A 10-year-old Climax boy restored a one pony drawn buggy cart that is over 100 years old, to use in the Christmas in Climax event held December 7 and to expand opportunities with 4-H projects.
Aaron Valentine, of Climax, said his son Edward restored the old buggy cart that is pulled by his pet cart wether goat Gaston. He said Edward hoped to add some community Christmas cheer to the village’s Christmas In Climax event by offering visitors rides in the goat pulled cart.
Aaron said through research, he learned the item his son restored is called a fine harness driving cart.
Aaron said his father, Isaac Valentine, purchased the single pony drawn, two person buggy cart at a farm that was being liquidated near Grand Rapids.
The Climax man said his father was told by a lady selling the cart, she remembered seeing the cart in a barn on the farm her grandparents owned when she was a young child.
“When she came back to handle the estate, the cart was in there (the barn), covered in dirt and dust. All of the tires were flat,” explained Aaron.
Aaron said he was able to get new tires for the buggy cart, and Edward helped clean and paint the cart. Edward and his family added decorative lights for the Christmas In Climax event.
Edward, a member of the Scotts Busy Youth club, was able to incorporate the buggy cart into 4-H as a still project.
“We use it for goats but it was originally designed for ponies, so he repurposed it to work with goats,” explained Aaron, who said his son is in the fifth grade.
Aaron said it took Edward and the family about three weeks to restore the cart and another hour to install the decorative lights.
The Climax man said his son enjoyed the rehabilitation process.
“He was enjoying seeing how things came out with it and the history of the cart and the different things to use it with. The ability to repurpose something that was in ram shackles and just getting covered up,” said Aaron, who said when the family started cleaning the cart they discovered a mud wasp nest in a corner along with lots of dust and dirt.
“It was nice for him to get some community time and use his goat and cart to cheer people up. It’s always nice to see people smiling and laughing with the goats,” adds Aaron.
Edward Valentine is pictured with his pet cart wether goat Gaston pulling the one pony drawn buggy cart that he restored.
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