Hodgson Collection. Prior to accessioning, the number 56 was printed in white ink on bowl. Smoke Rings Hodgson notes: "Dad Angier saw a pipe elbow one day which reminded him that I had a collection of pipes. He found a drawer pull, a piece of feed pipe from a Model T Ford and put them together into a special model which would never burn through. A pencil eraser on the end made a bit which added much to the appearance of the outfit, even if it didn't enhance the smoking qualities." Note from newspaper: "Hodgson's father in-law made a pipe that could rightfully be named a mechanic's or a plumber's pipe. The bowl is made from an iron pipe elbow and inserted in one end to hold the stem in a drawer pull knob. The stem is a gasoline feed pipe from a model T and the bit is a slip-on pencil eraser." Robert E. Hodgson (1893-1968) was superintendent of the Southern Experiment Station from 1919 to 1960. He promoted modern agricultural methods in Waseca and throughout Minnesota. From 1948 to 1964, Hodgson wrote a column for The Farmer Magazine, and his column “Bob Hodgson Talks” appeared in more than one hundred rural Minnesota newspapers for over 20 years. Hodgson was a member of the Waseca County Historical Society, the Waseca County Horse Thief Detectives, The Boy Scouts and other organizations. Among his many interests were history, nature study and pipe collecting. During World War II, Hodgson wrote a once a month letter to members of Boy Scout Troop 85 who were serving in the armed forces all over the world. The letters were published in the Waseca Journal with separate copies printed and mailed to any Waseca serviceman who wished to receive them. Hodgson’s letters maintained the home contacts, helped men keep up on the locations of friends and provided morale-boosting communications for those far away from home.
