wheels with the tires still on, discarded drive sprockets off a potato digger, parts of an oil drum cut into spools to hold his wire, bits of iron wagon wheels, springs, shims, cogs, and chains. When completed his out of pocket expense was $1.20.
The snow-fence machine was powered by a two-horse power electric motor with an old Model A transmission.
He bought laths from nearby sawmills for $7.00 dollars per 1000 and could make 50 ft of fencing in 12 minutes. He sold the snow fence to the Maine Highway Department for .15 cents per foot. The Highway Department said it the best fence they could buy.
Snow fence was placed parallel with the roadway and would cause turbulence in the wind so the snow would drop by the fence rather than drift across the road producing a safety hazard.
About This Item
- Title: Chester Nickerson making snow fence, Hodgdon, 1950
- Creator: Gordon S. Smith
- Creation Date: 1950-08-23
- Subject Date: 1950-08-23
- Location: Hodgdon, Aroostook County, ME
- Media: Photographic print
- Dimensions: 10.2 cm x 15.2 cm
- Object Type: Physical Object
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- Fence making
- Fence manufacturing
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- snow-covered roads
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- winter highway
- winter roads
For more information about this item, contact:
Aroostook County Historical and Art Museum109 Main Street, Houlton, ME 04730
207-532-4216
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