September 30, 2013

"Steam. It's how we roll...." The Stanley Brothers in Their Steamer [BUMPED AND UPDATED]

stanley_1898_lg.jpg
The 1890s prototype:

"In 1899, Freelan and his wife Flora drove one of their cars to the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire,[2] the highest peak in the northeastern United States. The ascent took more than two hours and was notable as being the first time a car had climbed the 7.6 miles (12.2km) long Mount Washington Carriage Road; the descent was accomplished by putting the engine in low gear and braking extensively.[2] The twins later sold the rights to this early design to Locomobile, and in 1902 they formed the Stanley Motor Carriage Company. -- La Wik"

"The identical twins Francis Edgar and Freelan Oscar Stanley both had teaching careers before beginning to experiment with photographic formulas for their younger sister Chansonetta, an accomplished photographer.

They perfected their emulsion, invented a plate-coating machine and formed the Stanley Dry Plate Co. in 1894. Their plates were good enough that George Eastman bought the company for a reported one millon USD in 1904. The brothers had rather wide-ranging enthusiams and dabbled in not only photographic plates but air brushes, drafting equiptment, steam engines and musical instruments. With their windfall from the Eastman sale they pursued their next interest and formed the Stanley Motor Carriage Co. to manufacture a stream-powered automobile nicknamed, appropriately enough, the Stanley Steamer. It became one of the first successful automobile companies and by 1907 they were building more than 750 cars a year." Codex 99

And it just keeps rolling along.....

UPDATED with this comment from American Digest reader Jimmy J.:

I actually met F. O. Stanley in Estes Park, Colorado in 1938. He built the Stanley Hotel (of "The Shining" fame) there in the early 1900s. My grandfather, W. E. Baldridge, was hired to do the electric wiring. After the hotel was completed, F.O. kept my grandfather in his employ to maintain the hydro-electric plant, which he built by damming Fall River just east of Horseshoe Park in Rocky Mountain National Park.

When I met him it was at his home, a stately Georgian style manor house, which was about a mile from the hotel and had a magnificent view of the Front Range. He was engaged in playing chess blindfolded. A pastime that he considered stimulating. (The man was a genius.) He had snow-white hair, a full beard, and was quite old. (I think he was 89 at the time.) He seemed very cheerful and encouraged me to "get a good education." He was also kind to my grandfather. He offered to pay for a college education for his three daughters. Only one, my Aunt Doris, took him up on it. But he paid for all her expenses through Wellesley College. At the time, in the small village of Estes Park, that seemed a very remote and grand place.

My grandfather told me many stories about Mr. Stanley and their relationship. Mr. Stanley was a large figure in my heritage. I would not have had the good fortune to be born and raised in Estes Park if my grandfather hadn't gone there to work for him.

Posted by gerardvanderleun at September 30, 2013 9:37 PM
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I liked their cough drops too, especially the black ones for "smokers cough." http://www.ebay.com/itm/1951-Ad-Smith-Brothers-Black-Cough-Drops-Nickel-Throat-Membranes-Smoking-Phlegm-/300969738169

Posted by: MOTUS at September 26, 2013 11:57 AM

Those are the Smith Bros. driving the steamer. They sat in for the Stanley Bros. for the photo because the Stanley Bros. were perfecting their arrangement of "Man of Constant Sorrow" that day.

Posted by: BillH at September 26, 2013 2:03 PM

I actually saw one of these a few years ago, going down the George Washington Parkway at about 60, not far from Reagan Airport.

Posted by: david foster at September 26, 2013 2:40 PM

I actually saw one of these a few years ago, going down the George Washington Parkway at about 60, not far from Reagan Airport.

Posted by: david foster at September 26, 2013 2:40 PM

I'm pretty sure they didn't have gears. No need. Unlimited torque.

Posted by: james wilson at September 26, 2013 3:04 PM

They also had the fastest car in the world at one time.
http://american-automobiles.com/Articles/1906-Stanley-Steam-Race-Car.html

Posted by: Ray at September 26, 2013 4:31 PM

Chansonetta?

Posted by: Rob De Witt at September 26, 2013 5:06 PM

Not an engine brake but two of the wheels were originally under mechanical brakes. Not a lot of congestion in the roads in 1898. Legend has it that in 1906 a steamer was clocked at 106 mph on Daytona Beach. Others today do 60 mph normally and can do 80.

Posted by: vanderleun at September 26, 2013 5:25 PM

Ray got the speed cite in before I saw the comment. Link's got some great pictures.

Posted by: vanderleun at September 26, 2013 5:31 PM

The Doble Steam Car was the ultimate development. I saw one at the Henry Ford Museum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doble_steam_car

What impressed me was how fast - 90 seconds - power could be generated from a steam plant.

Posted by: Mikey NTH at September 26, 2013 5:52 PM

My maternal Grandfather was employed in the welding of boiler tubes on the Steamers.

Willis Richardson, of Lowell, MA.

A former Marine, he fought in Nicaragua in the first war there.

Subsequent to his time at Steamer, he went on to be an independent welder and instructor, obtaining a Presidential Citation for his work with Kaiser Shipbuilding, having developed techniques which were key to their "1 ship a day" output.

He passed at age 82, when I was in the 6th grade.

Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX

Posted by: Jim at September 26, 2013 6:38 PM

Jim _ heckuva good story, and your grandfather helped win that war.

Love it.


PS: Is the 'New Dawn' still sunk, or have you got on your way to a new sloop? I've wondered about that over the years.

For a WWII ship still sailing go to

http://boatnerd.com/

And look up the Lee Tregurtha of the Interlake Fleet. She wears her ribbons on the bridge wings.

Posted by: Mikey NTH at September 26, 2013 8:48 PM

I actually met F. O. Stanley in Estes Park, Colorado in 1938. He built the Stanley Hotel (of "The Shining" fame) there in the early 1900s. My grandfather, W. E. Baldridge, was hired to do the electric wiring. After the hotel was completed, F.O. kept my grandfather in his employ to maintain the hydro-electric plant, which he built by damming Fall River just east of Horseshoe Park in Rocky Mountain National Park.

When I met him it was at his home, a stately Georgian style manor house, which was about a mile from the hotel and had a magnificent view of the Front Range. He was engaged in playing chess blindfolded. A pastime that he considered stimulating. (The man was a genius.) He had snow-white hair, a full beard, and was quite old. (I think he was 89 at the time.) He seemed very cheerful and encouraged me to "get a good education." He was also kind to my grandfather. He offered to pay for a college education for his three daughters. Only one, my Aunt Doris, took him up on it. But he paid for all her expenses through Wellesley College. At the time, in the small village of Estes Park, that seemed a very remote and grand place.

My grandfather told me many stories about Mr. Stanley and their relationship. Mr. Stanley was a large figure in my heritage. I would not have had the good fortune to be born and raised in Estes Park if my grandfather hadn't gone there to work for him.

Posted by: Jimmy J. at September 26, 2013 8:54 PM

Jimmy J., that's the best history I've read all week. God bless the late Mr. Stanley, and God bless you.

Posted by: Suburbanbanshee at September 30, 2013 8:13 PM

Gosh, what can I say. Well, I'm just a lucky SOB. Met F.O. Stanley and was raised in Estes Park. Now Gerard features my little anecdote. Makes my day.

Posted by: Jimmy J. at October 1, 2013 10:40 AM