As my friend Maurice was taking me to a whitetail
hunting spot, we passed the topless body of a 1927 Oldsmobile sitting like a
lawn ornament in front of a cabin. He informed me that the vehicle had belonged
to his cousin Spike Fransen and it was he who removed the top with an ax.
I had to hear more about the car. I called Spike. He graciously
met with me at his home in Last Chance. Spike and his family moved to Island
Park in the summer of 1945. His father was a logger, supplying timbers to the
railroad from the Moose Creek area. Initially they lived in Army-surplus wall
tents until they were able to build cabins.
A close friend’s family migrated to the area from
Virginia in a 1927 Oldsmobile. In April of 1952, the family returned to
Virginia and gave the vehicle to Spike. Spike was excited with his new
acquisition, but it was a hard top and he wanted a convertible. True to his
heritage as a logger’s son, he took his double-bladed ax and chopped the top
off the car. Now it was a convertible!
Spike said that there was no shortage of girls wanting
to ride around in his customized Olds. After high school, he left Island Park to
pursue work, education and marriage. The car remained behind and was given to a
neighbor. Despite the best of intentions the new owner did not get the
Oldsmobile running but left it in his yard, where it still sits today.
Spike wrapped up the story by imparting a bit of
mountain wisdom. Chopping through a vehicle’s top can really damage a good ax.
His advice was news to me!
