2020 Florida family trip - part 2: from bicycles to cars to boats to planes - the Elliott Museum - Travel With Us

While visiting our Florida family on this trip, we decided to revisit some places we had toured before so we could show you the state’s history along Florida’s Treasure Coast. Our first stop was to the Elliott Museum.

We’ll start with the namesake of this museum, Sterling Elliott—especially since it’s our first stop after we walked through the front doors. Then we’ll move onto the collection of old cars before finishing with a few other historical collections.

Sterling Elliott was an inventor, manufacturer, social reformer, and publisher. He lived from 1852 to 1922 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His son, Harmon, was a winter resident of Stuart and provided the initial funds to build the first museum in 1961 to showcase his father’s contributions.

Living during the turn of the century, Sterling Elliott was part of the major changes that we are benefiting from.

Elliott already had 11 patents when he got one for bicycles in 1888.

He built his quadricycle, officially called a Velocipede, in 1887, and it was the forerunner of the automobile. Read on.

Mr. Elliott had observed that wagons and carriages used a rigid front axle that forced the front wheels to turn at the same rate. However, when a 4-wheel vehicle turns in an arc, it actually carves 2 separate arcs, and the inside arc is smaller than the outside.

For the vehicle to steer smoothly, the front wheels needed to turn independently, and the inside front wheel needed to pivot at a greater angle than the outside wheel. He solved these problems by designing the kingpin and steering knuckle for the engineering system.

He got his patent for this vehicle in December 1890. Virtually all of the automobile manufactures adopted his design and paid royalties to him until the patent expired in 1907!

Elliott’s other contributions

From 1885 to 1896 he made many products, but his principal ones were bicycles and trotting sulkies. As a side line he published “The Bicycling World” and was President of the League of American Wheelmen and Chairman of its committee that controlled Bicycle Racing. The mailing list for this magazine grew so much that he decided his staff was spending way too much time addressing labels for each month’s mailing.

So what does an inventor do? He invents the addressing machine to address his magazine wrappers in 1898.

In 1909 Sterling Elliott asked his only son Harmon Elliott to become his partner at the Elliott Addressing Machine Company. Harmon accepted the position and took over management after Sterling’s death in 1922.

This machine pushed ink through metal-framed address cards that were initially made on this stencil-cutting machine. But the metal frames tended to bend, so Mr. Elliott invented a fiber stencil. Eventually it evolved into an address card that could be cut on an ordinary typewriter.

Back to the quadricycle: his patented steering knuckles at the ends of a non-swiveling front axle allowed the inside wheel to follow the shortest radius. This system eliminated the sideways scuffing that had plagued horse-drawn vehicles for centuries. Where possible, light and resilient hickory wood was used.

a bicycle for women

Not wanting to miss out on business, Mr. Elliott designed a bicycle for women and openly marketed it to them. This was just a business decision, because he also introduced a bill in Massachusetts that required women to remove their high hats in all of the state’s theaters since it didn’t like having to look around them to see the stage. He didn’t want any interferences in life, whether it was in reaching a potential new market or enjoying the show on stage.

Lillian Russell, a 1890s musical star, models the type of hat that Mr. Elliott found objectionable.

Mr. Elliott sold the Elliott Bicycle Factory to the Stanley Brothers of Stanley Steamer car fame and opened the Elliott Addressing Machine Company in 1900.

early tricycles

Before we move onto automobiles, let’s look at some early tricycles.

Earliest tricycles were made with double rear wheels fitted to the “bone shaker” bicycles, making them easier to ride. Queen Victoria used a tricycle in the late 1870s, making them acceptable for women to use in Europe and later in America.

This model has a treadle, or push style pedals, solid metal construction, solid rubber tires, and a removable wood and fabric canopy that looks like it’s for fashion rather than coverage.

During the 1880s and 1890s, both adults and children enjoyed getting around on the more stable tricycles. This next tricycle was made a few years later, around 1889, and was marketed as an adult tricycle.

When a new “safety” bicycle became available, tricycles saw a decline in popularity.

This adult tricycle uses the “cripper” style handlebar that was made famous by a British cycle racer who popularized this style of handlebar. It also has a unique lever- and cable-operated brake drum mechanism on the real axle and a kerosene cycle lamp.

steam, electric, or gasoline?

Which power source would be best to use for motor vehicles? The issues included the availability of fuel, ease of using the vehicle, the cost, road conditions, and miles that could be traveled on 1 gallon. Customers voted with their checkbooks.

Early on, horses were thought of as a major cause of pollution. Since fuels were conveniently available, few thought about how long these natural resources would last.

At first consumers favored steam and electricity as power sources for their cars, but eventually gasoline won out. Let’s look at the alternatives.

Stanley Steamer

Locomobile Steamers racing each other at a fairgrounds while drivers in a horse and buggy look on.

In 1903, the first Stanley Steamer was produced.

Sterling Elliott’s neighbors, Francis and Freelan Stanley, developed this car, and it was the first automobile that Elliott purchased.

These steam-powered cars were economical, powerful, and ran on readily available kerosene. But . . . they were hard to start and hard to drive, they frequently needed additional water, and explosions were always a possibility. In the following picture, twins Francis and Freelan Stanley are driving their first car in 1897; the steering tiller is under the blanket.

With just a few parts to make the car run, these cars were less expensive to manufacture than gasoline motors and generated more power than electric cars. However, it took a while for the engines to build up steam. The valves had to be frequently adjusted, and the water gauge had to be continually watched while on the road.

Note that the boiler, tiller, and drive train are under the seat. Seems like it would be tricky to start since the driver would have to climb under the car to start it.

This 1-cylinder car could go 6.5 mph and cost $700.

1903 gas-powered Cadillac

In 1902, Henry Ford quit the Henry Ford Company over a dispute with his investors. Henry Leland took his place and renamed the company the Cadillac Automotive Company, honoring the explorer who founded Detroit and launched the Cadillac automobile.

The serial number for this Cadillac is 113, making it one of the earliest ones made and still in existence.

Henry Ford went on to start the Ford Motor Company in 1903, and General Motors bought the Cadillac Automotive Company in 1908.

Early Cadillac production machines were powered by belts running off shafts driven by a single steam engine.

With a gasoline car, drivers could drive long distances without interruption. The engines had greater precision and closer tolerances than steam and electric engines, allowing them to run more smoothly and efficiently.

The company claimed that, mile for mile, its car was cheaper to buy and maintain than a horse. As a marketing stunt, this car was driven up the steps of the Wayne County Building in Michigan in 1902.

Cadillac was the first car to be built with interchangeable parts.

In the left-hand picture, 3 cars were taken apart and the parts were mixed together, reassembled, and then driven 500 miles to win the coveted 1908 British Royal Automobile Club Dewar Trophy. The interchangeability of parts is one of the most significant contributions to the growing automobile industry.

This 1-cylinder car could go 6.5 mph and cost $750.

electric car

This duplex model was built in 1914 in Detroit. It had 2 sets of controls so the driver could either sit in the front or the rear of the car.

The manufacturer claimed that 98% of all trips could be taken without recharging the battery. However, rural areas rarely had electricity, and cities often had few electric charging stations for the cars.

By the late 1920s, the automobile market shifted from the city to the country with its rougher roads. Electric starters on the gasoline-powered cars made them easier to operate. The days of the electric car were coming to an end.

Today with the demand to conserve fuel and reduce pollution, electric cars are seeing a comeback.

This car was a rolling parlor with cut glass flower vases and Turkish cushions.

The grouping of the seats allowed the passengers to easily converse with each other. The single seats could turn around completely so passengers could leave the car without disturbing the others.

This electric engine had 40 cells and an A6 Edison battery. No speed was noted on the specifications, but it sold for $3000.

Benz motorwagen

As we turned from the earliest cars, we saw this early motorwagen that is a re-creation of a 1886 vehicle designed by Karl Benz in Germany.

This vehicle is credited as being the first successful automobile powered by an internal combustion engine.

In 2002, Mercedes-Benz made 90 exact recreations of the original motorwagen using Karl Ben’z original engineering drawings.

But the behind-the-scenes stories are always so interesting. Benz’s patent in 1886 is regarded by many as the birth of the automobile. By mounting an “Otto Cycle” engine created by Nicolas Otto to a 3-wheeled horseless carriage, this invention became the earliest motorcar. At the same time, Gottlieb Daimler attached the same engine to his bicycle, creating an early motorcycle. Eventually these 2 men got together and became an automotive dynasty.

Mrs. Benz added to the story when she took the Benz Motorwagen on a 66-mile trip to visit her mother.

Bertha identified and solved at least 3 major problems on the trip. Because the vehicle lacked power to climb hills, she pointed out the need for a second gear set. After several long downhill sections, she stopped and asked a shoemaker to nail leather to the brake blocks and so invented brake lining. Since gasoline was only sold in pharmacies as a cleaning product, she had to make numerous stops to buy fuel while on her trip; thus she identified the need for gas stations.

Bertha let her husband know of her successful trip by telegram, demonstrating the feasibility of travel by motorwagen.

lots of old cars

A large area in the museum contains these beautiful older automobiles and other vehicles, including boats.

a view of the museum floor showcasing many of the old cars

Over 50 old cars are in a 3-level car-racking system. Cars are brought down on a robotic tray and then rotated on a turntable to show them off to museum visitors.

Looking down and looking up at the cars stored on the 3 levels.

A car is being brought down from a higher level.

And we get to see the 1930 Ford Model A station wagon up close just on the other side of the glass.

Here’s a 1936 Austin “Nippy” roadster

Some 700 of these were made between 1933 and 1937.

The Austin Seven was introduced in 1923 and remained in product until 1939. Mr. Harmen Elliott, son of Sterling Elliott, bought it new in 1936 and used it as a “shore car” on board his yacht.

Rusty, a 1931 Ford Model AA school bus, is a permanent fixture at the museum.

Students and those with a long memory can climb into history and see what it was like to ride in such a school bus.

trucks in the 1930s

Since many Americans weren’t able to own their own cars in the 1930s, getting chores done, like getting children to and from school and getting ice for their kitchens, was difficult. Trucks and buses solved many of these families’ needs. Children could get to school, trucks delivered ice and dairy products right to the front door, and coal and oil trucks brought fuel to warm the families’ homes.

Tow trucks moved vehicles when cars got stuck, and ambulances and police trucks helped out in emergencies.

Early dump trucks, along with motorized shovels and graders, helped build the highways that connected the nation. Life was changed forever.

early tow trucks

1927 Ford Model TT tow truck; original price was $325 for the chassis (the towing rig was purchased separately)

While the Model T Ford was introduced in 1908, this next heavy duty Model TT truck was introduced in 1917. Both of these vehicles remained in production until 1927, and over 15,000,000 were made.

This tow truck is equipped with a hand-cranked 3 1/2-ton towing boom.

Here’s a tow truck that was built a few years later.

It’s a 1931 Ford Model AA service car tow truck.

One of the displays in this area were drawings of what a automobile could look like and how it actually looked when it was built.

This is a 1953 Cadillac Fleetwood. I don’t remember it though; before our time.

replica of a Pelican 1911 hydro-aeroplane

This early hydro-aeroplane was hanging from the ceiling above the cars. Hugh Willoughby (1856-1939) loved creating new machines that helped humans travel at high speeds; he also helped transform racing sports. Much of his work was done in his winter home in Martin County where the Elliott Museum is located.

He began designing airplanes after setting a speed record driving from Philadelphia to Newport. In 1908 he wrote to Orville Wright about his bi-plane, War Hawk, and this Pelican hydro-aeroplane.

Willoughby assisted Orville Wright on some of his early flights and also designed dirigibles and speedboats. He even helped the U.S. Navy develop submarines.

He thought that his hydro-aeroplane was a faster way to travel over water and still be safe. Pelicans in flight inspired his design of a plane that would fly in good winds a few feet above the water. For steering, the plane had double elevators that mimicked pelicans’ use of their heads and tails for steering.

Since many feared flying early on, he thought that this plane would calm their fears since if anything went wrong, the Pelican would simply settle on the water and essentially become a motorboat because of its watertight floats. Sadly, his vision didn’t catch on, and the Pelican never went into production.

Another claim to fame was how Willoughby traveled the Everglades in a canoe and wrote a book about it.

power on the water

Since Barney loves boats, here’s a 1934 Chris-Craft.

This boat was so popular that in the 1950s a kit boat was made available.

Smaller than the original boat, this one is still a beauty!

The Kit Boat Division was created to offer small, low coast outboard powered pleasure boats to the general public.

The use of plywood for the outer skins was adopted from WWII boat building experience. The Division was closed in 1958.

Evinrude mtotors

These speedboats were dependent on the motors that powered them. So let’s look at why these motors were created.

The early story is so interesting. In 1906, Ole Evinrude and his future wife, Bess Cary, were picnicking with some friends on a hot day in August on Lake Michigan. Bess wanted a dish of ice cream so Ole hopped into his row boat and headed toward the nearest ice cream shop—1 1/2 miles away. As Ole tried to row quickly to get the ice cream back, he watched it melt into a pool of sweet soup. A light bulb went off in his head: “why doesn’t someone invent a motor for these boats? Maybe I should.” Just 3 years later he presented his wife with a strange contraption with a pinwheel attached to the tail. She asked if it was a coffee grinder. But no, he assured her, it will power a rowboat without the use of oars. And the story continues.

The first Evinrude outboard motors weighed 62 pounds and sold for $62. The 2-cycle, 1 cylinder, water-cooled detachable boat engine was a huge success with the boating public and kick-started a million dollar industry that rolls out sleeker and more powerful models every year. All for a dish of ice cream! Thanks for your love story, Ole and Bess.

Ralph Evinrude took over from his father and grew the business. More about him later in this post.

a newer car

In 1998, German auto manufacturer BMW acquired the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand name and logo after a battle with Volkswagen. They agreed that VW would acquire the Bentley brand, along with the historic Crewe Works in England where Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars had been produced since 1946.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom sedan was the first car to be introduced by the new BMW-controlled company. All of the parts are completely different than those that had been used previously by the other company.

It’s built on an aluminum space frame chassis and has a large engine coupled with a 6-speed automatic overdrive transmission. It can go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds; its top speed is governed at 149 mph. Only 1002 Phantoms were made in 2009.

famous Floridians from Martin County

One of the most famous people from Stuart, Florida, in Martin County is Frances Langford—an actress and singer from the 1930s. After starring in movies in the 30s, 40s, and 50s, she started traveling with Bob Hope’s USO tours to entertain American troops fighting abroad.

Her second husband was Ralph Evinrude, the outboard-motor heir.

They build the Polynesian-themed Outrigger Resort and Restaurant in nearby Jensen Beach. Her 3rd husband, Harold Stuart, served in the Truman administration, but she retained her close ties to Martin County.

Frances loved fishing and entertaining. This picture is of Frances and her 3rd husband, Harold.

This wicker peacock chair is from her restaurant the Outrigger. It sat at the head of a table used only by her for entertaining.

We know about Ralph’s famous father, Ole, of the ice cream story. Ralph joined the family business when he was 20 and managed it until his father passed away. Then he merged the company with Johnson Motor Company. By the time he retired as chairman, the company employed more than 9000 people worldwide and had various product lines including lawn mowers, snowmobiles, and chainsaws.

He also established an Evinrude test facility in Stuart.

Ralph and Frances were as generous as they were famous. The Evinrude Foundation supports charities and institutions. In Stuart, the foundation’s generosity included critical funding of the Elliott Museum.

aircraft in Martin County

In 1929, Leroy Grumman and 4 other partners founded the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Company in Long Island. Their 1st contract with the U.S. Navy in 1931 established Grumman as an aviation company. Retractable landing gear for the Navy’s XFF-1 fighter was one of its early successes. Wanting a better climate for test flights, Grumman opened a site in Stuart in 1950.

This site was used for test flights, manufacturing parts, and completing other assembly work. This plant also manufactured several parts for the Lunar Module in the Apollo program for going to the moon.

By 1970, around 800 workers found their home here, and it remained an important part of the community until 1994 when Grumman was sold to Northrop Corporation. In a few years, Northrop returned the land and buildings to Martin County, and Grumman’s history with Martin County was over.

Some of the planes built and tested here.

replica of early general store

One room in the museum was constructed as a general store that would have been found in Stuart in the early years.

why “Treasure Coast”?

Perhaps you’ve heard that this area along the Florida coast is referred to as the Treasure Coast, but did you know why? We didn’t. Here’s the answer. In the mid-1960s, the publisher and the editor of the Vero Beach Press Journal decided to brand the region that was between of the Space Coast around Cape Canaveral and the Gold Coast from Palm Beach to Miami.

Taking their inspiration from treasure hunters searching for the Spanish treasure boats off the coast, they named the counties of Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River as the *Treasure Coast*.

Today many existing and new businesses began to incorporate Treasure Coast in their names.

baseball in Stuart

Florida has been the spring home for baseball for more than 100 years. Every February, players and fans travel here to practice for the season starting in early April.