HOT PURSUIT

What has become known as an iconic symbol of the Owatonna American Legion is back in operation and flashing its charm just as it had for about 90 years previously.

The Hack is back to showcasing the American Legion Post 77. A hack, you may ask with a sense of skepticism and wonderment. Exactly what I asked and thought: What the heck is a hack?

Legion Commander Todd Schwanke said the Hack is a 1914 Model T truck frame with an old stagecoach mounted on top of it. He said The Hack derives its name from hackney, a smaller, lighter and less expensive stagecoach primarily used for short-distance travel. Hacks were known as the horse-drawn precursor to modern taxis and shuttle buses.

The vehicle dates to around 1920 when Post 77 decided it wanted something unique and charming to bring to area parades. Then-commander Mark Alexander, along with a committee of Owen Gierhart, Vern Denny and Bill Rushe, conceived the concept of mounting an old horse-drawn hack body on a Model T Ford chassis. The body for the hack was obtained from the Jefferson and Twiford Livery Stable.

It's unknown when the Hack was built, but locals believe it was likely in the early 1900s. Frank Sparber was the last to drive the Hack with a team of black ponies. He met all passenger trains at the three local depots and shuttled passengers to and from the Owatonna Hotel. Sometime after World War I, the Hack was replaced with a taxi.

The Legion purchased a 1919 Model T Roadster from Ben Sorenson. Eventually, a 1927 Model T engine with only 300 miles was installed. For nearly a century, the Hack had become beloved not only locally, but also statewide and nationally. It appeared in the national convention parade held in Minneapolis in 1959. It made a trip across the country to Laughlin, Nevada in 1987 for Laughlin River Days parade.

The Hack was taken out of service about 10 years ago and stored in a machine shed in Pratt, according to Schwanke.

When he took over as commander of the Legion four years ago, Schwanke discovered what Legion members and others really wanted. “All I heard was that we need to get the Hack running again,” he said. “It became my responsibility to get it fixed. I asked around and nobody wanted to touch it.”

But that was until Schwanke came across Ken Gleason of Owatonna. His father used to own an auto mechanic shop in town, and Ken still has a “bunch of old car parts,” Schwanke said. Gleason took on the Hack as one of his fix-it adventures.

“He enjoys tinkering with stuff like that,” Schwanke said of Gleason, who donated his labor for the project. Schwanke added Kevin Christie covered the cost of the parts.

Gleason even provided Legion members with driver’s training and some care and maintenance tips to keep the Hack going.

Schwanke noted others helped Gleason get the Hack operating again, including Dick Watnick, Don Matejcek, Monte Mowry and Sweet Towing.

After a 10-year hiatus from the public, the Hack was back at this year’s Memorial Day parade in Owatonna with Schwanke and Levi Hanson operating it. Schwanke said the Hack will be at Downtown Thursdays this summer, Blooming Prairie’s Fourth of July parade and other community events.

“It was quite a feeling of accomplishment to get it up and running again,” Schwanke said. “It’s a great way to honor our veterans. It’s a sense of pride for the Legion.”

Schwanke is confident the Hack is the only one of its kind in the entire country.

Legion members hope folks will go in hot pursuit of keeping an eye out this summer for the Legion’s pride and joy, the Hack.