Picture Enfield - Then and Now - Mystery Solved!

ENFIELD, CT — Today's installment of this weekly Enfield history series, courtesy of the Facebook group Picture Enfield, solves a mystery that began several weeks ago in this very column.

The Nov. 30 edition featured the above photograph as a strictly tongue-in-cheek trivia question, which read, "[This] photo was taken during the 1976 Bicentennial parade down Enfield Street. This week's question comes in several parts: a) how many Enfield residents at a time can actually surf on that tie; and b) how long does it take for polyester to incinerate on that tailpipe, which incidentally is not on the tail?"

While unsure of the gentleman's identity, I believed he looked very much like former Enfield mayor Jim Baum. However, after publication of the column, I got a note from Jim's lovely wife, Mary, indicating that it was actually not him depicted.

An astute reader utilized the "Quick Post" feature on the Enfield Patch home page, stating his belief the picture was of Vern Uhlinger, longtime owner of Vern's Power Equipment. A quick check of whitepages.com revealed a Vernon Uhlinger, Sr., age 80+, living in Ocala, Fla., with a home phone number listed. I took a chance and dialed, and 25 minutes later hung up with the man who indeed was the former business owner from Enfield.

Vern gave me his email address and I sent him the picture while on the phone. He laughed upon receipt, agreeing that his white tie was indeed big enough to double as a surfboard. He also poked fun at his polyester red shirt with white polka dots.

He said at the time of the Bicentennial, he was a member of the board of directors of the North Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. Before I even sent him the picture, he said he pulled the Chamber's float in the parade behind a Bolens 20hp tractor - exactly what the photo shows.

Vern said he started his "mom and pop business" at the former Arco filling station at the junction of Brainard Road and North Maple Street. In 1978, he moved the shop into a newly-constructed building at 599 Hazard Avenue, in front of the Scitico Plaza, and stayed there until retiring in the mid-1990s after 28 years in operation.

Now 83, he has lived in Florida for 23 years, and chuckled at how casual everything is today, compared to the "suit and tie to go to church" way of life in days gone by.

The Scitico building is currently occupied by Savage Motor Sportz and Scitico Equipment Repair. Here is a photo of Vern's in its heyday in the early 1980s, and a shot of the building taken yesterday.

Last week's trivia answer:
Last week's Enfield trivia question was, "What famous African-American actor, singer and activist owned a large home on Enfield Street from the early 1940s to the mid-1950s?" The answer: Paul Robeson, stage and film star of "Show Boat" and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame for his standout playing career at Rutgers.

This week's trivia question:
Walter Skower had one of the longest tenures as a police chief in Connecticut history, leading the Enfield Police Department from 1958 to 1990. Who succeeded him as chief? Post the answer in the comments section below, or on the Enfield Patch Facebook page.

Do you have an old photo of Enfield you would like featured in this column? Email it, with a description, to tim.jensen@patch.com.

Photo credits: Vern Uhlinger courtesy of Picture Enfield; Vern's Power Equipment courtesy of Enfield Historical Society via archive.org; Savage Motor Sportz by Tim Jensen; Paul Robeson courtesy of Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame

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