Marshall Historical Society

Motor Mechanics
By Janet Dangler, November 2, 2015
During the first two years of World War II, women explored the mysteries of spark plugs and carburetors. They learned what makes a car run, how to perform minor repairs and change a tire - in short, the car inside and out - in a course of Motor Mechanics so they would be prepared if they are needed to drive ambulances or take men's places in mechanical jobs during the war. Little could be found on the Motor Mechanics course in the Town of Marshall except from photographs from 1942, courtesy of Eleanor Dawes of Clinton, formerly of Deansboro. In the photos are several women from Deansboro, wielding tire irons and wrenches, learning how to change a tire or intently studying spark plugs, taught by Hardie Sanders. Some of the women were Clara Cornelius, Esther Sanders, Cecile Pierce, Charlotte Bishopp, Margurite Kennard and Eleanor Dawes. There were about 12 women in the class. There was also a Motor Mechanics class in Waterville, taught by Alphonse Rienzo, which possibly some Town of Marshall residents attended.

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