45.07

Print, Photographic

1918

Ewald Lewer and Automobile Maneuver. 8" x 10" black and white photograph of an automobile, making a jump over two ramps at the Waseca County Fair; many spectators are behind the ramps, watching the jump; driver, Ewald W. Lewer, owner of Lewer Automobile Company; Ewald was the son of Henry F. Lewer and father of Henry Lewer. Caption at bottom of photo: \"There was lots of action this particular day in 1918 at the county fairgrounds in Waseca. A baseball game is in progress in the background on the old field, and in the foreground an automobile thrill show is going on with a driver going over a ramp. . . And would you like to guess who the driver was? He was one of the original \"Dodge Boys\" in these parts - none other than daredevil Ewald W. Lewer, partner with his son, Henry, at Lewer Auto Company. Ewald tells how he had seen the \"over-the-ramp\" thriller at the Minnesota state fair. He decided that he would build ramps, secure a daredevil driver, and give Waseca fair goers the same thrilling act. But, the day before the Waseca fair was to start, the local \"daredevil\" he had hired to perform the act turned out not to be such a daredevil after all. The guy \"chickened out.\" Ewald sweated out the night trying to get a replacement for the jump. No luck. When Ewald had successfully completed his first daring jump, his friends told him, \"Ewald, ol\'boy, when you went up and over that ramp your face was as white as a young leghorn rooster.\"

Henry Lewer tells the story about his father hiring a man to make this jump at the Waseca County Fair, promoting the stunt to attract people to the fair. At the last minute, the hired man was too scared to do it, so Ewald made the jump, with no experience, no helmet, and no seat belts. He told his son years later how scared he was too, but felt he had to do it after so much promotion of the event. Both driver and car survived unhurt!