Edwin Battison (1915-2009) was a very curious 13-year old boy from a working-class family who struggled as did many others during the Great Depression. Taciturn like his Puritan ancestors, he was precocious, mentored by many talented adults, including his inventive father Albert, local factory owners and shop foremen. Especially important were two tinkering octogenarian brothers, Analdo and Ernest English, themselves sons and nephews of ever-so-clever country folks. The brothers invited Edwin into their small workshop, cluttered with their ongoing projects and machine tools, its old water wheel recently replaced by electric power. He had his own project there, making a lathe from leftover iron castings. This experience changed his life forever. If you are handy, you will readily appreciate the work of handier folks, launching an eyes-wide-open search for unique objects.