The legend is true. Calvin West's junkyard in Limestone. The junkyard was physically located just east of Loring Air Force Base. My house is less than 15 miles away. He had about 5,000 cars, most of which were accumulated in the 50s and 60s. He was crazy. Insane crazy. And he liked to mess with your head. You'd ask him about a bumper and he'd say $2,000. He just wanted to tease and argue... by the time you got done you'd end up paying no more than you would anywhere else. Calvin died in the late 80s and his sister (equally as crazy) struck a deal with two guys from out of state.... Jack was one of the guy's names, I don't remember the other. Jack McLean maybe? I almost think Jack is still wheeling and dealing but somewhere in the southwest. In any case, she sold them the contents of the junkyard for an undisclosed amount and she gave them X number of months to make a balloon payment of sorts. They set up an old house trailer right by the road and used it for an office. In the summer of 1990 I owned a 1949 Oldsmobile so I went there more than once; I did get a sun visor for $50. That whole summer it was a common sight to see a transport truck full of 40s and 50s cars heading south. I have no idea how many got hauled out of there intact, or at least "as found". I walked part of the yard but it was overwhelming. If I had a few thousand in my pocket I would have walked seriously but being broke, I was just tormenting myself. I do know that it reached a point where they had cherry picked the best and the rest got crushed. I went by there in the late 90s or so and there was little evidence of there ever being a junkyard there. When I get back to the office I'll post a couple aerial photos, from 1980 and again from 1991 or 1992.... you'll see the legend is true.
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