New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1906-03-21
MAJ. BROWN HAD FIRST AUTO.
Government Appropriated 49,.
600 to Build II.

Government Appropriated S12,-
600 to Build It.
Steam Wagon Used to Haul Sup
plies For New Ulm.
Interesting Story of the Man For
Whom County is Named.
The Saturday issue of the Chicago
Record-Herald contains good story
OF the early days of this part of the
state in connection with the account Of
the crossing of the continent in an au-
tomobile, in which it cites an instance
in which the name of Major Genera!
Joseph r. Brown figures as the first
man to attempt the use of a steam car
riage, conceivlng the audacious plan
OF crossing the continent in machine
constructed in New York city, after
the plan of one he had made by the
government for the transportation of
supplies from Ft. Smelling to this city,
The account as given is as follows:
Brevet Major General Joseph r.
Brown who, when a lieutenant, assis-
ted Captain Zachary Taylor, U. S.A.,
afterward President of the United
States. to build a military post at Fort
Smelling, on the banks of the Missis-
sippi River, between Minneapolis and
st. Paul, was the author of this auda-
cious enterprise, and the first man who
ever operated horseless vehicle in
the West. Upon leaving the army in
the early sos General Brown was APP
pointed agent of the Indians at New
Ulm, Mimi, and was afterward cleo
ted delegate from that territory to
Congress.
General Brown conceived the idea of
building self-propelling wagon with
an oscillating machine to haul Indian
supplies from the Mississippi River to
the agency, and while in Congress Sc
cured an appropriation for that pur-
pose, which, to avoid ridicule and OPP
position, was skillfully concealed in
paragraph providing for schoolhou-
ses, churches, agricultural implements
farm wagons and live stock for the In
dians. This wagon was built by j. A.
Reed, superintendent of the Novelty
Iron Works in New York City, where
Robert Fultonss first steamer and Eric
sons monitor were both built. Mr..
Reed had charge Of the construction
of the latter. The steam wagon was
shipped West by train to Rock Island
and up the Mississippi River to Red
Wing by boat 1t made several trips
! across the prairie to Mankato and New
Ulm for supplies, and was reasonably
successful, but after General Browns
death it was abandoned and the engine
was utilized at the New Ulm agency
for gristmill.
In 1860 General Brown, who had re-
tired from Congress, went to New Y rk
and contracted with Mr.. Reed to build
an improved steam wagon to be called
''The Prairie Motor" at a cost of
Sl2, 900. Reed was given eighteen
months time to perfect the machine,
and on June Z, 1862, it started from
New York in charge of O. L. Osborn,
master mechanic of Reeds machine
shop. Mr.. Osborn is still living and
recently prepared an account of his
experience, which was published in the
Nebraska Daily Tribune. The wagon
was such a huge affair and so insight
ly in appearance that it frightened all
the horses. and Fernando Wood, then
Mayor of New York, issued an order
prohibiting Reed and Osborn from ex-
perimenting with it in the streets.
Therefore, when Osborn started west
he had to leave the city in the night.
The driving wheels we're 10 feet in
diameter and the tire was 2 feet wide;
the forward wheels were feet in dia-
meter and the tires were lSinches wide
It was driven by four ten-horse duplex
oscillating engines, so constructed
that one would turn each wheel. The
boiler was upright, Sc inches long,
connected with water tank 10 feet
long and 30inches in diameter. There
was cab on top of the tank behind
the boiler and a platform tender with
fuel opposite the fre-box, similar to
the arrangement of the ordinary loco
motive. The whole weight of the wa
gon was II tons.
PLAN A GOOD TIME FOR TONIGHT