Sep 23-07

Past-E-Mail: Cam Notes - 2007: September: Sep 23-07
First Car in the Keweenaw    ...scroll down to share comments
Photo from Bill Haller
Big News    ...scroll down to share comments
Photo from Bill Haller


By
Charlie at Pasty Central (Chopper) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 09:03 am:

The Pasty Cam calendar on our refrigerator reminds us that Autumn arrives today. Before we say goodbye to the warm months, one loose end was this photo and clipping that Bill Haller emailed me, about an exciting occurrence in these parts back in the summer of 1900.

As you can see from the Mining Gazette article, this was quite a monumental event. Just imagine those "short spurts upward of 15 miles and hour"... What a thrill!

Bill included this note:

Paul and Shirley Pichette of Lake Linden were kind enough to contribute this to the Houghton County Historical Society, so that we can share this with you and our fellow pasty viewers, thanks to the scanning skills of our chief Archivist Doug Jones.

The detailed newspaper story regarding the owner is equally interesting.

Could this be the "driving" force as why the first cement highway in Michigan, was poured in Calumet ???

Our thanks to all the folks in the historical societies for their work in preserving memories of the past. And now... it looks like a nice day for a drive.

Have a good week :o)
By
Grace M Wetton (Gmw) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 09:07 am:

Wow! Can you imagine using the horseless wonder in todays traffic?


By NKR (Nkr) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 09:14 am:

Good morning from Mishawaka IN. Now this is my kind of car. Doesn't go too fast and doesn't cost to much.


By Paul Oesterle (Paulwebbtroll) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 09:17 am:

How would you like to hit a deer with this machine traveling 15MPH? The vehicle that is!


By Marianne Y (Marianne) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 09:51 am:

I thought Oldsmobile built the first automobiles, but I am far from an expert? Or was this a prototype, perhaps?

Paulwebbtroll, one thing you have going for you when you are riding in that vehicle when it hits a deer is its slow speed, so the impact of the collision would be a lot lower. Also, the deer have more time to startle and get out of the way!


By Mr. Bill (Mrbill) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 10:26 am:

According to MTU's current course titled THE AUTOMOBILE IN AMERICA, taught by Professor Larry Lankton, the first automobile made in America was produced by the Duryea Brothers in 1893.

Olds sales rose from 500 cars in 1902, to 4,000 in 1904.


By Marcia H. (Livinindenver) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 11:07 am:

What a great picture and caption to go with it!


By David S. (Yooperdfs) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 11:18 am:

One look at that picture makes it kind of hard to complain about our roads now.


By D. Clark (Dcclark) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 11:41 am:

According to the inflation calculator here, that $1000 car would cost $27,711.44 today!

Not the most expensive car, but certainly not on the cheap end. That fellow was doing well for himself.


By Shirley Waggoner (Shirlohio) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 11:52 am:

Wonder if that $1000 included an umbrella?:)


By Heikki (Heikki) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 12:02 pm:

Charlie,

According to Michigan History Online, the first concrete road in the nation was made in Detroit, 1906: http://www.michiganhistorymagazine.com/features/michweek/splash.html

I sent a message 3 weeks ago to the editor explaining the conflict between their statement and the first concrete road in Calumet, 1903. Haven't received an acknowledgement nor has the claim on their site been amended.


By Mr. Bill (Mrbill) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 01:33 pm:

An obvious conflict somewhere ...

picture


By Mr. Bill (Mrbill) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 03:11 pm:

RE: site http://www.michiganhistorymagazine.com/features/michweek/splash.html

Doesn't it state 1909 ?

"The first concrete road in the nation was laid on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, between Six and Seven Mile Roads, in 1909."


By Bob Jewell, Farmington Hills (Rjewell) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 04:40 pm:

I've always heard that Woodward had the first mile of concrete paving in the nation. I'm not familiar with Calumet's claim but is it because Calumet's was much shorter distance?


By Capt. Paul (Eclogite) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 05:23 pm:

Good afternoon.....

A little history about the automobile. The very first recorded automobile in America was not by Olds or Duryea. It was the Evans Steam Amphibian built by Oliver Evans in 1805. It was called the Orukter Amphibolos, or Amphibious Digger and was nothing more than a steam powered dredge used in Philadelphia for cleaning the city docks. Still, in the strictest sense, this was the first “auto” in America.

The first gasoline powered auto in America was indeed by the Duryea Brothers in 1893. The first auto to be mass produced in America was the Curved Dash Oldsmobile in 1901, built by Ransom Eli Olds. Olds built 425 “Curved Dash Olds” in 1901, and was America's leading auto manufacturer from 1901 to 1904. Olds is also credited with inventing the basic concept of the assembly line, not Henry Ford (Ford didn’t “improve” the assembly line until 1913).

However, we were not the first to build the auto. It was Karl Benz in Germany in 1884. An interesting story; Karl was afraid to drive the car any distance, so one evening his wife, Berta, took Karl's car and made the first long car trip to see her mother, traveling 62 miles from Mannheim to Pforzheim in 1888. The first car manufacturer in the world is credited to Rene Panhard and Emile Levassor in 1889. By car manufacturer I mean builders of entire motor vehicles for sale and not just engine inventors who experimented with car design to test their engines. Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz began as the latter before becoming full car manufacturers and made their early money by licensing their patents and selling their engines to car manufacturers.

As far as the first concrete road in Michigan, I believe Woodward was the first state highway that was concrete paved, but Calumet had the first concrete paved street in Michigan; if that makes any sense?!?!? The first concrete pavement in America was laid in Bellefontaine, Ohio, in 1894.


By Janie T. (Bobbysgirl) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 07:11 pm:

Today as hubby and I were boating, we saw an Amphi-car (sp?) that was made during the 60's era out cruising in the lake among the boaters! Those things are so cool! It was so awesome to see them driving this car down the boat ramp right into the lake, and it wasn't because the brakes failed!


By David Hiltunen (Davidcorrytontn) on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 11:53 pm:

Alot of interest to me on today's Big Pic picture,on a Shoebox Sunday.Woodward Ave.is U.S. 10.Who don't remember the Loop before I-75 was finished.Was it in Clare?


By Heikki (Heikki) on Monday, September 24, 2007 - 07:47 am:

MrBill:

Yes, 1906 and 1909 are the dates in question. Thx for pointing that out. I hate 'senior moments'.

Capt. Paul:

I wonder if the word 'pavement' could be construed to be 'sidewalk' as in British vernacular? Calumet, with its heavy Cornish influence may have adopted that term during those days.


By Brooke (Lovethekeweenaw) on Monday, September 24, 2007 - 08:28 am:

When I was little Mumu told me about the first time she saw a car. We were amazed that she grew up without one in the family, times were different.


By Matt Karhu (Matt_k) on Monday, September 24, 2007 - 03:24 pm:

Thanks to Capt. Paul for mentioning that the first concrete pavement was laid in Bellefontaine, Ohio. I have seen that site.


By Heikki (Heikki) on Monday, September 24, 2007 - 03:42 pm:

Looks like Detroit has a bone to pick with Bellefontaine, OH. Meanwhile, Detroit's claim also includes being first in Michigan, having concrete pavement 3 yrs AFTER Calumet. LOL!


Powered by:  
Join Today!
Each day the Pasty Cam has 2 areas to post messages: 
  • Cam Notes - comments related to today's picture and discussion
  • What'sUP - other topics, conversation and announcements
  • *** Please use the appropriate forum ***
    Here's a list of messages posted in the past 24 hours
    See our guest photo gallery for more great views from the U.P.

    Add a Message


    A user/password combination is now required to post messages to Cam Notes. Registration is free. Click here to register or maintain your I.D.
    Username:  
    Password:

    Home | Pasty Cam | Contest | Order Now | Bridge Cam | Past-E-Mail | GP Hall of Fame | Making Pasties | Questions