Historic Hood River
Paris Fair Meets Franz Hardware
5-6-2024
Notes
This image may document the uniting of two retail powerhouses of Hood River in the twentieth century. The automobile with 1917 Oregon tags is a work vehicle of EA Franz Co., the longtime Hood River hardware store. The man on the rear fender has a pretty good resemblance to Earl Franz. Earl’s brother Edgar married Wilma Thomson, so I’ll go out on a limb and say this image includes (L-R) Edgar Franz, Wilma Thomson, Dora Belle Thomson, and George Thomson. Wilma would have been roughly 20 and Edgar 23 at the time of this photograph.
You can read about Edgar and Wilma’s 1915 wedding in this Hood River Glacier article.
Edgar and Earl Franz were sons of Earnest A Franz, who found E.A. Franz Co. in 1908.
Dale Nicol
Although Arthur did not mention the cars maker, he was able to ID it as a very rare, 12th built, 1917 Marmon touring car.
Arthur Babitz
Dale, this one is actually a Chalmers which they owned before the very rare Marmon we saw in this post: https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org/1917-marmon-model-34-touring-car/
Roger H Sheldrake
Can I assume the tank on the running board if for the gas headlights?
Arthur Babitz
By 1917 new cars had electric headlamps, but this car was 5+ years old so it’s a good bet it had carbide (acetylene) headlamps. Water would drip onto calcium carbide generating acetylene gas for burning in the lamp, the same way miners lamps used to work.
kmb
Looks similar to the car we saw back on April 12th, but has a different license plate.
Dale Nicol
Thanks Arthur for correcting the model.
Yes, the tanks is to generate acetylene gas for the head lamps.
The first electric starter and generator was installed on the 1912 Cadillac. It was designed by Charles Kettering, founder of Delco. The starter was 24 volts DC and used 4, 6 volt batteries series connected to turn the starter motor.
L.E.
Interesting photo. I know the guys are busy talking cars, but there is other stuff of interest. Like Mr Franz’s boots and his pipe and the history of the two store “families” merging.
Arlen L sheldrake
I am,,gentley nugginy -HRHS 59 classmate Pete Jubitz to look at this site
b