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Antique Modes of Transportation Museum dedicated to Ezzie Ereaux on Sunday afternoon

On Sunday afternoon, nearly 200 people gathered outside the Antique Modes of Transportation Museum and Parking Lot on Highway 2 in Malta to catch a glimpse of Phillips County's newest museum.

While the 1930 Model T and the "Mud Wagon" inside the new structure are a spectacular site and played a part in the large turnout, once the dedication speeches for the museum started it was easy to tell that most folks showed up to hear about the man the museum is in honor of, Claude Ezra "Ezzie" Ereaux.

"Claude Ezzie Ereaux was my Dad, which I am very proud to say," said Bob Ereaux, Ezzie and Jane's son. "As a kid, I was often treated special because of who my Dad was. On the other hand, I never got away with much because my Dad knew everyone."

Bob said that his father had a great reputation and if people treated him right, Ezzie returned the treatment two-fold.

"He has made my life much easier and I sure miss him," Bob said. "I will always be grateful and humbled by him. There is so much that my Father did for others that no one ever knew about... I owe my mom and dad so much for who I am. I'm very happy to see so many family and friends here today. God bless. thank you so much for honoring my dad and thank you to my mom for putting this all together."

"Ez would be so proud to be remembered in this way," said Claris Darrah, Ezzie's sister. "There is an old saying that says you get out of life what you put into it. Ez enjoyed life to the fullest. He gave so much of himself to friends, family and the community...this dedication to Ezzie's memory is a new beginning."

She said when people drive down Highway 2 and see the museum as they pass by, curiosity will get the best of them and they will stop, look things over and say "Ez, you are still a part of keeping things together."

One of Ezzie's longtime friends, Marvin Korb, read a quote from Ezzie's year book from the year he graduated in, 1961, which read "his friends said he was a quiet guy, but quite a guy."

"That really is what Ezzie was, he was quite a guy," said Korb.

Korb told a short story about Ezzie that involved Korb's youngest son, Todd. He said Todd, a freshman in high school, lucked-out and got to take a popular cheerleader, a senior in fact, to the prom. Todd told Korb that he was going to take the young lady to prom in a limousine, a round trip ride which would cost Todd $100, all the money he had earned from working his paper route.

"Ezzie says 'Todd, I like your style'," said Korb, "and he gave him a hundred dollars. That was just the type of guy Ezzie was."

The first person to speak at the dedication was Phillips County Historical Society President Kay Hould. "It is wonderful to see such a great gathering of family, friends and supporters of the Phillips County Museum for the dedication of the Antique Modes of Transportation Museum in memory of Ezra "Ezzie" Ereaux," she said.

She said the plan for the museum started in 2007 and after much hard work and many hours of volunteered time, monies and talents had finally come to fruition with the dedication of the structure.

"In 2013, Jane Ereaux presented the best proposal ever for a memorial to Ezzie," Hould said. "There could not be a more fitting memorial to him as his life revolved around transportation. He was dedicated to providing fuel for vehicles and he definitely enjoyed driving, anyone who knew Ezzie can attest to that. Today we are standing in front of the Phillips County Antique Modes of Transportation Museum with pride."

Bruce Christofferson, a Phillips County Commissioner, said he wanted to thank the Historical Society for building the museum, adding that it is an awesome addition to the museums of the county.

"I also want to thank all the volunteers from the museum and the Historical Society who spend hours and hours, on a yearly basis, making Phillips County a destination point," he added.

Duane Cassidy, of Great Falls, was looking for a permanent place to put his antique 1930 Model A Ford "Standard Roadster" when one day he got a call from Jane.

"Donating my Model A is an example of how fate, good luck plus meeting positive, forward looking people can help preserve the history of Malta and Phillips County," Cassidy said. "And to think that I almost hung up on Jane because I thought she was a telemarketer."

He said his father, Chauncey D. Cassidy, bought the car in 1940 in Malta for future restoration and with patience and hard work; the vehicle has come full circle back to the town in which it was originally sold.

Malta's Dr. Jim Curtis spoke about the Zortman stage line of which the "Mud Wagon" coach ran on from 1904 until 1915.

"I've been, pretty much, the only guy driving (the coach) for the past 20,30 years," he said. "I want to recognize and thank Wes Orahood. When I was a young guy, learning about things, he is the guy who handed me the lines and said 'keep the leaders ahead of the wheelers' and off we went."

He said the stagecoaches in early Phillips County created a way for people to get to the ferries on the river, which in turn opened up Phillips County to the rest of the world.

Ezzie's widow, Jane, said that soon the parking lot adjacent to the Modes Museum will be paved and following that 14 big boulders and driftwood will be strategically placed to make the lot "look a little more landscaped than it is now." She added that Roy Ereaux drew the design plans for the building and not a single thing was changed from the drawing during the construction.

The Modes of Transportation Museum is a diorama which can be viewed, from the front, 24-hours a day and is lit up. Behind the Model A is a black and white photo of the old Malta Auto Company and behind the coach is a picture of the "Mud Wagon" from its heyday. Great Plains Dinosaur Museum Curator Sue Frary did the layout design inside the museum and Phillips County Artist Judy Michael painted the embellishments on the sides and bottom of the photographs.

 

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