Historic Hood River
Chalmers? Thomson? Franz?
Notes
This fine automobile with 1912 Oregon plates was probably one of the Franz family Chalmers. We know Wilma Thomson married Edgar Franz in 1915, and their photo album has several nice images with various Chalmers automobiles, like this and this. Can we verify the model here? Is this one of the Franz brothers, or one of the Thomsons? We’ve seen the driver in this ice skating image.
I suspect we’ll shortly know the registration name for 1912 Oregon 7017.
[Ed. note: The registration record for 1912 Oregon plate 7017 is for “A. Whitehead.” That’s a surprise to me. A. Whitehead would be Amanda or Albert Whitehead. If that sounds familiar, in 1897 Horatio and Ella May Davidson’s sister Amanda Davidson married Albert Whitehead. We’ve seen their daughter Mariwhitmor Whitehead in several images, such as this classic. Since Albert Whitehead was born in 1871, he would be about 40 in this image. The driver seems younger to me, but he could be a young looking 40 year old. Here’s an early bio for Albert Whitehead.
Unfortunately the 1912 registration records don’t include the make or model so we can’t verify Dale’s ID]
[Ed. note #2: Further inspection shows a transfer of this automobile to Minnie Rand. In 1913 she is shown with a Maxwell, serial #85151. Good bet that is this automobile.]
Dale Nicol
I wonder if this is the Chalmers Torpedo roadster ?
It has most of the styling looks of the torpedo.
L. E.
Wow! That is one heavy duty vehicle. I bet it weighs more than my Subaru.
It looks Iike it would have been tough to handle. Google says it took significant physical effort and the driver needed to master double clutching.
Dale Nicol
L.E. correct about double clutching. I read where the 1923 Locomobile 48 at WAAAM, took 2 weeks to master double clutching. I never drove that vehicle but many others requiring double clutching. There is a sweet spot with the engine slowing down to match the transmission gears. You need to use your senses,,,,ears and feel. When properly done, the gears slip into each other as if they were synchronized!
Judy
Calling?
Roger Sheldrake
And now driving seems to take very little sense at all for some!
Arthur Babitz
I’ve added some new information about the automobile registration to this post.
Thorn
Is that car just huge or is that just a small man or maybe even a boy? He seems to barely clear the steering wheel. And is that steering wheel in the center, or offset left like modern cars?
Arthur Babitz
Thorn, it’s a right wheel drive car which makes the driver look smaller, since you’re expecting him to be closer to you. In this era many US built automobiles had right wheel drive. Within a few years from this point left wheel drive became the standard.
Thorn
Ahhh, a little illusion. Thanks AB!
Varun Coutinho
Automobile : 1912 Maxwell 30Hp Mercury Roadster
Arthur Babitz
I’ve added yet some more info to the notes, which backup the ID from Varun Coutinho. It appears this auto was transferred sometime on 1912 to Minnie Rand, who in 1913 registers a Maxwell serial #85151.
So, that driver could be a Thomson, a Franz, a Davidson, or a Rand!
Alex Dragone
This is a 1912 Maxwell Mercury Roadster (large 30 horsepower model)