Oroville, CA — A mechanic can fix your car but, what if you own an antique horse-drawn wagon?
Well for that, you'll need a wheelwright, and there is only one of those in Northern California.
Just outside the Oroville city limits lies one of the last remaining wagon repair shops, run by Loren and Shellie Marcus.
"We don't advertise because right now we can't keep up with it," says Loren.
The husband-wife team built their business on love.
"I got tired of paying him to fix up my wagon, so I decided it would be cheaper to marry him," Shellie joked.
Old wagons meet new tools in Lauren and Shellie's shop, but vintage traditions die hard. A mix of fire and hand tools help expand hot iron over worn-out wagon wheels. Add a little water and the metal shrinks to a sturdy fit.
Stage coaches, orchard carts, buggies and carriages, you name it, the Marcus' have probably restored or worked on it.
"We can restore a stage coach in about 11 months," says Loren.
There is no such thing as a vintage wagon parts store so, the Marcus' seek out and rescue what's left of old wagons. They have a large parts collection on their ranch in Oroville. Wagon repair takes time and it takes a special person to want to own one. You won't get rich repairing wagons, but that's not the point for the Shellie and Loren.
"There is a certain romance to it. Every wagon I repair has a story to tell," Loren said. It's those stories that the Marcuses hope will live on throughout history.
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