January Mystery at the Museum Solved…

The answers to this month’s series of Museum Mysteries are (in weekly order): A wheel on the 1910 Speedwell Automobile, the 1902 C.R. Patterson Buggy, a 1903 Battery Charger, and the 1921 Custer Electric Wheelchair. This month’s mystery artifacts, and many others, can all be found on display in the Dayton Sales building at Carillon Historical Park! For a sneak peek at next week’s Mystery at the Museum artifact photo, be sure to pick up a FREE copy of the Dayton City Paper next Tuesday!

Week 1 | 1910 Speedwell Automobile

1910 Speedwell Automobile: The Speedwell Motor Car Company was incorporated in April of 1907, in Dayton, Ohio. Started by Pierce Davies Schenck, the company’s first year offerings included two different body styles with your choice of either a 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder Rutenber engine. By 1912, the company had expanded, requiring a factory that covered six acres, and they began to offer several types of light and heavy–duty trucks, as well as manufacturing their own engines. Unfortunately, like many other Dayton businesses, the Speedwell Motor Car Company became a victim of the 1913 Flood. With much of their factory equipment destroyed by flood waters, many Speedwell dealerships across the country were forced out of business as the company was unable to deliver any finished vehicles for most of the rest of that year. The company finished the year 1914 deep in debt and by January 1915 the factory had ceased all operations. The company was placed in receivership a few months later.

Week 2 | 1902 C.R. Patterson Buggy

The 1902 C.R. Patterson Buggy: Charles Richard Patterson, an African American, was born in Lynchburg, Virginia of free parentage, in April, 1833. At a young age, he moved with his father to Greenville, Ohio, where father and son soon became village carriage smiths. Over the next fifty years, Patterson earned the reputation for making high quality carriages and buggies. Unlike many other carriage manufacturers of the time, Patterson’s firm made the successful switch to manufacturing automobiles when it became necessary. Over the next few decades, the company expanded their line of offerings to include trucks and buses as well. They also manufactured custom-bodied vehicles such as ice and milk trucks, moving vans and hearses.

Week 3 | 1903 Battery Charger

1903 Battery Charger: Unlike the battery charging stations or units one sees today, this battery charger looks to have been pieced together. Dating to around 1903, this charging station was used to charge batteries utilized in early automobiles. This particular charging station utilized a large mercury vapor tube rectifier, that somewhat resembles a large light bulb, in order to handle the high current outputs that were used in the early part of the 20th century. Over time, as the technology improved, this charging station was modified. In its current configuration, it is set to charge a single 6-volt battery.

Week 4 | 1921 Custer Electric Wheelchair

1921 Custer Electric Wheelchair: The Custer Specialty Company was founded in 1915 by Levitt Luzern Custer. Custer was an inventor, collector and adventurer. As a man who had been fascinated by transportation, this World War I pilot had set the record for the longest flight in a free balloon in one hour’s time in 1909. His mechanical genius was always going, and, he held over 20 different patents for transportation devices, scientific equipment and amusement rides. This 1921 Electric Wheelchair was one of his most popular inventions. Originally designed to aid injured World War I veterans, this chair was the inspiration for another motorized chair that was used by visitors at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.

To see other historical images from our collection, search our Digital Photo Archive.