Jul 27, 2003 By Glenn Tunney 6 min read

On July 4, 1947, the Brownsville Optimist Club hosted the town’s first annual Orange Crate Derby, a race in which motorless racecars, built and driven by young teenage boys, careened down Union Street hill in a series of heats to determine a champion. After constructing the vehicles to specifications outlined by the national Soap Box Derby organization, the boys, most of them 14 years old, assembled their racers at the staging area, located at the top of Union Street Extension. It was approaching the hour for the races to begin.

One of the competitors that day, Hiller native Harry Hackney, still recalls the excitement of Race Day 1947.

“In my first heat,” Harry told me, “I was matched against Car No. 3, which was driven by Eddie Horwatt. In special judging before the race, Eddie’s car was declared the best-looking car in the competition. I had Car No. 4, and much to the surprise of most folks, I won the heat against Car No. 3.’

The finish line was right in front of the Horwatt porch on Union Street. His family watched in dismay and stunned spectators gasped in disbelief as an inferior car coasted straight as an arrow to victory.

The upset victory in Harry’s first heat gave him a surge of confidence that he could actually win the entire competition.

“I thought I had just beaten the best car in the race,” Harry recalled, “and I told myself, ‘Just steer straight and don’t wreck, and you’ll have the trophy.'”

Harry’s dream of becoming a champion came to a quick end. In his second heat, Car No. 2, driven by Emedio Pasqualucci, eliminated Harry’s Car No. 4 whose family operated the Barr House in Brownsville.

“His car edged mine by inches,” Harry said. “By then, the axles on my car were really sagging. If only I could have gotten to the starting line without wrecking my car in Rush Run Hollow the day before.” Harry added jokingly, “After 56 years, I am still making excuses.”

He won a fishing lantern for his effort. “I never used it again after the battery went dead,” Harry observed ruefully. “The battery cost too much.”

During the elimination heats, there were occasional mishaps, as might be expected in any race.

“There were spills and thrills aplenty,” reported the Brownsville Telegraph, “as several of the would-be Barney Oldfields skidded and crashed into the side lines, and at least two of the miniature automobiles somersaulted after passing the finish line.”

Gerald Allen “Herky” Jones, who was a participant in the races, described some of the methods used to enhance the safety of the competition.

“Each race car had a brake,” Gerald explained, “consisting of a board in the bottom of the car. The board was hinged in the front and held up with a spring similar to the type used to close a screen door. There was automobile tire tread nailed to the bottom of the board, and the driver could ‘brake’ his car by pushing the brake down onto the pavement under his car.”

Each time a car whizzed across the finish line, its excited driver would jam his foot on his vehicle’s primitive brake. Sometimes it stopped the car.

“The course started where Lunden’s Flower Shop is now located,” commented Gerald Jones, “and the finish line was on the second level spot on Union Street hill, just before the third, longer downhill stretch to the intersection with Coal Hill Road.”

When a car flew across the finish line and showed no signs of slowing down, a “backup” system was used to stop it. “A canvas tarp was stretched across the road,” Gerald told me. “If a race car didn’t get stopped, it would roll onto the tarp and men would hold the downhill side of the tarp up in the air, like an aircraft barrier, to stop the car. I believe it was used several times.”

Despite the dubious reliability of the cars’ brakes and the canvas backup system, there was just one significant injury on Race Day.

“Only one serious accident marred the event,” reported the Telegraph the next day. “James Bennett, 12, son of Mr. and Mrs. Reagan Bennett, Fifth Avenue, North Side, suffered a fracture of the right ankle when struck by a racer operated by L. Edward Labin. One wheel of the [Labin] vehicle became loose and the car crashed into the Bennett youth and two others on the sidelines. The Bennett boy was the only one hurt. He was taken to Brownsville General Hospital in the police ambulance.”

It was an exciting day for racers and spectators alike. The Boy Scouts distributed programs for the event and had a first-aid squad on the scene. Firemen from the three Brownsville companies and borough police were on hand to control the huge crowd. When the preliminary heats were over and the time came for the final championship heat to be run, spectators jammed the starting and finish lines and the hillside overlooking the race course. The driver of the winning car in that championship heat, which was run with an estimated 3,000 cheering spectators looking on, was none other than “Herky” Jones. “Gerald Allen Jones,” reported the next day’s Telegraph , “piloted his streamlined racer under the checkered finish flag in front of opponents in five heats yesterday morning to cop first prize in the first annual Brownsville Orange Crate Derby under the sponsorship of the Brownsville Optimist Club. Placing second was Jimmy Terringo and tying for third place honors were Robert Eichar and Medio Pasqalucci.

“Robert Tunney [no relation to the writer of this article], Optimist Club president, said the event was very successful. He announced that all those who competed in the Derby would be guests at the dinner meeting of the club Monday evening at the Monongahela Hotel.”

“Every entrant received no less than two prizes,” reported the Telegraph, “such as scout knives, theater tickets, footballs, baseball glove, roller skates, pocketbook, etc. Prizes awarded by Burgess Stuart and their winners included Gerald Allen Jones, first, bicycle, National Pike garage; James Teringo, second, radio, Brownsville Hardware; Robert Eicher, flying Dutchman, Brownsville Police, and Medio Pasqualucci, $5 certificate, Karts, tied for third place.

Other prize winners included James Teringo, best design, pen and pencil set; Robert Eichar, safest racer, and Edward Horwatt, most attractive racer, Matty’s Service Station, both wrist watches.

“I believe there was another race the following year,” offered Gerald Jones. Perhaps some of our readers will recall whether the tradition of the Orange Crate Derby extended beyond those two years. The 1947 Orange Crate Derby was a wonderful example of good, wholesome hometown fun. It brought the community together, and it allowed the town’s youngsters to put their talents and ingenuity on display in an event that placed a premium on hard work and personal initiative.

Glenn Tunney may be contacted at 724-785-3201 or 6068 National Pike East, Grindstone, Pa., 15442. Comments about these weekly articles may be sent to Mark O’Keefe (Managing Editor – Day), 8 – 18 East Church Street, Uniontown, Pa. or e-mailed to mo’keefe@heraldstandard.com . All past articles are on the Web at http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~glenntunneycolumn/