HONESDALE, PA – The Trustees of the Wayne County Historical Society in Honesdale, PA are pleased to announce that Gerald and Mary Olver are the recipients of the 2026 Agriculture Award, which will be presented to them at the first day of the Wayne County Fair on Friday, August 7 at 6:00pm at the Small Stage. The public is invited to attend the presentation.

“Jerry” and Mary are being honored because of their dedication to the Spencer Steam Tractor project. For five years Jerry has cared for and hauled the tractor to parades, community car shows, historical meetings, and other events, so people can see this amazing machine built in Pleasant Mount in the 1880s.

The Spencer Steam Tractor, also known as the Spencer Steam Wagon, was built in Mount Pleasant Township, Wayne County from 1880 to 1888 by David Spencer (1855–1944). Spencer had seen English-built steam-powered wagons at the Philadelphia Bicentennial Exposition in 1876, andhe had a dream to build a similar device here in Wayne County to use at the Spencer’s lumbermill yard. After eight years of acquiring parts and creating the tractor, he demonstrated it to the public in Pleasant Mount during a Community Church Picnic on July 4, 1889.

Over the next decades the tractor was stored in many places and moved many times, went through many owners, and ended up returning to WayneCounty in 2004 after being “found” in a parts yard in Northampton County. Several hesitant starts at restoring the machine took place, with the successful rebuild starting in 2016 under the volunteer direction of Fred Murray and Kim Erickson, both of Honesdale. Restored to its former glory, the tractor was shown to the public on July 3, 2021, in Pleasant Mount at the Independence Day Community Parade. The five years of restoration involved five men (and Kim) working two days each week. The restoration team was known as the Five Star plus One team.

That’s where Jerry Olver becomes a huge part of the project. Jerry grew up in Beech Grove, Wayne County, and spent his life driving trucks and buses. When Fred Murray asked Jerry to consider taking the restored tractor to local parades and community events, Jerry said, “Yes.” Jerry was the person WCHS needed, with all the skill and experience of driving large vehicles for decades. Jerry has worked for Chaz Augello Excavating for 26 years and drives large vehicles every day. His wife, Mary Derrick Olver, grew up in Waymart, graduated from Western Wayne High School in 1982, and worked at many different jobs, including at the Katz Underwear Factory, Waymart Knitwear, and Northeast Eye. Both are valued members of their communities! Mary brings the candy for the parades and helps Jerry as people see the tractor at various venues. And now their grand-niece, Ruby Rosler, often accompanies them to the events.

WCHS wishes to thank Jerry and Mary for their commitment to the Steam Tractor project and invites everyone to greet them at 6:00pm on August 7 at the Fairgrounds as they receive their award.