One of Newton Chapman Jr.’s, 71, most prized historical possessions is about the size of a penny, but worth so much to a man known by many as Onaway’s local historian.

Several years ago, Chapman was a few blocks from his home with his metal detector, when he found an employee’s badge from the former American Wood Rim (AWR) Co. It belonged to employee No. 994. Chapman said it was an early version of a time clock or card. Workers would check in with a clerk before starting the workday.

“A lady sat in the little booth and wrote their numbers down,” said Chapman. “They called it a time keeper’s shack.” If anyone would know who employee No. 994 was, it would be Chapman. In fact, even though the plant was destroyed in a fire Jan. 14, 1926 he still looked into it and ultimately had to settle on the idea that any employee list probably went up in smoke.

Chapman has to be considered the foremost authority on the plant with an extensive collection of photographs and books about the facility. Chapman even knows the person who coined the famous Onaway expression “Onaway steers the world.” Marshal Wilkshire came up with it as a part of a local contest, said Chapman. The company was the world’s largest producer of steering wheels and bike rims, and when the plant burned, so did the livelihood of many residents. It’s also a big reason why some families are here today.

It remains a major historic event in the town’s history, and Chapman, with the help of his wife Pat, continue to try and preserve its memory. He’s excited about the prospect of having the Masonic Temple, the former AWR offices, become the new home of the Onaway Historical Museum. He said there are so many more artifacts that could be put on display than space allows at the courthouse.

He also would like to see walking paths with historical markers behind the Masonic Temple so people can access foundations and structures left behind after the fire.

Chapman’s knowledge of the area doesn’t end with the former plant. He has many photos of downtown Onaway, area schools, and businesses. Pat has arranged the photos on pages waiting for Nute to write narratives that time hasn’t allowed him to write.

One of the photos is of the Chandler Hotel, which was located along the third baseline of Maxon Field. If someone has a historical question about the area, Chapman is the person most turn to, and if he doesn’t know the answer, he’ll try and find it.

WEDNESDAY, HIS younger brother Chad came over to his home with a knife he was interesting in buying from a local resident, and thought it had some value. “I brought it to Nute because he knows where to look on the Internet and to see what it’s worth,” said Chad. “I buy and sell stuff on the Internet all the time, and then the local history I collect,” said Nute.

A lot of Nute’s interest in the local history came from his dad. “I traveled with my dad, Newton Chapman Sr.,” said Chapman. “He was born on North Allis Highway. He would have been 100 years old today,” said Nute, Wednesday afternoon. “We invested in a metal detector,” he said. “I started working these old lumber camps. In order to do that, you had to talk to people who knew where they were.”

While Nute adds artifacts to his collection and stores stories in his head, Pat preserves family history. She has a shelf of genealogy information and “50 photo albums of our life,” said Nute.

Nute worked for the United States Post Office for 32 years, the UAW Center as a guard for 29, and also served three years in Korea with the United States Army. Nute and Pat supplement their income by selling items on the Internet. He said it can take 14 garage/yard sales before something of value is purchased. He sells enough in a year to pay the winter heating bill. He said it’s been a “lifetime of foraging.” That includes getting the fruits of the earth, which are canned and stored at their home on School Street.

IN 2011, Nute and the Chapman family were involved in a community project, helping replace the misspelled plaque at the courthouse memorial. He’s also working with Tom Moran to get the courthouse canon restored before this year’s Memorial Day commemoration. Moran currently has it at his facility.

He also would be open to becoming a future presenter of the “First Tuesday” program, which is sponsored by the Onaway Friends of the Library. “If they have an open date with my school pictures, and school history, I could just answer questions,” said Nute. Per his research, he’s been able to identify 75 country schools that once existed in Presque Isle and Cheboygan counties. “And he has a map,” said Pat.

“There are not many living people that have any more knowledge of Onaway history than Nute has,” said Onaway mayor Gary Wregglesworth. “He’s an extreme supporter of Onaway. He believes in the town.” Nute wrote historical articles for the Onaway Outlook for many years, as did his father. Now, he’s reaching out to his family.

“I would like some of the stuff I have preserved in some way, with the technology we have today,” said Nute. “They should be able to scan it into a computer.” Nute and Pat have five children and all but one live in the area. They have 16 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren and they enjoy getting out to nearly every local sporting event. Nute and Pat have been married for 49 years.