The DeCubellis ox cart. The yoke of oxen is driven by Pierre (Peter) DeCubellis.
Identified in the picture are Mr. DeCubellis' brother, Janvier (January), in the back of the wagon, and Lillian Nora Clark seated in the wagon.
Others are Nell Rothera, Lou Paulson, John Parkes (with the vest and tie), Warren Kilborn, and Tony Peshta.
The matched oxen are Creaco and Caruso. The scene is in front of the Pasco Building. One caption describes this as “a familiar scene
on the streets of New Port Richey,” and dates the photo to about 1925 or 1926. However, a
short Associated Press article which appeared in an Illinois newspaper on Jan. 28, 1934,
read:
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla.—(AP)—Necks were craned and merchants forgot their wares the other day at sight of two big oxen yoked to a farm wagon and slowly plodding through heavy motor traffic on the town's main street. In a 1997 newspaper interview, Albert DeCubellis, a son of Peter, recalled that the railroad depot was a popular general supply store for farmers like Peter. “They’d go once a month to pick up supplies at the railway station, like flour beans, lard, tobacco, and seeds,” he said. The article said that Albert recalled riding in the wagon into town once a month with his dad. “We got up at 5 a.m. It would take about 1½ to 2 hours to get into town, depending on the mood of the ox.” He said his father like to ride with oxen because he used them in Quebec and knew they were stronger than horses. He also could not afford a car. |