This picture of my dad was taken in 1962 at Fort Leonard Wood where he had just lost many pounds completing basic training in the hot and humid Missouri summer. Notice he is standing in front of his mom’s Mercury Medalist. The Merc was a 1956, the only year the entry-level Medalist was produced. Love you, Dad, and thank you for your service!
By 1929, Oldsmobile had already been in existence for more than three decades, and the company decided it was time for a new crest that was symbolic of Oldsmobile and the important place it occupied in the automotive industry.
According to the story that went with this 1929 headline, each element of the crest depicted, in the language of heraldry, some characteristic of the company:
“Centered in the shield is a winged spur. This symbol of fleetness represents the harnessing of horsepower and the development of transportation to its present efficiency. The role of the Oldsmobile in this development has been so outstanding that the prominence of the winged spur is well deserved.
Under the spur and superimposed on the gold field are three acorns. These represent the historical position of Oldsmobile, the first company to introduce quantity production methods and from which the automotive industry branched out and grew to its present foremost position.
Oak leaves form a decorative background around the top of the shield. These symbols of strength and sturdiness are symbolic of the industry as well as of the strength of Oldsmobile and its parent corporation, General Motors.
Centered above all is the lamp of knowledge, depicting the brain and research power at the command of this veteran company. The flame of this lamp represents the continuous research work being conducted by Oldsmobile engineers and the additional facilities afforded them by the General Motors’ proving ground, General Motors’ research laboratories and their staffs of experts.
At each side of the lamp of knowledge are a micrometer and a triangle. This modern touch tells the story of exactness and precision methods. They also represent the spirit of craftsmanship which impelled the Oldsmobile workmen to originate and take as their creed, the motto, ‘Anything short of my best is not acceptable.'”
Some examples of Oldsmobiles sporting a variation of the “Winged Spur” crest in 1958, 1948 and 1937, respectively:
I have been dealing in classic car parts for many years, but I recently found something I have never seen before: a vintage “car awning” that dates to the 1940s.
I have a pair of them, and they are in remarkably good condition for their age. They are made of blue “plastic-coated canvas” over a metal frame, and the brand “WEATHER MASTER” is marked on the inside of the canvas:
This advertisement from 1942 points out that the awnings will keep out both sun and rain:
It also indicates that occupants will still be able to move the windows up and down, and this is because the awnings attach to the door frame in the same manner that a peep mirror does:
Here are two more advertisements from 1947 and 1948 that showcase the car awnings next to other ways to keep cool, namely the Cool-O-Matic Car Cooler and steel Venetian blinds for the rear window. The bottom ad also points out that the awnings can be folded up when not in use.
My awnings do collapse to an easily stored size:
This 1942 advertisement recommends utilizing these user-friendly awnings to get your car ready for a Decoration Day trip.
Decoration Day originated after the Civil War and eventually became Memorial Day. Can’t you just picture a family using the awnings to keep the kids cool as they head out to the cemetery or a parade and picnic, complete with patriotic speeches?
Decoration Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, and James Garfield was the one giving a speech that day at Arlington Cemetery. If you have never read it, you should look it up because it is beautiful. This is the conclusion:
“Hither our children’s children shall come to pay their tribute of grateful homage. For this are we met to-day. By the happy suggestion of a great society, assemblies like this are gathering at this hour in every State in the Union. Thousands of soldiers are to-day turning aside in the march of life to visit the silent encampments of dead comrades who once fought by their side. From many thousand homes, whose light was put out when a soldier fell, there go forth to-day to join these solemn processions loving kindred and friends, from whose heart the shadow of grief will never be lifted till the light of the eternal world dawns upon them. And here are children, little children, to whom the war left no father but the Father above. By the most sacred right, theirs is the chief place to-day. They come with garlands to crown their victor fathers. I will delay the coronation no longer.”
In my last post, I mentioned finding this Kelley Blue Book for March and April of 1969. That makes it a fairly old one, but KBB origins go back much further than that.
The Kelley Blue Book story begins with R. Leslie Kelley, an innovative entrepreneur who founded the Kelley Kar Company, a used car dealership, in 1918 Los Angeles. He was extremely good at it and eventually owned Les Kelley Ford, touted as the largest Ford dealership in the world. To acquire needed inventory in the early days, he would publish a list of cars he was willing to purchase and the prices he was willing to pay. Others in the industry began using this list as a guide in their own endeavors, and Kelley soon realized there was money to be made providing this service to lenders and other dealers. The first Blue Book appeared in 1926, and Kelley’s brother, Buster Kelley, was eventually put in charge of publishing. Many early automobile advertisements, like these two from 1926, referenced the Blue Book:
Kelley also published a monthly report on conditions in the auto industry and even became involved in determining car values for tax assessment purposes for the State of California. This story appeared in 1928:
The name “Blue Book” was apparently influenced by the snooty social register of the same name. Kelley also sold what he termed “Blue Seal Automobiles,” as seen in this 1932 ad:
In this 1928 photo taken at the Kelley Kar Company on South Figueroa, you can see that the sign features the same blue and gold ribbon medallion that is used on the cover of the above Blue Book.
The purchaser in the above photo is Eddie Quillan, an actor who appeared on both the big and small screens from 1926-1987. You may recognize him from Mutiny on the Bounty or The Grapes of Wrath.
Another historical footnote: Kelley played a small role in one of the biggest crime stories of 1925-1926, the first federal agent killed in the line of duty. The agent was Edwin C. Shanahan of the FBI, and he was killed in Chicago by a prolific car thief and all-around bad guy named Martin J. Durkin when he attempted to arrest Durkin for transporting stolen automobiles in violation of the Dyer Act. After murdering Shanahan, Durkin fled to California and sold the car after changing the serial number on the engine and forging a pink slip. The car was then sold to Kelley, and the story made the papers when the original owner filed suit to get his car back. Hoover prioritized the pursuit of Durkin, and he was later apprehended and imprisoned.
Kelley eventually stopped dealing cars and focused only on the publishing service where later innovations included the effect of a car’s mileage on its value. It all started with used cars, however, and Kelley’s own description about the humble beginnings of his business appeared in a 1929 newspaper article:
There is a ghost town called Sparks in rural Kansas that hosts an impressive flea market with ties to the past. I had never been there, so my daughter and I decided to make the four-hour trip yesterday to attend this biannual extravaganza. My sister drove up from Kansas City to meet us at this little junction located 23 miles west of St. Jo, Missouri, in what constituted a leap of faith as none of us knew what to expect. After eating at the Bread Bowl in Hiawatha (amazing pie) we headed down the barely paved road that led straight to Sparks. Keep in mind that Sparks is an unincorporated town with a population of around nine. Not nine hundred, mind you, just nine. When the flea market came into view, it was quite a shock to see 500 vendors, crowds of people, and cars parked along the highway as far as the eye could see.
This is the view walking up to the market. I meant to take more pictures, but I was soon overcome with a bad case of rust fever which caused me to forget all about photo ops.
I found lots of car parts and would have purchased more, but I did not want to force my family members to schlep around the heavy metal remnants of automotive history (again). Here are some of my favorite purchases:
I was particularly happy with the lighting finds. Lower right is a ’58 Caddy taillight, and the torpedo light sitting in the upper left corner of the picture is for a ’40 Chevy car or truck. Leaning against it is a ’50 chevy taillight, and the fog light with the amber bulb has a seldom seen International tag. I could not resist the 1969 Kelley Blue Book, and that old “winged Viking” radiator cap is broken but still oh-so-beautiful.
The flea market is open through Sunday and will return August 31st if you want to see what treasures you can uncover. While researching the history of Sparks, I discovered that the town used to be a thriving community with a bank, blacksmith, restaurants, stores, schools and, of course, churches. It is fitting that the town comes alive again the last week of August as this is something of a modern continuation of a long-ago tradition for the community. That tradition was described in a 1916 newspaper story:
“One of the best of all assets for Sparks . . . attracts more people to the town in a brief period than most all others combined. That is the annual fair and picnic. This event has occurred regularly for the past sixteen years and it embraces the best of all fall festivities in Doniphan County.
The fair and picnic at Sparks lasts four days and is usually held the later part of the month of August each year. . . The people all around become enthused to a high state over the event and it is beyond peradventure the greatest occasion for a brief season of annual enjoyment and sociability that is known in any community the size of Sparks.”
This photo depicts the citizens of Sparks laying a church cornerstone in 1915. I especially love the jaunty little gent in the lower left corner posing with the automobile. You just know that was a future “car guy!”
The Highway Creepers usher in the outdoor car show season in my area, and they host a terrific show replete with low riders, fins, rat rods, and hot rods. If you were unable to make it to Kearney over the weekend, here is some of what you missed:
This 9″ steel dog dish is one of our recent acquisitions, and it is a great find. Following the end of World War II, Willys Jeeps were marketed to civilians. Several companies produced trailers for use with Jeeps, and one of those was the Henry Spen Model S, an all-steel 3/4-ton utility trailer:
Interestingly, the marketing for both these trailers and the Jeeps that pulled them was targeted toward farmers. This 1946 advertisement is one example:
And look at these pages from the 1946 Jeep brochure:
I know farmers and ranchers with Jeeps, but they mainly use them for checking on livestock (and for fun)!
I found this old, brass radiator cap a while back, and I have never seen another like it:
It is embossed with the name “Douglas,” and I can only assume it is a product of the Douglas Motors Company that was once located in Omaha. The Douglas story begins with another Nebraska-made car called the Drummond. The Drummond was initially offered in a four and six-cylinder in 1916, and then became the Drummond Eight for the 1917 model year. This early V-8 automobile was powered by a Herschell-Spillman engine.
In 1917, the Douglas Motor Corporation organized to take over the Drummond Motor Company and sent solicitors all over the state to find investors. Notice the emphasis the advertisements (below) place on the high returns generated by investment in other automobile companies like Ford. By the time the campaign for the sale of stock was over, Douglas had sold half a million dollars in shares to 900 shareholders.
One of the new shareholders was rancher George Christopher who hailed from Nebraska’s largest county, Cherry County, located on the border with South Dakota in the magnificent Sandhills region. At a stormy shareholder meeting in 1918, charges of “gross extravagance” were leveled against the managers of the company. Apparently a charismatic sort, Christopher rose and gave a rousing speech in an effort to convince the others he should serve on the board. He received nearly everyone’s vote and moved to Omaha where he was soon running the company.
The Douglas was a 1.5-ton truck powered by a Buda engine and was advertised as “The Farmer’s Friend.” Many other parts with familiar brands were also utilized in the building of this truck as seen in this 1919 advertisement:
Sometime before 1920, the company moved from its original location at 26th and Farnam to a new home at 30th and Sprague. The factory had a capacity of 10 trucks per day, plus passenger cars. The cars being manufactured were now called Douglas Eights but were still being built with Herschell-Spillman engines.
This surviving example of a 1920 Douglas Truck is located at Shoemaker’s Travel Center in Lincoln:
The company flourished for a time due to the post-war boom, but financial struggles led to the company’s sale to the Nebraska Auto & Truck Manufacturing Company, led by L. C. Nash, in 1925. The purchase included the rights to the name “Douglas Trucks” and, according to a 1926 article, the trucks were being sold in the states neighboring Nebraska in every direction as well as Oklahoma and Texas.
Douglas Trucks were an early pioneer of the twin axle six-wheel truck, an ancestor of modern semi-trucks. This story about Douglas introducing the six-wheel truck to the Midwest appeared in 1928:
These ads appeared the following year, 1929:
There isn’t much information available regarding the closing of the company, but I did find this advertisement from 1936. It appears Douglas was likely yet another victim of the Great Depression.
