INVENTORY OF OBJECTS AND MATERIALS FORD T MODEL
Storytelling is a powerful way to connect people to the built environment. Historic sites tell stories to visitors about the past of that place and the people who frequented it to capture the imagination of guests. While oral tales can be a compelling tool, preservation driven associations have heightened public engagement through historic sites by incorporation historical reconstructions that reflect upon the period of significance of a specific place. The Georgia State Railroad Museum is no stranger to the positive influence historical reconstructions and demonstrations have on visitors. Consequently, the institution is often seeking out new creative ways to connect with their guests via authentic experiences. A recent donation from Maine by Mr. and Mrs. Geiger of a Ford T Model vehicle serves as active facilitators for recreating historically meaningful recreations for the customers of the institution. At first glance, the Ford T model appears only as a vintage vehicle brought over from Maine with no direct link to the Southern Georgia Railroad. However, although not an object produced to serve Savannah in the Antebellum period of the railroad directly, the Ford carries romantic significance for the museum due to the genuine value it brings the minds of those who frequent the institution today. In other words, the Ford feeds onto the idyllic historical narrative of the railroad by reliving the days when passengers would walk out of the train station towards bustling Martin Luther Kind Blvd and Louisville road to catch a ride home on the all-American Ford T Model. Affectionately known as the “Tin Lizzie” and the “Flivver,” the Model T is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile in the United States. The Model T opened travel to the typical middle-class American as a result of Ford’s efficient fabrication, which included assembly line production instead of individual hand crafting.1 Ford’s Model T was successful not only because it provided inexpensive transportation on a massive scale, but also because the car signified innovation for the rising middle class and became a powerful symbol of the United States age of modernization.2 Furthermore, the car remained in production in the same basic form for 19 years, producing an average of 1 million units per year.3 The Model T was significantly restyled during its lengthy production cycle from 1917 to 1926. Exterior finishes other than black were first available on the closed models in 1926, followed shortly after that by the open cars, like the one at the Georgia Railroad Museum. Recently restored by the previous owners, the Ford Model T continues to operate smoothly while still carrying its authentic vintage look of the “Depot Hacks”- later re-coined “Station Wagons” - that picked up passengers from the train station in Savannah.4 Original mechanical refinements in the model in the exhibition at the museum include a lengthened rear frame cross member, revised springs and spindles, and a one-inch lower ride height. The car also has a decent breaking capacity for its time, with 11-inch rear brake drums and enlarged foot pedals, providing improved performance and operating life. Also, the Ford possesses an engine with a four-cylinder L-head, an estimated 20 horsepower, two-speed planetary transmission, a solid front axle with transverse semielliptic leaf spring, live rear axle with transverse semi-elliptic leaf spring on a 100” wheelbase, and twowheel mechanical rear drum brakes. In addition to cloth-covered wiring, planetary transmission, 12-spoke wood wheels wrapped in Firestone Gum-dipped tires, tilting front window, chrome-plated hubcaps, underhood horn, dash amperes meter, Ford Moto-Meter radiator cap, Ford step plate, carpeted floor coverings with rubber front mat, dual cowl lamps, rear tail lamp, rear-hinged tailgate, rear seat, and running board luggage rack for passengers.5 Conclusively, even though the Ford T Model currently in exhibition at the Georgia State Railroad Museum has no immediate tangible link to the train station in Savannah, the car serves as a vehicle that connects the imagination of those who encounter it today. When guests of the museum ride inside the Model T during tours that narrate the history of the site, they are not merely listening to historical tales, but instead, they manage to engage with it at a vivid level directly. Hence, the Ford plays a vital role in the intangible heritage and the collective memory that is attached to the Georgia State Railroad Museum. Sources: 1 St. Louis Car Museum. Ford Model T. 2 Price, R.G. Division of Labor, Assembly Line Thought - The Paradox of Democratic Capitalism. 2004. 3 Cobb, James. This Just In: Model T Gets Award. The New York Times. 1999. 4 Terry Koller. Director of Outreach and Partnership Development. Coastal Heritage Society. 5 Ford Instruction Book. Ford Motors Company. Detroit Michigan. 1926.
Ford T Model, Georgia State Railroad Museum.
Ford T Model, interior. Georgia State Railroad Museum.
Ford T Model, Georgia State Railroad Museum.
