Historical Society agrees to buy former Fred Machesney plane in first meeting
ROCKFORD — Barry Paye started with a vision to restore the Huskie Barrel to its former glory.
The 16-foot tall barrel-shaped drive-thru root beer stand that once served customers at the Machesney Airport has been out of commission for decades. Paye thought rebuilding it would offer a perfect location for Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts and other youth groups to hold fundraisers.
“That started getting some community interest and I realized this is much bigger than just fixing up a root beer barrel,” Paye said. “There seems to be an awful lot of people who have a like-minded interest in restoring the barrel and saving Machesney Park’s history in one way, shape or another.”…