Stanley Motor Carriage Company An Odd Memory

An Odd Memory – Stanely Brothers

This particular entry comes with a fond memory although it may be slightly incorrect I will present it as how I recall it. Later, when I find the Stanley story it will be interesting to see how badly my brain stored it away. As a result, I will be guessing on some things to keep the story going. In my head, I can just skip over those things, but here the dots need to be connected more clearly. Therefor, after the story, I will put some facts and sources.

In the early 1900’s, somewhere around 1902, I believe, in a small town in Maine (after some reading I discovered the brothers were born in Maine and ended up in Massachusetts) people used to get around with carriages pulled by a horse or two. The policemen would often stand off to the side of the road while staying in view of most everyone in the downtown. Well one day, this horseless carriage, something not many people had seen or heard before came into town very fast. It zipped right through the town and zipped out the other side. The policeman went to give chase but could not catch the new horseless carriage.

What happened next?

A little while went by and the policeman was on his way either to or from the town, when there went the horseless carriage again going west. In a little bit of annoyance and amazement, he watched as the horseless carriage disappear again. Just as soon as it seemed to disappear there it came again from the east! Now, wait a minute. It was fast, but it wasn’t that fast! Or was it?

Little did the policeman know it was not just one horseless carriage, but two driven by twin brothers! Incidentally, the Stanley brothers apparently loved to play pranks on people and this one if it was true was one of the best. They also at some point built and held the speed record for the fastest vehicle (not sure what category probably steam and gas) at the time.

Stanley Fact Checks

Francis E. Stanley and his twin brother Freelan O. Stanley were born in Kingfield, Maine in the mid-1800s. Stranley enough both owned a photographic equipment company that became pretty successful. Later sold to George Eastman, who started the Eastman Dry Plate Company. His first camera was called the Kodak

In 1884 they attempted to build a steam car but failed. Later they would not fail. They would even start beating gas powered cars eventually setting a record with a car they built in 1906 for the fastest mile. The time set for this record was 28.2 seconds. Finally, in 2009 the record finally was beaten!

The car that beat the steam record:

Steam supercar breaks world record

The Woggle Bug below has contradicting information from sources:

National Museum of American History states it was made in 1905.

As a matter of fact, Wikipedia states the car raced at Daytona Beach, FL in 1903. This is where and when the land speed record was set. Was this car?

At this point, you have to copy and paste the link manually into your browser linking does not work: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stanley_Woggle-Bug.jpg

A third source from Getty states this picture was taken in 1906:

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The Woggle Bug at Daytona Beach, FL being driven by LouisRoss.

Paradoxically this picture is interesting, as the car looks like it is in motion, yet no steam coming from the tube in the back or even a trail. In my opinion, a great shot. This must have been a sight to see in action.

Of course, I don’t have any proof, but I would be hard press to say any other car was the start to the indy-style cars. In the meantime, if anyone knows of any that are older please let me know.

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Another source showing the woggle bug in the Race Of Gentlemen:

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Still driven by Louis Ross at Daytona Beach, FL. You can see the steam coming from the car on the far right. At any rate, it must have been a site to see!

Back before NASCAR, before Junior Johnson bootleggin’ days. Before Junior Johnson was even born. People raced at Daytona Beach.

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Presumably, the first car to climb Mount Washington in New Hampshire Francis O. Stanley:

“We went on, and up, up, still up, the continuous climbing being varied only by a steepness so excessive that we felt a sickening anxiety lest each brilliant dash should be our last,” Mrs. Stanley wrote.

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