1913 STANLEY (STEAM) 810 MOUNTAIN WAGON BUILT BY
Stanley Motor Carriage Company Newton, Massachusetts
PRICE WHEN NEW
$2,300
ENGINE
Steam (single expansion)
BORE
4 ½”
STROKE
6 ½”
BOILER CAPACITY
450 psi
The Stanley twins, Francis E. and Freelan O., have been credited with some unusual achievements, including production of the first commercially manufactured violins in the United States, the first practical manufacture of photographic dry plates, and the development of early X-ray equipment. In Newton, Massachusetts, the brothers began experimenting with horseless carriages around 1896 and completed their first steam-powered car in October 1897 and, in August of 1899, they sold their first Stanley steam car. By December of the same year more than 100 orders were received. In 1899 the Automobile Company of America bought out the Stanley brothers. Then in 1901 the Stanley’s bought back their own interests and the Newton plant resumed production in 1902. In 1906, Freelan Stanley moved from Massachusetts to Colorado for health reasons. While recuperating, he built the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park near Lyons, Colorado. To reach the hotel’s beautiful location, Stanley built a road from the Loveland railroad station to Estes Park. He then converted an existing 30-horsepower Stanley steam car into a “mountain wagon” so tourists could be taken directly to the hotel from the station. By 1908, there were seven Stanley Mountain Wagons carrying hotel passengers up and down the steep, winding road. In 1909, the factory offered the Mountain Wagon in sales literature for the first time and they were produced until 1916. The Stanley Motor Carriage Company produced steam vehicles from 1902 to 1924. The Museum’s Mountain Wagon was used in the 50th anniversary of the Civil War in 1913 at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where more than 50,000 Civil War veterans convened. For ten weeks, it carried thousands of persons over the battlefield.
The Mountain is equipped with gauges on the instrument panel and a hose so the vehicle could stop at any creek and fill up with water. The fixture on the end of the host is known as a “frog screen.”
It was purchased by Harrah’s Automobile Collection for $12,000 in May 1966 and restoration was completed during the summer of 1974. Records indicate the Mountain Wagon participated in two Sun Valley, Idaho, events, the Horseless Carriage Club of America National Tour, July 28 – August 1, 1975, and the Sun Valley Bicentennial in September 1976.
The Mountain Wagon was donated from Harrah’s Club to The Harrah Automobile Foundation in the 1980s. In 1997, it was shown by the Museum at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and also brought Honorary Judges onto the field for their introduction during opening ceremonies, which included Executive Director Jackie Frady. Museum staff did not have experience in operating steam vehicles and Cal Tinkham, former steam expert with Harrah’s Automobile Collection, was engaged to prepare the vehicle for the Concours and operate it during the event. J U LY 2 0 1 9 N A T I O N A L A U T O M O B I L E M U S E U M 5
