Pioneer Day showcases strength of the past

Organizers of Saturday’s Imperial Valley Pioneer Day claim the past is stronger than the present in some ways.

Event Organizer Rick Macken said, “We have over here a fire truck from the 1920’s and it runs as good as the day it was made.”

The event gave over 2,000 visitors a glimpse of a different way of life.

“To show the old engines, the old equipment and let people see what the pioneer days were about,” Macken said.

They say modern technology has spoiled us.

Event Chairman Jurg Heuberger said, “There’s a lot of old equipment scattered throughout the park that people can see to get an idea of what it was like in the early days when we didn’t have the air conditioner, tractors and all that good stuff.”

Two large working engines from the early 1900s showcased at the event were touted to have no electronics.

“No computer chips. There’s nothing electronic on them. It’s entirely by their own design,” Heuberger said.

Organizers said the event showcased the past to help people appreciate the present.

“Is to give everybody a picture of what it was like in the early days when this place was being settled,” Heuberger said.

“Without the motors, without the heavy equipment we could not have had the irrigation canals. And without the irrigation canals this never would’ve become the agricultural center that it is now,” Macken added.

Organizers said the past will stick around for a long while – and they claim that’s a good thing.

“I think if you look ninety – a hundred years – from today these old engines, these old equipment will still be operating, will still be available for the public to see,” Macken said.

More information in our newscast.