The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-12-01
HISTORY or THR AUTO
MOBILE N VERMONT

A Comprehensive Account Of the De.
selopment ef the Automobile Busi.
ness In our state. BY =. ". Williams
of Bennington.
The following history Of the auto
mobile in Vermont e. from the pen Of
T. W Williams. owner Of the Palatial
Bennington Garagc. which appeared in
the industrial edition of the Benning-
ton Banner, Published q short time
ago
Nermonters becFme interested In
motor cars boz The earliest days Of
their development Il was in 1892
that Charles +. Du-yea first succeeded
IN travelling so miles with an automo-
bile. This was done at Chicago and
only after many unsuccessful at
tempts Was the so mile run finally
accomplished. At this time Haynes
ard Apperson were also working on
m chimes which they had in opera
tion more or less successfully at about
this time. The experiments Of these
men and others were being eagerly
watched By number Of Vermont men
who were developing the automobile
fever.
About this time ]. J. Williams Of
Montpelier was studying gasoline en-
gine principles with the intention Of
building himself a car. In the late
ninetes c. c. Warren Of Waterbury,
ordered one OF the early gasoline cars
and this car he received in 1899. This
was the first car owned in Vermont so
far as Mr.. Warren or he writer
knows.
In 1897 J. j. Williams had started
the construction Of his car and il was
first tried out in 1900. This car was
completely designed and mauufactur-
ed by Mr.. Williams and in no way was
II a so-called Assembled car" Like
all others at the time It's appearance
was such as TO justify the name
"horseless carriage" Mechanically
its description was about as follows:
two cylinder, water cooled, four cycle
engine Of the horizontal opposed type,
AZ bore and inch stroke, sliding
gear two speed transmission, with
center chain drive to rear axle, tiller
steer and hand operated clutch while
the throttle was operated by foot
This car was entirely successful and !,
made many thousands of miles before !
IL was dismantled six or seven years /
later and its engine made into an air
compressor, now pumping air for tires {
in Mr.. Williams garage at Montpelier, {
One man in ST. Johnsbury made some &
thing Of an attempt in these early t
days to build a car which did not reach c
a stage Of successful operation, and
Wood Of Montpelier, spent /
much time in experimenting with a i
one stroke cycle gasoline engine Il
Major H. Nelson Jackson Of Bur o
Iington, was soon a car owner and at Il
the first summer meet Of the Automo- {
bile Club Of Vermont held at White n
River Junction the three car owners Q
attending from The Winoosh River o
Valley district were c. c. Warren Of Z
Major Jackson Of Bur-
ington, and J. j Williams Of Mont 8
,elier. Operating an automobile in b
hese days was more hazardous adj r,
venture than even motorists Of Is r,
Tears ago experienced, for progress a
n motor car design was rapid. Il
A recent letter from Mr.. Warren TO r.
he writer given an interesting view Of in
he pleasures Of motoring around u
900 Mr. Warren writes: Il could a
un this car only once at a time with al
nj repairs and was glad TO get some n
ne TO take il just 10 see what had pl
cen through. Well do ] remember a le
riend that called on me a short time IN
fter had several wagons put out Of SO
ommission with the darned old thing.
ie said We were intending 70 send w.
ou 70 represent the town this fall IN
asked him how he knew | would take es
II elected. He said You need not -
-ouble yourself about that, you eouh bo
OF get three votes in this town an on ~
ccount Of that damnable auto Then sv
,r the first time / thought ! was na
lightly lucky man in buying il" q
In Bennington, Eli p Tiffany is said Br
, have had the first machine in town A.
ld this one was a steamer. Harrison II,
Norton had an early gasoline car TT
He'd the Searchmont This car was 70
iycrtised as personally designed by on
.e then great Henry Fournier who of
"a driven the Panhard ears 70 victory an
two Vanderbilt Cup raees. Mr.. pc
orton viii no doubt testify that ga
enry's abilities as a designer, II he ne
4 design il, we're not on par with bu
5 skiIl as a driver W D Newton DO,
.r,sasv,sa a-v1r- "a travel hv ynEoIfHa II