 Oldest Operating Automobile Built in America Likely the First Automobile Built in Michigan 
1910 Otto
Model T
'C' Cab Delivery Van
1910 Brush
Model D
Car was fitted with coil springs at all four corners and
wooden axles and wooden frame..
1905 Cadillac Model E
Cadillac pioneered the interchangeability of parts
prior to the Ford Assembly Line
1929 Ford
Model A Roadster
This particular vehicle was purchased in 1929
by Frank Hartmaier. He drove this car his entire life.
(Over 400,000 miles)
Upon Frank's death, it was willed to the museum and arrived in 2008
1927 Ford Model T
Runabout Pickup
1930 Du Pont
Model G
1948 Tucker
1964 Land Rover
Model 109 Dormobile
These were camper conversions.
 
1929 Stearns-Knight Model 6-S
These vehicles were 5 X the cost of a Ford Model T
1914 Stearns-Knight
Model SK6
Used Sleeve Valve Engine
  
1948 Tucker
   
These were prefabricated, delivered on a flatbed,
and arrived ready to start business, dishes and all
This diner served 10 people total
 
We sat on the bus that Forrest Gump
waved goodbye to his beloved Jenny
(Tom Hanks was not present today)
 
1912 White Truck
This is the oldest running motor coach
in the world. It has flame lit headlights,
solid rubber tires and a hand
crank for starting.
1951 Checker
(Same company as the Taxi Cab)
1929 Yellow Coach
 
1927 Fageol
2500 were built, and only 5 are known to still exist
    Trailways to stay competitive made buses with full services found only on airlines. This driver and hostess worked together, later married and finish their career working the same bus together 
Yep...that is Herbie, The Love Bug
Walt Disney had 11 of these built to shoot the movie.
This is car #10. Only 3 are known to still exist today.
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Thursday, June 30, 2016
Hershey PA 6/30/2106- Day Two
On our last day in Hershey PA we went to the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum. Their collection is impressive and while we have been to several automobile museum, this one has many things we have never seen, including the Benton Harbor, Tucker and several old buses. The variety in the museum is extensive and besides the types of vehicles shown below also included scooters, electrics bicycles vehicle accessories and ornaments. The museum contained a lot of information. We have tried to show the make of the vehicles shown to allow the reader to research further if they are interested to do so. We leave in the morning for West Point NY.
Hershey PA 6/29/2106- Day One
In Hershey PA we set out for three separate destinations. First we went to the Hershey Gardens. The Hershey Gardens were first opened as a 3 1/2 acre rose garden in 1937 by Milton Hershey. By 1942 it had become a 23 acre botanical garden. In addition to 5000 rose brushes on the property we really enjoyed all of the unusual mature trees. A special highlight for us, however, was the Butterfly Conservatory. The Conservatory grand opening was scheduled to be on the day we were going to leave Hershey. What a pleasant surprise we were in for to find that we could have a first peek at the butterflies, prior to the Grand Opening. What a lovely way to start our day.
Our second destination was to 'The Hershey Story', which is a museum for Hershey the man and also the company. While the Hershey story is interesting, we felt that the museum could have been laid out a bit better. That said, we still came away with knowing a whole lot more about Milton Hershey.
Upon finishing the 4th grade, Milton Hershey's parents decided he had gotten enough of an education and needed to become employed learning a trade. He began employment as an apprentice printer, but was soon fired. His mother helped him get an apprentice job with the candy maker Joseph Royer. At just 19 years old, Hershey parted ways with Royer believing he could go it alone. But alone was difficult and full of numerous failures over a period of almost 20 years. Finally he was successful in starting and running the Lancaster Caramel Company. Hershey, however, became fascinated with the Milk Chocolate industry. Milk Chocolate in the late 1800's was prohibitively expensive for the average person. Hershey was determined that he could bring Milk Chocolate to people at an affordable price and he sold his caramel company to set out and do that very thing.
The museum covers the development of his company and the automation that he incorporated. As interesting as this is, his vision was so much more than just chocolate. Hershey developed an entire town with recreation, culture and a sports arena too. It was a tight knit community and he succeeded in manufacturing by openly soliciting ideas from his manufacturing workers.
Milton and his wife Catherine were never able to have children. When his wife died in 1915, Milton donated his entire fortune to that date, 60 million, to a trust that would run the Milton Hershey school which is a 4000 acre school for children from disrupted homes (kindergarten-12th grade). Today the school owns 40% of the stock of Hershey Foods and controls 75% of the company voting shares. Hershey had donated, throughout his life, most of what he owned to the town and community. When he died in 1945 the sale of his personal possessions brought a mere $20,000. His chocolate factory remains the largest in the world and its profits continue to make positive impacts in the Hershey community and elsewhere.
Our last excursion was to the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum. Because we took so many pictures there we will follow with a day two post of Hershey, PA.
Note that we took a skip on the 'Hershey's Chocolate Factory Tour' ,a fake factory tour, that seems more geared for one's grand kids. Truth be told, Bob was concerned he would never be able to get the Willy Wonka style singing cows out of his head. To fully understand this concern of Bob's head to this link: Hershey Chocolate Factory Tour
Our second destination was to 'The Hershey Story', which is a museum for Hershey the man and also the company. While the Hershey story is interesting, we felt that the museum could have been laid out a bit better. That said, we still came away with knowing a whole lot more about Milton Hershey.
Upon finishing the 4th grade, Milton Hershey's parents decided he had gotten enough of an education and needed to become employed learning a trade. He began employment as an apprentice printer, but was soon fired. His mother helped him get an apprentice job with the candy maker Joseph Royer. At just 19 years old, Hershey parted ways with Royer believing he could go it alone. But alone was difficult and full of numerous failures over a period of almost 20 years. Finally he was successful in starting and running the Lancaster Caramel Company. Hershey, however, became fascinated with the Milk Chocolate industry. Milk Chocolate in the late 1800's was prohibitively expensive for the average person. Hershey was determined that he could bring Milk Chocolate to people at an affordable price and he sold his caramel company to set out and do that very thing.
The museum covers the development of his company and the automation that he incorporated. As interesting as this is, his vision was so much more than just chocolate. Hershey developed an entire town with recreation, culture and a sports arena too. It was a tight knit community and he succeeded in manufacturing by openly soliciting ideas from his manufacturing workers.
Milton and his wife Catherine were never able to have children. When his wife died in 1915, Milton donated his entire fortune to that date, 60 million, to a trust that would run the Milton Hershey school which is a 4000 acre school for children from disrupted homes (kindergarten-12th grade). Today the school owns 40% of the stock of Hershey Foods and controls 75% of the company voting shares. Hershey had donated, throughout his life, most of what he owned to the town and community. When he died in 1945 the sale of his personal possessions brought a mere $20,000. His chocolate factory remains the largest in the world and its profits continue to make positive impacts in the Hershey community and elsewhere.
Our last excursion was to the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum. Because we took so many pictures there we will follow with a day two post of Hershey, PA.
Note that we took a skip on the 'Hershey's Chocolate Factory Tour' ,a fake factory tour, that seems more geared for one's grand kids. Truth be told, Bob was concerned he would never be able to get the Willy Wonka style singing cows out of his head. To fully understand this concern of Bob's head to this link: Hershey Chocolate Factory Tour
    
Hershey Gardens
  Hershey Gardens      |
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Monticello VA 6/27/2016
At Monticello, we took the behind the scenes tour which in addition to the first floor regular tour, includes floors 2 and 3 also. Our impression is, if you are going to come here, there is so much more to see on the behind the scenes tour and you should just bite the bullet and do it to. We squeaked into booking the behind the scenes tour a few days in advance, but we could only get into their last tour of the day, for our last day that we planned to be in the area. It was hard to find information on just how much more time was needed to view the grounds. We planned for 4 hours total and our recommendation is if you do the behind the scenes tour you should plan at least 5 hours and possibly 6 hours total to see all that is there. In our four hours, however, we did get on the outside Slave tour, and we also took the Garden tour prior to us going into the house on our behind the scenes tour. The grounds were closed after we finished our house tour. Best we can figure we missed a leisurely stroll around the plantation ,a full view of the basement where the kitchen, cellar etc duties took place, the museum, including the 15 min video, and the gift shop. That said, prior research and four hours of very full touring, well came away feeling like we really took in a lot.
Monticello we have all grown up seeing (some realize and some do not) as it pictured on the back of our US nickle and also on the back of most $2 bills. The Monticello Plantation was owned and designed by Thomas Jefferson and was a 40 year project for him. At one point Thomas Jefferson had a total of 26 family members living in the home with him as well as around 200 slaves living along Mulberry Row which is located on the 5000 acres of the plantation property. Approximately 175 of his slaves were acquired through inheritance and over the course of his life he would have over 600 different slaves, most from natural increase of his enslaved families. Thomas Jefferson was quoted as saying in references to his slaves: "I consider a woman that brings a child every two years 2 years as more profitable than the best man of the farm for what she produces is in addition to the capital while his labors disappear in mere consumption". Originally his slaves were housed in dormitories and eventually he built small slave houses which it is believed was done to encourage the population increase of his slaves. While he was not known to sell a lot of his slaves, he has said to have gifted them to people as wedding gifts and such. Jefferson's relationship with slavery is certainly riddled with contradictions. While his despicable actions as it pertains to slaves- his ownership of slaves and no he was not known to be a 'better' slave owner (if there is such a thing) -makes it difficult to accept him as a 'Founding Father' ironically it is his eloquent words-"All men are created equal" that seem to have given this country the fortitude to work towards ending this injustice (intended or not).
Wow the things we learned. I know I can not cover it all but it is fascinating for sure. Slaves had 3 major fears- beatings, separation and death. We were surprised to learn that death was not what they feared the most, but rather separation from their family members was unbearable. For such an educated man as Thomas Jefferson, we were amazed that he never seemed to understand the emotional ties that the slaves had, probably because he only saw them only as capital. Many slaves were quoted as seeing themselves as having 2 lives. The first life took place from can't see to can't see and their second life happened during those hours they escaped later with their family. From what we were told, Jefferson just never got this, especially because he could have used it to his advantage. Slaves would run to find family members, more than any other reason and from what we heard, he remained clueless as to why they would take off.
Slaves ages 10-16- Girls went to the fabric making mills, boys to the joinery or to the black smith shop. If girls shined they might be promoted to work in the house or to train younger slaves on the looms. Boys if they succeeded might train other young slaves in blacksmithing or joinery. All that 'failed' during these six years got sent to the fields to work.
A tangled web of relatives! Like wow. After Jefferson's wife died in 1782 he is said (supported now by DNA evidence) to have taken up relations with Sally Hemmings who was an inherited slave, very much his junior, who later bore at least 6 of his children. But she was not just any slave. She was the half sister to his deceased wife! Yes, his deceased wife's father bore her from another slave Elizabeth Hemmings and Thomas got Sally as inheritance (along with Elizabeth of course). All the children Sally bore were said to pass as white and are believed, by most historians, to be fathered by Thomas. I plan to read more on this relationship which is said to be like a common law marriage, but of course could not be seen a such at that time. Jefferson is said to have set free all his children (from Sally) in his will but not Sally, as she would be difficult to justify. His daughter from his marriage, however, is said to have given Sally 'time served', something that only designated that an owner would not pursue her further. His children on the other hand were all highly skilled and that enabled him to request their freedom in VA.
Today there is an ongoing opposition by the 'Jefferson' family descendants to acknowledge the Hemming Family connection and to disallow any Hemming family members from being buried at Monticello. Jefferson descendants, after the DNA evidence came out have now begun to argue that Sally's children had to be from Thomas's brother. But the oral histories passed down over the years just do not support that. From what we were told, every year they take a vote regarding if Hemmings can be buried at Monticello and there is sadly still strong opposition concerning the Hemmings descendants.
The architecture of the home, on another note, especially inside is stunning and includes 12 skylights, something not yet seen in the United States when they were included. Also included in the home is a beautiful large dome. Incorporating this dome into this existing home was no easy task. (Jefferson completely remodeled the house) Chris Kern has written a short essay on this subject worth reading. Chris Kern Essay The home was designed in a way that from the exterior hides that the home is three stories tall and also includes a full basement. Jefferson felt that stairs were a waste of floor space and the two staircases are only 2 feet wide, very steep (9 inch rise) and tucked away where they will not be seen. Thomas Jefferson designed and redesigned this home over the course of 40 years. Within the home are many unusual additions, too many to list them all. Double doors were designed to both open at once with the pull of one handle. The entry clock was run by the weight of cannon balls, and the height of the cannon balls indicated what day of the week it was, inscribed on the wall (note this is not linear). This last one, he made a calculation error in that he had to cut a hole in the floor in order to be able to pick up the last day of the week which was shown in the basement below. Most rooms had alcove beds and so many of the rooms had huge windows and skylights and were constructed on an octagonal shape. Pictures are not allowed to be taken within the home, however, a few interior pictures can be seen at the following link:Monticello Interior Jefferson is said to have taken great pains to minimize the vision of slave presence. Mulberry Row was not easily seen from the home windows. Additionally, the dining area had a revolving door with shelves to place all the food on. This enabled feeding this large household with only 2 slaves visible.
The Jefferson home is full of innovations of the day. He had a contraption that wrote a copy of his notes as he was writing. He had the revolving service door Service Door, a revolving reading stand, spherical sundial, and a wheel cipher for decoding messages. Probably most interesting, however, is how he handled various architectural challenges as they presented in his remodel of his home.
At his death, Jefferson was hugely in debt. Monticello, all the furnishings and all of the slaves went on the auction block. It is said that the home by then was in huge need of repair. Eventually Monticello was purchase by a huge admirer of Jefferson-Commodore Levy. It is said that much credit goes to the Commodore that Monticello was saved from ruin. In 1923, Levy sold the property to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. Today, the home is furnished with about 60% of the original furnishings.
Monticello we have all grown up seeing (some realize and some do not) as it pictured on the back of our US nickle and also on the back of most $2 bills. The Monticello Plantation was owned and designed by Thomas Jefferson and was a 40 year project for him. At one point Thomas Jefferson had a total of 26 family members living in the home with him as well as around 200 slaves living along Mulberry Row which is located on the 5000 acres of the plantation property. Approximately 175 of his slaves were acquired through inheritance and over the course of his life he would have over 600 different slaves, most from natural increase of his enslaved families. Thomas Jefferson was quoted as saying in references to his slaves: "I consider a woman that brings a child every two years 2 years as more profitable than the best man of the farm for what she produces is in addition to the capital while his labors disappear in mere consumption". Originally his slaves were housed in dormitories and eventually he built small slave houses which it is believed was done to encourage the population increase of his slaves. While he was not known to sell a lot of his slaves, he has said to have gifted them to people as wedding gifts and such. Jefferson's relationship with slavery is certainly riddled with contradictions. While his despicable actions as it pertains to slaves- his ownership of slaves and no he was not known to be a 'better' slave owner (if there is such a thing) -makes it difficult to accept him as a 'Founding Father' ironically it is his eloquent words-"All men are created equal" that seem to have given this country the fortitude to work towards ending this injustice (intended or not).
Wow the things we learned. I know I can not cover it all but it is fascinating for sure. Slaves had 3 major fears- beatings, separation and death. We were surprised to learn that death was not what they feared the most, but rather separation from their family members was unbearable. For such an educated man as Thomas Jefferson, we were amazed that he never seemed to understand the emotional ties that the slaves had, probably because he only saw them only as capital. Many slaves were quoted as seeing themselves as having 2 lives. The first life took place from can't see to can't see and their second life happened during those hours they escaped later with their family. From what we were told, Jefferson just never got this, especially because he could have used it to his advantage. Slaves would run to find family members, more than any other reason and from what we heard, he remained clueless as to why they would take off.
Slaves ages 10-16- Girls went to the fabric making mills, boys to the joinery or to the black smith shop. If girls shined they might be promoted to work in the house or to train younger slaves on the looms. Boys if they succeeded might train other young slaves in blacksmithing or joinery. All that 'failed' during these six years got sent to the fields to work.
A tangled web of relatives! Like wow. After Jefferson's wife died in 1782 he is said (supported now by DNA evidence) to have taken up relations with Sally Hemmings who was an inherited slave, very much his junior, who later bore at least 6 of his children. But she was not just any slave. She was the half sister to his deceased wife! Yes, his deceased wife's father bore her from another slave Elizabeth Hemmings and Thomas got Sally as inheritance (along with Elizabeth of course). All the children Sally bore were said to pass as white and are believed, by most historians, to be fathered by Thomas. I plan to read more on this relationship which is said to be like a common law marriage, but of course could not be seen a such at that time. Jefferson is said to have set free all his children (from Sally) in his will but not Sally, as she would be difficult to justify. His daughter from his marriage, however, is said to have given Sally 'time served', something that only designated that an owner would not pursue her further. His children on the other hand were all highly skilled and that enabled him to request their freedom in VA.
Today there is an ongoing opposition by the 'Jefferson' family descendants to acknowledge the Hemming Family connection and to disallow any Hemming family members from being buried at Monticello. Jefferson descendants, after the DNA evidence came out have now begun to argue that Sally's children had to be from Thomas's brother. But the oral histories passed down over the years just do not support that. From what we were told, every year they take a vote regarding if Hemmings can be buried at Monticello and there is sadly still strong opposition concerning the Hemmings descendants.
The architecture of the home, on another note, especially inside is stunning and includes 12 skylights, something not yet seen in the United States when they were included. Also included in the home is a beautiful large dome. Incorporating this dome into this existing home was no easy task. (Jefferson completely remodeled the house) Chris Kern has written a short essay on this subject worth reading. Chris Kern Essay The home was designed in a way that from the exterior hides that the home is three stories tall and also includes a full basement. Jefferson felt that stairs were a waste of floor space and the two staircases are only 2 feet wide, very steep (9 inch rise) and tucked away where they will not be seen. Thomas Jefferson designed and redesigned this home over the course of 40 years. Within the home are many unusual additions, too many to list them all. Double doors were designed to both open at once with the pull of one handle. The entry clock was run by the weight of cannon balls, and the height of the cannon balls indicated what day of the week it was, inscribed on the wall (note this is not linear). This last one, he made a calculation error in that he had to cut a hole in the floor in order to be able to pick up the last day of the week which was shown in the basement below. Most rooms had alcove beds and so many of the rooms had huge windows and skylights and were constructed on an octagonal shape. Pictures are not allowed to be taken within the home, however, a few interior pictures can be seen at the following link:Monticello Interior Jefferson is said to have taken great pains to minimize the vision of slave presence. Mulberry Row was not easily seen from the home windows. Additionally, the dining area had a revolving door with shelves to place all the food on. This enabled feeding this large household with only 2 slaves visible.
The Jefferson home is full of innovations of the day. He had a contraption that wrote a copy of his notes as he was writing. He had the revolving service door Service Door, a revolving reading stand, spherical sundial, and a wheel cipher for decoding messages. Probably most interesting, however, is how he handled various architectural challenges as they presented in his remodel of his home.
At his death, Jefferson was hugely in debt. Monticello, all the furnishings and all of the slaves went on the auction block. It is said that the home by then was in huge need of repair. Eventually Monticello was purchase by a huge admirer of Jefferson-Commodore Levy. It is said that much credit goes to the Commodore that Monticello was saved from ruin. In 1923, Levy sold the property to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. Today, the home is furnished with about 60% of the original furnishings.
 From this picture it is hard to realize that the house is 3 stories plus a basement.   and Countryside  Like beats trying to keep them fresh      |
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