Luray Caverns Virginia - It's Not Just About the Caverns (3)

...continuing with our fall 2024 tour of the non-cavern attractions at Luray Caverns Virginia.  For those of you that aren't particularly interested in automobiles, the good news is that the post after this one will involve a non-automotive attraction at the Caverns.

This is a 1911 Hupmobile Roadster.  It has a bit of an unusual body design and it certainly has a 'sporty' look, especially for 1911.  It was manufactured by the Hupp Motor Car Company in Detroit Michigan.  With its upscale upholstery and it's 'look' it was the antique version of an 1960's MG sportscar.  It was promoted at the 'little car built better than the big ones.  It weighed 1,100 lbs., it had a 4-cylinder motor that developed 20 HP.

Hupmobile was a line of autos that were built between 1909 and 1939.  Like sports teams today, players frequently changed teams...or companies.  Bobby Hupp co-founded the Hupp Motor Car Company with Charles Hastings...who came from Oldsmobile.  Another key executive was Emil Nelson who had previously worked for both Oldsmobile and Packard.  Even after Bobby Hupp left the company, it was a strong competitor against Ford and Chevrolet.  By 1928, Hupp Motor Car Company's sales had reached over 65,000 units.  In the mid-1920s the company decided to build larger, more expensive autos.  In going for the higher-end market, Hupp forgot their established clientele.  The diversification meant that production of the many models became cost prohibitive as there weren't enough sales to support the variety offered.

This 'old-fashioned' looking auto is a Metz 1912 Roadster and it's another brass era automobile.  It featured something called a 'friction-type drive'.  A steel disc rotating in one plane/angle drove a fiber disc at a 90 degree plane to the steel disc.  The motor turns the steel disc and the fiber disc turns the drive wheel.  Too technical for me!  This roadster does feature a 'Mother-in-Law' rumble seat in the back.  The cost of this car was $475.00.  It featured a 4-cylinder engine that produced 22.5 HP.

The Metz Company began business in 1886 making bicycle parts.  Later as the company got involved with the automobile business, Metz did offer the first known "kit automobile" on an installment plan.  The buyer would buy 14 groups of parts on an installment plan for $27.00 each.  Then the customer could be put the auto together with the plans and tools provided.  Total price came to $378.00.  A factory-assembled automobile could be purchased for $475.00.  This plan continued until the kits couldn't compete with dealer-supplied Model T Fords.  Metz also produced light trucks but shortly after World War I the company folded.

This is a 1912 Ford Humpback delivery truck.  Made in Detroit and costing $700.00, it had a 2-speed transmission, a 4-cylinder motor that produced 20 HP.  Early on the Ford Motor Company produced Model T automobiles and or motorized chassis that other companies would outfit with whatever truck body the customer needed.  Some of these bodies were scratch-built at home but most of them were sourced from a known company or builder.  With the Ford Model T being so popular, it didn't take long for Ford to diversify into light trucks...cutting out most of the companies that were building specialty bodies.

This is yet another version of a Ford Model T truck, this time serving as a milk delivery truck.  How many folks even remember home delivery milk trucks!?  When this 1914 Model T truck was refurbished for the museum, the original lettering could still be seen, making it easy to 'freshen up'.  The 4-cylinder 22.5 HP motor achieved about 20 miles for each gallon of gas.

1914 was the last year that Ford installed gas lamps/headlights on their vehicles.  It was also the first year that Ford actually fully assembled trucks on the assembly line...

Now for some more exotic automotive creations... This is a 1932 Rolls-Royce Shooting Brake and it was built in Derby England.  This special automobile originally cost $15,800 and it is equipped with a 6-cylinder motor producing 25.3 HP.  Top speed was about 50 MPH.

This vehicle's main function was to serve as a 'gentlemen's hunting wagon'.  This luxury vehicle was used to carry hunting or shooting parties along with their weapons, equipment and game.  There actually were 81 of these hand-built vehicles produced in 1932.  The coachwork by Crosbie and Dunn Ltd. of England, was constructed using Honduran and African mahogany. 

Hey!  This is an exotic vehicle too... There are different ways to define exotic!  This is a 1925 Graham Brothers "Black Maria", really a portable jail.  This 35 HP truck was rugged and simple...and it was a secure way to transport evildoers.  Love the Luray Caverns paint job!

The Graham Brothers started out producing kits to convert Ford Model Ts into trucks and to modify the newer Ford Model TT's (heavier duty) trucks.  Eventually they began building their own trucks.  From 1921 and 1929 the Graham Brothers manufactured all of the trucks for Dodge...using Dodge engines.  Actually, in 1925 Dodge purchased the Graham Brothers truck company and the Grahams were brought on board at Dodge as key executives.  As a subsidiary of Dodge, by 1926 the Graham Brothers were the largest company in the world that was dedicated to truck manufacturing.

Luckily for the reader, I'm not going to go into the history of Mercedes-Benz.  Nevertheless, this is indeed a Mercedes-Benz classic car.  This Model S Tourwagen was built Stuttgart Germany in 1928, and only 7 vehicles using this chassis were built.  The auto was designed by Ferdinand Porsche and it was built by Daimler-Benz.  This was one of the first autos built under the Mercedes-Benz name.  Costing $15,000, this was a fast car.  This beast of an auto weighed 5,511 lbs., and it was equipped with a 6-cylinder supercharged motor producing 220 HP.  It could reach speeds of 110 mph.

Cord automobiles are another luxury brand that I've expounded on previously.  This is a 1930 Cord L-29 Phaeton.  It features front wheel drive with the transmission mounted in front of the engine.  Strangely, the shift lever is mounted on the dash panel.  The motor is a water cooled Lycoming straight-8 cylinder that developed 120 HP.  It's original cost was $2,595.00

If you love automobiles or even just innovative design, a visit to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in Auburn Indiana.  Check it out at https://automobilemuseum.org/.  The website itself is chock full of great automobile photos...

I'll end this post with this 1935 Hispano-Suiza Drophead Coupe.  FYI, Hispano-Suiza refers to the original Spanish-Swiss collaboration that led to this line of automobiles.  This model was created for the 1935 Paris Auto Show.  It has a dual ignition system, an 8-cylinder motor that develops 132 HP and it cost $20,000 new.  The accent trim and other exterior appointments were made with solid brass and German silver.  The Hispano-Suiza Company had it's start in 1904 with plants in both France and Spain.  It didn't hurt the company's reputation that these autos had earned the affection of Spanish King Alfonso XIII. 

The Hispano-Suiza Automotive Company is still making automobiles today...over 120 years later.  If you have the resources, you can order a Carmen Sagrera...shown above.  There is only a 9-month waiting period before delivery.  This automobile is yet another effort to save the planet in that it is fully electric.  Developing 1,019 HP, it will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds.  Cost - $3,200,000 plus taxes.

On the other hand, you could pick up an older model for a more reasonable price.  In August 2022, a 1936 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet was purchased by someone in Monterey County California for a mere $1,050,000.

That's all for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Luray Caverns Virginia - It's Not Just about the Caverns! (2)

...continuing with our tour of the 'Non-Cavern' attractions at Luray Caverns in Virginia.  If you follow me very often, you have noticed that I'm into old and/or classic cars and trucks.  Returning to where I left off on my last blog post, this is a continuation of our perusal of classic antique vehicles at the museum.  Fortunately for me, Laurie also likes viewing old cars, trains, planes and ships.  One of her wishes is to be able to fly on either a PBY Catalina (water take off and landing please) or a D.C. 3 or it's military version, the C-47.

Now on to some strange and wonderful old cars and trucks... Some are classics and some were more utilitarian.

This is a 1903 Knox 7-passenger Touring Model.  It's one cylinder engine produced 10 HP.  An interesting feature is this vehicle's cooling system.  Called a 'porcupine' cooling system, it features studs driven into the cylinder wall to carry off the engine heat.  The Knox was advertised as the car that never drinks.  How do 7 passengers fit into this automobile?  There is a front folding seat that can be opened up that seats 2 adults.  

The Knox Automobile Company was based in Springfield Massachusetts.  The company built cars from 1900 until 1914.  They continued building trucks and farm tractors until 1924.  Knox built the first modern fire engine in 1905 as well as the first American vehicle equipped with hydraulic brakes, in 1915.

This interesting blue beauty is a 1903 Winton.  Apparently the back seat can be easily removed, allowing what appears to be a full-size touring touring car to be transformed into a sporty roadster.  The 2-cylinder water-cooled engine produces 20 HP.  In 1896 Scottish immigrant, Alexander  Winton, turned from producing bicycles to developing motor cars.  In 1898, he sold his first car, (one of if not the first car to be sold in the USA), to a customer who's seen an advertisement in "Scientific American" magazine.  

To prove his automobile's durability, Winton had one of his cars undergo an 800 mile endurance run from Cleveland to New York City.  In 1898, Winton sold 21 more vehicles, including to James Ward Packard...who later founded the Packard Automobile Company.  In 1899, the Winton Motor Carriage Company sold more than 100 autos, making the company the largest manufacturer of gasoline-powered vehicles in the USA.  The Winton Motor Carriage Company ceased automobile production in February of 1924 but the separate Winton Engine Company continued, and was purchased by General Motors in 1930.

Note: In 1903, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson made the first successful automobile 'road trip' across the USA.  Using a slightly used Winton touring car and accompanied by a mechanic, the team drove from San Francisco to Manhattan in New York City.  The trip lasted 63 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes including breakdowns and delays waiting for spare parts.  At that time there were only 150 miles of paved road in the entire country.  The 'cross country' Winton is on display at the Smithsonian Museum.

In 1909 the fall Sears Catalog included an automobile for the first time...The Sears Motor Buggy.  Sears foray into the automotive business began with the company fitting a motor on their best horse-drawn  buggy model.  It had tiller steering and high wheels for navigating the rough roads and terrain of the day and it was equipped with a 2-cylinder dual-exhaust engine that produced 14 HP.

The initial run of Sears Motor Buggies were built in 1908 by the Hercules Buggy plant in Evansville Indiana.  But by the fall of 1909, the Sears Motor Car Works began operations.  In the first year of production, the automobile was offered only as a $395.00, solid-tired runabout.  But in 1910, the company offered 5 different models of the Motor Buggy.  In fact it was the same car with different amenities, such as fenders, lights, tops, etc.

Despite praise from satisfied customers, Sears had a problem.  The car cost more to produce than the company was getting from its sales.  Production ended by 1912.  Note the photo above... I did find a Sears Motor Buggy that was sold at auction in August of 2022.  The winning bid totaled $13,850, which coincidentally is about today's dollar equivalent of the original price...

This elegant automobile was built in St. Denis France.  The Delaunay-Belleville Town Car was built in 1908.  It powered by a 6-cylinder motor that developed 20 HP.  This town car has been driven over 300,000 miles At the start of the 20th Century, this company was perhaps the most desirable French marque to be attached to your prestigious automobile.  By 1906, Emperor Nicholas II of Russia owned one.  Other royals with Delaunay-Bellville autos included King George I of Greece and King Alphonso XIII of Spain. 

All the Delaunay-Belleville vehicles were sold as a bare chassis body...and high-end specialty coach builders, in this case Kellner and Ses Fils of Paris, was responsible for the luxurious features shown above.  Note the solid mahogany coach work, the original upholstery and the leather 3-stage fenders.  

The Kellner firm also built bodywork for upscale European automobiles such as Hispano-Suiza, Rolls-Royce, Delage, Renault as well as one of the 6 Bugatti Royales ever built.

Even for 1909, this high-wheel Schacht Model K had an 'old-fashioned look.  The carriage style wheels were designed for navigating rural roads with their mud and ruts without getting bogged down.  Featuring a 2-cylinder motor, the Schacht Model K cost $650.00 back in the day.

Originally the Schacht Manufacturing Company built buggies.  But, beginning in 1904, the company built automobiles and 'high-wheelers'.  Renamed the Schacht Motor Car Company, over 9,000 cars were built between 1904 and 1913.  Automobile production ceased in 1914 and the company was rebranded as the G.A. Schacht Motor Truck Company.  The truck company continued to build trucks and fire trucks until 1938.

Backing up for a moment, time-wise, this is a 1907 International Autowagon.  As with the Autobuggy, International Harvester, a company that was formed by the merger and buy outs of other corporations, had been making farm machinery for several years.  However, as autos and trucks became more practical and accepted, like Sears had taken their best buggy and put a motor on it, that's exactly what International Harvester did with its best spring wagon.  

International Harvester also built auto buggies from 1907 through 1912.  There were both air and water cooled versions of the Autowagon.  The company continued manufacturing Autowagons until 1917.  The history of International Harvester is too confusing for me to summarize here.  To learn more about International Harvester and its progenitors, you can just go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Harvester.

This is a rare 1909 Middleby roadster.  It was actually discovered in Luray, where it had been owned by the former freight agent for the Norfolk and Western Railway.  This may be the only Middleby in existence.  With its wooden frame, large air cooling fan and original white rubber tires, it is a special auto indeed.  It was powered by a 4-cylinder motor producing 20 HP.  

The Middleby Auto Company was a 'brass era' automobile manufacturer that was based in Reading Pennsylvania.  Just looking at this car, it's obvious why it is considered to be part of the 'brass era' in American auto building.  Customers paid $850.00 to own a Middleby, about $30,000 in today's dollars.  Standard equipment included a 3 speed transmission plus reverse, 2 gas lamps, 2 side oil lamps, a rear lamp, tools and a French horn.  By 1910, the company had sold about 400 cars.  Founded in 1908, it went out of business by 1913.

This classic black touring model is a 1914 Westcott.  When it was found it only had 1,700 miles on it.  Since then it was given new tires, a new top and it's been repainted.  However the engine hasn't been touched.  The 6-cylinder 60 HP motor will cross any mountain in Virginia in high-gear without any issues.  Note that the brass era was over by 1914 and a nickel-tin finish had replaced it.

First manufactured in Richmond Indiana and later in Springfield Ohio, the Westcott Motor Car Company was in operation from 1909 until 1925.  Production reached 2,000 cars in 1917 and it peaked by 1920.  Westcotts were hand-built and the company had not adopted the cost saving production line methods used by other manufacturers.  The company collapsed due to debts owed to suppliers.  

Note: Burton Westcott was a client of architect Frank Lloyd Wright who designed a Prairie School style house for the family in Springfield Ohio in 1904.  As you can see in the photo above, the house has been refurbished and maintained over the years.  Today it is open to the public.  Go to https://www.westcotthouse.org/ to learn more.

I'll end this post with this 1910 Maxwell Roadster.  It was a very popular automobile back in its era and it was one of the 'base' autos that was involved in the creation of the Chrysler Corporation...now Stellantis North America.  This roadster was powered by a 2-cylinder motor that developed 14 HP.  Note the lack of a windshield.  Goggles were an obvious necessity!

Originally Maxwell automobiles were built in Tarrytown New York but in 1907 after a fire, the company opened a new modern automobile factory in New Castle Indiana.  The basic materials needed to build a car came in one end of the plant and finished cars came out the other end.  This plant was in use by Chrysler until 2004.  Chrysler had acquired Maxwell in 1925.  For a significant period of time, Maxwell was considered one of the 3 top automobile firms in the USA, along with GM and Ford. 

For those of us old enough to remember...and who still can remember...a decrepit old Maxwell was famous as the car that Jack Benny drove long after they were no longer built.  The running joke on his radio and TV shows was that Benny was too tight with the dollar to buy himself a new or newer used car...as long as the old one still ran.

It is worthy of note that Maxwell was one of the first automobile manufacturers that marketed specifically to women.  In 1909 the company received a lot of publicity when it sponsored Alice Huyler Ramsey, an early advocate of women drivers, as the first woman to drive coast-to-coast across the United States.  By 1914, the company had strongly aligned itself with the women's rights movement.

Sorry about being so 'wordy' but I like the research...and the learning.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Lunch – Easton Maryland

…continuing with our September 2023 road trip exploring the Delmarva Peninsula.

When I made the reservations for our stay on the west side of the peninsula, my decision was based on both location and cost.  I didn’t initially expect Easton Maryland to offer much for wandering tourists like ourselves.  After planning what I expected to be the most interesting and rewarding part of our adventure in this area, I finally went back to see just what Easton had to offer…and I was pleasantly surprised.

Easton is the county seat for Talbot County Maryland.  The town has a population of about 17,400 making it one of the larger cities on the lower Delmarva Peninsula.  The town was founded in 1710 on 2 acres of land that cost 15,000 pounds of tobacco.  After a courthouse was built, a tavern/inn followed to accommodate those who had court business.  Stores and homes followed.  The village was initially called “Talbot Court House”.

As we cruised toward the center of Easton, I spotted the town’s old Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railway depot…later served by the Pennsylvania Railroad.  There seems to be some disagreement as to when the widely flaring protective eaves was built. 

One source stated that this depot was built ca. 1920 by the Pennsylvania Railroad…but I’ll go with what the plaque on the building reads.  It states that the depot was built in 1906…during the time that Easton was served by the long gone Delaware and Chesapeake Railroad.  In any case, I was happy to find the old postcard showing the depot back during the time when trains were critically important.  Passenger service ended in 1949 and freight service was discontinued in 1953.

I’d done a bit of research and one dining option I’d zeroed in on was Doc’s Downtown Grille.  It is in the historic center of Easton.  I couldn’t find any history about the building Doc’s occupies...but...

I did discover that the building to the right of Doc's Downtown Grille dates back to 1877, when the first floor was built.  The Shannahan and Wrightson Hardware Company added a second floor in 1881 and the third floor in 1889.  It’s a good example of a Victorian style commercial building.  This was the largest hardware and farm implement store on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  Love this photo of a tractor being transported on an early flatbed truck...

Sorry, but I digress whenever my mind wanders and I find something that grabs my attention.  Back to our lunch!

The interior of Doc’s Downtown Grille was cozy and warm…and quite busy as we showed up for lunch a bit after the normal lunch hour.  The long and narrow dining area plus the large wooden bar add to the ambiance.

Bill had to have oysters as his appetizer.  It was six oysters for $10.00, not the highest price for this seafood delicacy that we encounter on our road trip.  Bill thought that they were pretty good too.

For Bill’s entrée, he chose the Fried BBQ Pork Shanks and Cheddar Grits. ($18.00) The pork shanks were tossed in a house-made BBQ sauce.  Believe it or not, this pile of food was featured on the “Small Plate” portion of the menu! 

My lunch choice was the Hot Honey Old Bay Chicken Sandwich. ($15.00) The fried chicken was tossed in the sauce and then served on a toasted potato brioche roll with lettuce and tomato.  It was sided with ranch dressing and house made chips as my side.  While it was a good sandwich, I had expected a bit more of a spicy heat ‘pop’ than it had.

Laurie and her sister, Bonnie, decided that they weren’t too hungry so they split this large Prime Rib Dip Sandwich. ($17.00) This sandwich consisted of thinly sliced slow roasted beef prime rib with caramelized onions, Swiss cheese and horseradish mayonnaise on an herbed focaccia roll.  It was accompanied with that bowl of coleslaw.  It was more than enough food for the ladies!

Both the food and the service were solid…and we did like this cozy downtown dining spot.  To learn more about Doc’s Downtown Grille, just go to Doc's Downtown Grille | Easton MD | Facebook.

As we began wandering around the center of Easton, exploring and browsing through shops, I took note of one more gastronomic find.  This is the Wardroom Bistro and Grocery.  We had just eaten so we just took a look around, drooling a bit but not really considering the possibilities.

The Wardroom is a market…with a wine shop, an in-house cheese monger, it has a charcuteries case, offers house-made pasta and gnocchi and, as you can see from the second photo above, it has a bakery...we love great bakery bread!  The Wardroom is also an Italian restaurant offering brunch, lunch and dinner. 

We missed the opportunity to eat here during our stay.  We were sidetracked by the plethora of other dining opportunities in the area.  I know what Laurie would have ordered for her evening meal at the Wardroom…the Linguine Fra Diavolo with Maine lobster, Calabrian chili, San Marzano tomatoes and basil. ($40.00) I would have been torn between the Four Cheese Ravioli ($23.00) and the Fettucine Bolognese. ($28.00)

You can check out what The Wardroom Bistro and Grocery has to offer by checking out their website at Welcome | The Wardroom | Epicurean Market in Easton, MD.

That’s it for now… The next post will be focused on history and historical structures.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

A Blast from the Past (#5): Harold Warp’s Pioneer Village

…and our visit to the Pioneer Village in Minden Nebraska continues.  So many buildings crammed with antiques and collectibles and I was getting generally tuckered out!  What didn’t Harold Warp collect for his museum?  He was focused on many items but whimsy pops up here and there as well.

By this point, I’m not 100% sure that I’m correct as regards which items were displayed in which building.  Both Laurie and I were taking photos.  Hopefully I got it right!

Where next?  This is Pioneer Village Building #15 which features antique tractors and trucks.  It is home to 100 early farm tractors and other items, including Dave Buick’s first gasoline engine.

This is a 1919 Ford Model-T Knickerbocker Forma Tractor.  This ‘make do with what you have’ tractor was invented by Walter Guilder from Ohio.  An engineer, Guilder owned an 80 acre farm that his brother worked for the family.  Walter had noticed all kinds of truck modifications of Model-T Fords, so when looking at buying a ‘real’ tractor ($1,200), he decided that if they could be made into trucks, why not a serviceable tractor.

A negative article on these types of conversions in “Gas Review Magazine” stated “You can’t make a real tractor out an automobile any easier than you can make a draft horse out of a jack rabbit”.  In 1916, Guilder signed an agreement with the Knickerbocker Motors Company in Poughkeepsie New York, to manufacture the necessary part for the conversion kit.  The idea was that farmers could ‘easily’ change over their family’s Model-T to a tractor for work on the farm over the weekend, and then change it back to take the family to church on Sunday.

These kits sold well enough that Sears, Roebuck and Company as well as Montgomery Ward and Company, (my former employer), included them in their respective catalogs.  Prices seemed to have ranged from $178 to about $300 although some other complementary devices were also offered.  They included a better engine cooling system for the autos used for this purpose.  Many conversions using similar kits were used with various auto brands throughout the 1920s and 1930s.

This eye-catching tractor is a light-weight OilPull Tractor that was made by the Advance-Rumely Thresher Company in LaPorte Indiana.  The company built these 15 to 25 HP tractors from 1924 through 1926.  They were described as ‘being adapted to lighter power requirements on the farm’ and as being ‘compact in construction.

The Advance-Rumely Company was a pioneering manufacturer of threshing machines, large tractors and other agricultural equipment.  The company was founded in 1853 with threshers as their primary product.  Later, they moved on to tractors and steam engine manufacturing.  In 1931, the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company purchased Advance-Rumley.

The collection of a mind boggling list of items continues.  This photo shows a line of antique trucks…but against the opposite wall there is a long line of lawn mowers.  What didn't Harold Warp collect?!

Now on to a couple of those early trucks…

This awkward looking vehicle is a 1908 Randolph Power Wagon.  It and other early trucks were ‘inspired’ by the introduction of an earlier ‘power wagon’ that was introduced by the Grabowsky Wagon Co., aka the Grabowsky Motor Co.  That company was founded in 1900. 

The advertising for Grabowsky’s Power Wagon claimed that it could ‘do the work of 3 or more horse-drawn wagons’.  Other companies, such as Randolph (shown above), Reo and Mack soon jumped on the bandwagon.  This particular truck was purchased by a publisher in Chicago to deliver his newspapers.  Despite this purchase, horse-drawn wagons still delivered newspapers well into the 1920s.

When William (Bill) Durant put together the General Motors Company in 1908, it was done through the purchase of existing manufacturers.  The Randolph Company was one of the companies folded into GMC.  Consequently, the Randolph Power Wagon was the first GMC truck, with the Randolph name being by the company in 1913.

With that gigantic bulbous hood, this 1913 7.5 ton Mack truck is an ungainly looking ‘beast’.  Back in the 1910s and 1920s Mack trucks were considered to be the most rugged on the road.  The company stuck with a chain drive instead of a shaft drive which other truck makers had adopted.  Mack trucks also utilized solid rubber wheels vs. the pneumatic wheels used by other manufacturers.  Trucks like this one were primarily used to deliver coal to homes and businesses in the cities.

Mack Trucks, Inc. not only build trucks but also buses and trolley buses.  The company was founded in 1900 in Brooklyn New York as the Mack Brothers Company…and eventually all 4 Mack brothers were involved in the business.  The company built its first truck in 1905.  Originally, their vehicles were called “Manhattan” trucks, etc. but in 1910 they switched to “Mack”.   Today, Mack Trucks is a subsidiary of AB Volvo...

This rather primitive looking truck was built by the Republic Motor Truck Company in 1920.  It was acquired by Harold Warp for Pioneer Village in 1954.  It had a cargo capacity of 4 tons…had a 4 speed transmission, ‘4-wheel’ brakes and a handbrake.  Its 6 cylinder motor produced 36 HP.  An ad for Republic Trucks stated that “Standard equipment includes a speedometer, ammeter, air cleaner, gasoline strainer, electric head and tail lamps, a front bumper, radiator guard, front fenders and a horn”.  What a great deal!

The Republic Motor Truck Company was based in Alma Michigan and they built commercial trucks from 1913 until 1929.  By 1918, it was the maker of 1 out of every 9 trucks on the road in the USA.  During WWI, Republic was one of the major suppliers of “Liberty trucks” used by American troops during the war.  Over 3,000 dealers served the company in the USA and there were additional Republic dealers in at least 56 foreign countries and colonies. 

At the end of WWI, Republic had an annual production capacity of 30,000 trucks a year.  The bad news was that a postwar depression plus the return of thousands of Liberty trucks to the United States, combined to bring about a major decline in demand for new trucks.  The company closed in 1929.

Laurie took this photo of an old-time threshing machine that is on display in Building #14, the Antique Farm Machinery Building.  In this case an ox is providing the power for the machine.  Most animal driven threshers were powered by horses.  Before such machines were developed, it was all about hand threshing, a very labor intense function.  About 25% of total farm labor prior to animal driven and motor driven threshing, was taken up by this activity.  The first threshing machine was invented ca. 1786 by a Scottish engineer named Andrew Meikle.

Building #14 is 265 feet long and it shows the equipment that was part of the evolution, of cultivating, seeding, harvesting and threshing crops.  This has to be a must stop for anyone who is involved in or was involved in farming. 

Building #20 has a rather inauspicious entrance.  Once again, never judge a book by its cover.  This is the Agricultural and Steam Tractor Building.  This 2-story structure contains more than 500 agricultural tools and implements…all of which contributed to America’s enormous farm economy.  The second photo is intended to give viewers an idea of the size and scope of this collection.

Important Note: Given the exhaustive collection of just about anything from America’s past, one item in the second photo deserves special note!  That would be the church pew or railway style waiting room bench in front of the faux horse.  Pioneer Village must have sewed up the market for benches like this.  They are everywhere almost every building and, for some of us, they are truly important if we have any hope of touring all or most of the village.

This is a 1917 Aultman-Taylor steam tractor.  It is the largest of the 3 sizes the company offered, producing between 30 and 60 HP depending on the application.  In 1955, it took 2.5 days for this tractor to cover the 50 miles between the farm where it came from and Pioneer Village.

The Aultman-Taylor Machinery Company of Mansfield Ohio began with the C. Aultman Co. that was founded in 1859.  The company built steam engines and threshing machines and it wasn’t until ca. 1910 that the company began building steam tractors.  The company was taken over by the Advance-Rumely Thresher Company of LaPorte Indiana in 1924

This is another Advance-Rumely Tractor.  In this case its a 1918 Advance-Rumely Oil Pull Tractor.  It is equipped with a 2 cylinder engine that developed between 20 and 40 HP.  I noted a ‘slick’ marketing advertisement posted by this tractor.  It was taken from a 1907 copy of “The Threshermen’s Review”.  The snazzy byline reads “Why are Rumely goods selling so well?  Because it pays to have them.”  Wow, how advertising has changed over the years!  The Rumely Oil Pull was a line of farm tractors developed by the company starting in 1909, which was sold from 1910 to 1930.

The Advance-Rumely Company of LaPorte Indiana was was best known for its threshing machines and big tractors.  Of interest to me was the Oil Turn line of tractors.  To start one, the farmer/operator had to step out of the cab onto that large iron rear wheel, then climb onto the flywheel and use his bodyweight to get it turning.  Then he’d have to quickly get back in the cab to adjust the choke to keep the engine turning.  Talk about dangerous and sometimes frustrating work!

Hundreds of these old steam powered tractors have been saved, rebuilt and shown at fairs and tractor shows.  Watching a 10 to 20 ton tractor belching smoke and clanking along is still possible.  Check out the National Threshing Association’s annual show in Fulton County Ohio.  The next show/exhibit will be in June of 2024.  Website: National Threshers Association, Annual Steam Traction Engine Show.

Thankfully, this building was small and touring it was easy!  This is the former Pony Express Black Hills relay station.  Originally called the “Pumpkinseed Relay Station”, it was moved to Pioneer Village from Bridgeport Nebraska.  Harold Warp only paid $100 for it.  The Pony Express route covered 1,966 miles and the riders could complete the trip in just 10 days!  The Pony Express only operated from April of 1860 until October of 1861, when it was supplanted by the completion of the coast-to-coast telegraph system.  Nebraska had 565 miles of the Pony Express’s route along with 38 relay stations.

This is a replica of a Pony Express saddle and Mochila.  It was crafted in 1961 based on the schematic for the original saddles.  The saddle itself was built to minimize weight so it wasn’t the most comfortable for the riders.  The riders themselves couldn’t weigh more than 125 pounds!  The Mochila fit over the saddle and it could quickly be transferred from horse to horse as needed.   

To emphasize just how expansive Pioneer Village is, there are 26 buildings plus a bandstand.  The Household Appliance Building shown above is one of those that we skipped because we were overwhelmed and tired.  Plus we had a significant drive ahead of us back to the family home in Omaha.

The Home Appliance Building (#24) features the evolution of washing machines, stoves, refrigerators, bathtubs, and much more.  The Valentine Diner was closed during our visit and the Steam Powered Merry-Go-Round was under repair.  But we also skipped: the Country School (#7); the China House with china, pottery, cut glass, etc. (#9); the Blacksmith Shop (#21); the Pony Express Barn (#22), and; the Horse Barn (#12).

We did visit one more building and then we discovered that there was yet another portion of the main building that we hadn’t seen.  Those last stops, plus a couple of interesting ‘collectibles’ that I’d missed in previous posts, will be included in the final edition of our family adventure.

Just click on any of the preceding photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit! 

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave