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1960 photo of six International trucks belonging to the four Smithson brothers.
1950s
46th Street, Rimbey, Alberta, Canada


Credits:
Ken Smithson

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The above photo shows the Smithson brothers' fleet of International trucks, loaded with 45,000 feet of lumber. The trucks, from left to right: Ted's truck; Lloyd's and Ronnie's; another truck owned by Ted; the Mogul, jointly owned by all four brothers; Ken's 1956 S160; and Ted's half-ton. On top of the Mogul load are Ted's sons, George and Phil Smithson. Judy Smithson, Ken's daughter, stands on The Mogul's fender. The three drivers standing in front of the half-ton are, from left to right, Red Pillsbury, Evert Kruse, and Lloyd Smithson.

Eventually, the trucking industry changed, forcing out owners of smaller trucks. Ken had a choice: either buy a new tandem at a cost he could ill afford, or leave trucking altogether. In 1968 Ken sold his current truck and went to work for the County of Ponoka, driving a cat in road construction.