The Polk Township Historical Society got all fired up on Saturday when President Norman Burger lit the first fire in the newly renovated Jonas bake oven. Its blaze was symbolic of how a small spark inflamed dedication and determination to preserve a bit of Polk Township's history.

Linda Snyder is a direct descendant of Jonas Snyder, the original owner of the Jonas Hotel. The bake oven was built in the 1790s. A few years ago, when Snyder learned the owners of the oven planned to tear it down, she and the historical society, were ignited to work diligently to acquire it for preservation. It was moved from the Jonas Hotel to the West End Fairgrounds, its new permanent home, in 2010.Since then, the oven has undergone a complete restoration beginning with the building of a permanent structure to house it, replacement of its two chimneys and finally the repair of the baking chamber and installation of the cast-iron oven doors.Many thanks are given to all those who helped make it possible.The oven, just outside the fair museum building, will be open to tours during the West End Fair, Aug. 24-30. The Polk Township Historical Society hopes everyone attending the fair will stop by to help them celebrate the completion of the oven's restoration.