Valley Girl Views: Foust & His Sea Plane, Hughesville Pa

In September of 1931, C.L. Foust of Hughesville built a seaplane.

He built the seaplane on Beaver Dam in Hughesville, over 2-3 years time. "The motor develops 60 horse power and is made of the parts of automobiles." Foust planned to take the plane to Lake Makoma where he owned a cabin.

Seaplanes became popular in the United States around 1911, after Glen Curtiss developed land-plane equipped with a central float and sponsons for buoyancy.

"By the late 1930s, seaplanes were among the largest and fastest aircraft in the world. The ability to stop at coastal stations to refuel made flying boats a relatively safe and dependable means of long-distance transportation. Flying boats such as Pan American Airways’ Boeing 314 “Clipper” planes represented the peak of luxury transatlantic flight."

After World War II, seaplanes declined in popularity as more and more airports were built across the nation.

Clarence Levi Foust, born in 1900 in Lycoming County. He opened a garage and built trailers in Hughesville. In 1940, he expanded to making wooden propellers. He invented a 5th wheel design for wagons, which is still used today. Foust's son in law wrote that he was Hughesville's Most Important Forgotten Man, and described his achievements.

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"Hughesville's Most Important Forgotten Man "
As written by Rev. Samuel P. Reed

History has not done justice to the memory or given the credit due to one of it's what should be the most famous Hughesville resident ever to have lived in the borough. Considering his accomplishments. He has a long list of inventions and activities that have left a lasting imprint on the area as well as the entire trucking world. He had the name of Clarence Levi Foust better known by his peers as "Dad".

His story started out with his father being shot and killed in a hunting accident seven months before he was born. He was the tenth child of the family. Born in June of 1900 in the area north and east of Picture Rocks known as The Bowling Green and was severely injured as a small child in a fall down the cellar steps striking his back on a large rock at the foot of the steps. He was to carry a large lump on his back all his life. A small man with large determined spirit. He went to work after he had finished 4th. Grade in schooling. This terminated his formal schooling but did not dwarf or stop his mental ability.

His first factory work was with the Ladder factory in Picture Rocks learning to scale lumber and other jobs a small boy could do. His older brothers have to be given a lot of credit along with his mother for keeping the family together without a father.

Several of his brothers served in the army during WW1.In 1918 He married Blanche Shaffer from Cogan Station . After he had started a small shop building electric car batteries and repairing bicycles at the corner of Main & Academy streets Hughesville.

Foust Garage, Hughesville

Along with his oldest brother Leroy Elmer Foust(Enoch), they purchased the land where the Bob McCormick Ford dealership now is on Main st. They built the building and sold Pierce-Arrow, Dodge brothers trucks, and Chrysler cars along with gas and a service department. An apartment was built in the top section along with parts storage. Dad his wife Blanche and his brother Enoch lived in the apartment when his daughter Doris was born in May1927.

While in the McCormick building Dad made a trip to Saint Louis to look at the manufacture of house trailers. After returning home he built the first trailers to be built east of the Mississippi river. His styling was so good many small house trailers built today look a lot like his 1930 models.

About the time of the trailer business becoming successful one of his brothers Harry a farmer in the Turbotville area was having trouble getting his wagons in to unload them at the silo because of the highway being built closer to the barn. He asked Dad if there wasn't some way the wagons could be turned shorter and maneuvered better. This became a challenge for Dad. He worked all winter and came up with what was to be known as the "Fifth-wheel". He built 3 complete wagons with his new fifth-wheel design and his brother used them with great satisfaction. A Mr. Baumink a lumberman in Sullivan County saw the wagons and asked Dad to build log hauling trailers for his use in the woods which he did.

The manufacture of these machines took up too much space for the car garage so the Foust brothers purchased the old Chair factory building on Cemetery street and continued to manufacture house-trailers and material moving trailers. Meantime Freuhauf of Sunbury offered to buy Dad's patient rights to the fifth wheel design. Thy offered to pay a royalty or he could have $500.00 cash. He chose the cash offer and sold the rights to them. The rest is history every tractor trailer in the country uses the fifth-wheel with very little change from the farm wagons original design.

Foust Propeller, on display at the East Lycoming Historical Society

During the ww2 time Dad was awarded a government contract to build wood airplane propellers for the war effort. Dad had had experience in airplanes as he built and flew an all metal airplane powered with a Ford Model "A"engine. He also built a plane with pontoons to be able to land on water. He rented the Lycoming County fairground land to use as an airport. He was the third pilot to be have a pilot license in Pa..Dad received a personal letter signed by the President of the United States "Franklin D. Roosevelt" along with the "E" wartime award for the excellence in the propeller manufacture.

Today when we go to the Lycoming County fair we can see some of his handy work in the evergreen bushes growing on the infield of the race track. They are his design. In latter years he produced many useful items that are used in homes all over. One very useful one is a light weight window opener to release stuck windows with little effort. Clarence died in 1969 but he left the world a lot better place through his inventions and his ability to make our lives better.

A grateful son-in law.

Rev. Samuel P. Reed

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FOUST TRAILERS

Foust Trailer Company, Hughesville PA

Today this is Buck's Lumber

1937

"While in the McCormick building Dad made a trip to Saint Louis to look at the manufacture of house trailers. After returning home he built the first trailers to be built east of the Mississippi river. His styling was so good many small house trailers built today look a lot like his 1930 models."

Cook trailer for carnival workers, made by Foust

Foust Trailer parked in front of the School, Hughesville

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FOUST PROPELLERS

1940

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FIFTH WHEEL DESIGN

"About the time of the trailer business becoming successful one of his brothers Harry a farmer in the Turbotville area was having trouble getting his wagons in to unload them at the silo because of the highway being built closer to the barn. He asked Dad if there wasn't some way the wagons could be turned shorter and maneuvered better. This became a challenge for Dad. He worked all winter and came up with what was to be known as the "Fifth-wheel". He built 3 complete wagons with his new fifth-wheel design and his brother used them with great satisfaction. A Mr. Baumink a lumberman in Sullivan County saw the wagons and asked Dad to build log hauling trailers for his use in the woods which he did. "

"Meantime Freuhauf of Sunbury offered to buy Dad's patient rights to the fifth wheel design. Thy offered to pay a royalty or he could have $500.00 cash. He chose the cash offer and sold the rights to them. The rest is history every tractor trailer in the country uses the fifth-wheel with very little change from the farm wagons original design. "