Annie Oakley to the Wright Brothers, historic towns to Amish country, there’s a tour for everyone!
Jump down to:
Historic Richmond
Hagerstown or Bust!
Arches, Alleys & Roads: Touring Historic National Road and Antique Alley
A Step Back in Time: Exploring the Underground Railroad & Amish Country!
The Wright Brothers, Hoosier Basketball & More
Covered Bridges of Preble County
From Canals to Lakes and Everything In-between!
Nature Lover’s Tour of Wayne County
Annie Get Your Gun!
Run for the Borders! From Indiana to Ohio and Back Again
Other Area Events and Attractions
Preliminary Tour Information current as of 9/1/07. Tours are still being finalized and may be subject to change.
Historic Richmond
FREE TOUR
Days Available: M, T, W, Th, F, S
Tour description
At the time that Henry Ford was developing the Model T, Richmond was a bustling and progressive city of industry. The city’s builders and citizens have always taken great pride in the community as evidenced by this colorful prose written in 1906:
“Richmond enjoys the reputation of being the prettiest, cleanest, and healthiest city in the Union. All of its natural advantages have been utilized until today no city in the middle West surpasses Richmond from the industrial and commercial viewpoints and but few equal her.” Your tour of Richmond will highlight some of the areas of the city that continue to make her citizens proud! The guidebook for this tour will include many photos of Richmond in the year 1908 and will bring the city’s history alive as you imagine life when the Model T was in its hey day!
The Old Richmond Historic District has more than 213 structures of historic importance. This area was first settled by members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and later by free blacks and German immigrants. The district is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Historic Depot District is a grouping of 19th and early 20th century industrial structures. Today, these buildings house antique stores, fun and fabulous restaurants, a coffee house, a unique furniture store with beautiful murals painted on the walls and more! Narrated walking tours of this district will be available at select times. The Main Street District, known as Uptown Richmond features nifty cafés, smart stores, old-fashioned street lights, planters, bricked sidewalks and landscaping that make it a jewel of urban renewal. Narrated walking tours of this district will also be available at select times.
Historic districts and buildings are a reminder of the hard work and success of the past. Homes in the Starr Historic District reflect the early, middle, and late Victorian periods of architectural styles, as well as additions of early 20th century homes. The Starr District, along with the area of National Road known as Millionaire’s Row, were the neighborhoods of choice for many of Richmond’s business and industrial leaders and is an excellent example of the life and times of that era.
Museum stops include the Wayne County Historical Museum, which has been called “a miniature Smithsonian, NY Metropolitan, and Williamsburg all rolled into one.” Exhibits include a superb collection of early Richmond-made automobiles, steam powered tractors, the first Davis airplane manufactured in Richmond in 1929, and more about Richmond’s rich industrial heritage. The most popular exhibit is the recently updated gallery that houses a 3000-year-old mummy with her beautifully preserved and exquisitely painted coffin. You can also visit the Richmond Art Museum, a fine art museum with a permanent collection of American Impressionists, Taos School, the Hoosier Group, the Richmond School and other regional artists. It also has a small but significant collection of local ceramic artists including works by potters of the Arts and Craft Movement, the Overbeck Sisters and the Bethel Pike potters.
You will also have an opportunity to explore Richmond’s jazz history in the Starr-Gennett District of the Whitewater River Gorge. The gorge area played a significant role in music history as the home to the Starr-Gennett record company — giving Richmond the title “cradle of recorded jazz.” These and many other sites will make your tour of historic Richmond a great day!
Hagerstown or Bust!
FREE TOURS (2 routes)
Tuesday only
Tour description
All roads will lead to Hagerstown on Tuesday for the exciting vintage airplane fly-in at the longest grass airfield in the country! “Fly Boys” from around the country will thrill you with their WWI, WWII and stunt airplanes. The village of Hagerstown is rolling out the red carpet for you and your Model T. Local restaurants and food vendors at the airfield will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Watch the planes arrive throughout the day or spend the afternoon strolling through charming Hagerstown antique shops and museum.
Depart Richmond at your leisure and take one of two free tour routes through the charming countryside to Hagerstown. For those who would like to take a longer drive, the West Tour “Wright Brothers, Hoosier Basketball & More!” (see description below) is available as well. Important note: All cars must be parked on the airfield no later than 4:00 pm.
In Hagerstown you can visit the Nettle Creek Cultural Center. Once a public hall built in 1880, this museum features murals painted by local artist Charles L Newcomb in 1913. Other exhibits include local native American history, birth of an early canal town, industrial heritage and much more. Visit Abbott’s Candy Shop for a delicious treat! Founded in the 1890’s, Abbott’s is nationally known for tasty homemade caramels and chocolates. The store is owned and operated by the third generation of the Abbott family. Also stop at Two Sisters Bird Nest on Main Street. Opened in 1957, this is one of eastern Indiana’s most interesting gift shops.
Arches, Alleys & Roads: Touring Historic National Road and Antique Alley
FREE TOUR
Days Available: M, T, W, Th, F, S
Tour description
Not long after the first settlers arrived in Wayne County, the Historic National Road was carrying pioneers across Indiana. For three decades beginning in 1830 Indiana was welcoming more than 90,000 new settlers a year. Today, Indiana’s section of the National Road is designated a National Scenic Byway and an All American Road. Travel across Wayne and Henry counties to see an intriguing and colorful panorama of history that unfolds like an accordion packet of travel postcards. And if searching for treasures from the past is your passion, then you’ll want to return more than one day to explore our famous Antique Alley, Indiana’s best antiquing destinations! Along with 200 years of history, you’ll discover some of the most significant landmarks along the entire course of the Historic National Road.
Historic Centerville is the hub of Antique Alley and home of Indiana’s largest antique mall, Webb’s Antiques. It’s not a surprise that in May 2007 Midwest Living magazine included Centerville in its list of Best Small Town Getaways. Before heading out for the day, be sure to make time to stop at the Model T Museum to see the latest displays. Centerville is a village of charming inns and intriguing antique and specialty shops. Centerville was an important stop along the National Road in the 19th century. As many as 200 wagons a day passed through the town, providing livelihood to the inns, wagon shops, saddle shops and tanneries. It still depicts the look of yesteryear with early 19th century row houses and archways. Here you can see the Lantz House Inn, once a shop used to build and repair wagons. Today, it has been beautifully transformed into a quaint bed and breakfast in the heart of Antique Alley. The historic Mansion House was opened in 1840 as an inn and served as the office for the Western Stage Company. The inn had a ladies parlor, a barroom, large dining room and dormitory-style bedrooms. It was also the site of one of the first women’s temperance crusades in 1858.
Next stop on the National Road is historic Cambridge City where the streets are dotted with antique and specialty shops. Here you will find the Overbeck Pottery House, Museum and Studio. Overbeck Pottery, produced between 1911 and 1955, is recognized as an important part of our national art history. The museum preserves the creative art of the six Overbeck sisters, who lived and worked in Cambridge City. A coal-oil kiln is in the square kiln house built in 1830’s. Also in the city is the Western Wayne Heritage Museum located in the Vinton House Hotel. It is a 3-story brick federal structure built in 1847 and is one of Indiana’s oldest and longest running hotels. The museum is located on the 3rd floor of the Vinton House Antiques. Finally, you can stop at Huddleston Farm House Inn Museum. Weary travelers making the difficult journey westward on the National Road in the mid 19th century stopped at the Huddleston farm for meals, provisions, shelter and feed and rest for their horses. Completed in 1841, this 22-acre farmstead has been beautifully restored by Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana as a museum showcasing early commerce along the road. This site is also home to the Indiana National Road Association. Tours and private dinners are available by reservation.
Take your time at the antique shops you will find in Dublin, Straughn, Lewisville, and Dunreith before heading into Knightstown and the return trip to Richmond.
A Step Back in Time: Exploring the Underground Railroad & Amish Country!
NORTH TOUR
Days Available: W, Th, F
Max. # cars/day: 150
FEE: $20/car
Tour Description
The first stop on the North tour is in Fountain City to see one of the most historically significant “stations” on the Underground Railroad. For more than 2,000 escaped slaves between 1839 and 1847, this 8-room, modified Federal style brick home of Levi and Catharine Coffin became a safe haven on their journey to Canada. You will get a peek into Indiana history through hidden doors, false-bottomed wagons and other methods used to hide escaped slaves. The site is a registered National Historic Landmark and the History Channel has listed the Levi Coffin House as one of the top 25 historical sites in America.
Our tour will continue north into scenic northern Wayne County, home to Indiana’s newest Amish settlement. The Amish live without the use of electricity and motor vehicles and the rolling farmland is worked with horses. Children attend one-room schools. The Model T crowd should feel right at home with the slow-moving, gray-top buggies in this part of the county! You can stop at the Williamsburg Main Street Market where you’ll find an assortment of Amish homemade butter, cheeses, pickled items, crafts and baked goods.
We will continue to Winchester, the county seat of Randolph County where the Civil War monument on the Courthouse lawn is the 3rd tallest in Indiana. Also in Winchester you can stop at Silver Towne where since 1949, craftsmen have provided quality precious metals gifts and collectibles. Their coin department is one of a collectors’ dream, and their jewelry shop is fully stocked with 14kt gold and sterling silver, precious gems and diamonds. Another highlight here is historic Winchester Speedway, Indiana’s sanctioned NASCAR facility. This nationally known speedway began as a half-mile dirt track in 1917. Today the 34 degree banked racing track is the site of stock car, sprint car and midget events which draw participants and visitors from coast to coast and Canada. Take your Model T on a lap around the track that is consistently featured on ESPN and continues to feature the biggest names in automobile racing today!
On to Union City and a visit to a specialty chocolatier where you can indulge in a treat selected from a wide array of hand-made gourmet French chocolates. These pieces of artwork are almost too beautiful to eat! Breakfast pastries, croissant sandwiches and more are available as well. You can then return to Richmond for the evening activities or continue north to Bear Creek Farms for a mouthwatering dinner at their Grand buffet. Bear Creek Farms is a family owned and operated country resort in rural Indiana. Take a stroll & enjoy a variety of shops that offer something for everyone from handcrafted furniture & beautiful floral to farm baked goodies, dry goods, country charm decorator items, Fenton Glass, Bearington Bears, Yankee Candles, housewares, collectibles, clothing and so much more.
The Wright Brothers, Hoosier Basketball & More
WEST TOUR
Days Available: T (Sold Out), W, Th, F
Max. # cars/day: 150
FEE: $20/car
Tour description
This is the only paid tour available on Tuesday and is designed for those who may want to spend more time touring before heading to Hagerstown for the vintage airplane show. The tour heads out of Richmond and travels the Historic National Road US 40. Built in 1830, the Indiana section of the road is designated a National Scenic By-way. We will venture off the beaten track and drive on the only original section of the road that has been preserved. (Note that stops between Richmond and Knightstown are not scheduled. The National Road free tour allows plenty of time for checking out the interesting attractions and shops along the way.)
In Knightstown we will visit the 1950s era Trump’s Texaco Station Museum, which is a one-of-a-kind collection that pays tribute to the roadside service stations along the National Road. Vintage advertisements, authentic uniforms, memorabilia, and antique gas pumps out front make the museum easy to spot! It’s a unique chance to revisit a bit of Americana. Just down the street we will visit the Hoosier Gymnasium. Basketball has played a large part in Indiana history and this gym served the community well for 80 years. In 1985 Hollywood came to Knightstown and filmed the classic movie “Hoosiers” that portrayed the phenomenon of the small town dream team. The film starred Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey and Dennis Hopper and was hailed as one of the best sports movies ever made. The gym is now used as a community center. We will tour the building and see many interesting displays.
The next leg of the drive will be to New Castle where we will visit the High School Basketball Hall of Fame and the New Castle Chrysler Fieldhouse, which is the world’s largest and finest high school fieldhouse. You won’t want to miss either of these sites. Both buildings share parking facilities. There are also more than enough places to enjoy lunch in downtown New Castle.
After lunch we will drive to the Wilbur Wright Birthplace and Museum. Here we’ll see a full-scale Wright Flyer plus written and photographic accounts of the historic day in 1903 when the world’s first powered flight took place. A new display added in 2007 depicts the North Carolina campsite where the Wright Brothers lifted off on that historic flight. There is also a replica of the home where Wilbur lived. This will put everyone in the mood for heading to Hagerstown and the vintage airplane fly-in.
Important note: All cars must be in place on the grass airfield by no later than 4:00 pm in order to see the show.
For those who may want to not linger too long at the basketball sites, the option of a tour through Wilson Winery in Modoc will also be available.
Covered Bridges of Preble County
EAST TOUR
Days Available: W, Th, F
Max. # cars/day: 150
FEE: $20/car
Tour description
Spend the day touring in Preble County, Ohio located just east of Richmond. Over the years a total of 29 covered bridges were built in the county. Some were built for turnpikes, one for the railroad, one by a private enterprise, and some to replace original ones that were destroyed by a storm in 1886. Everet Sherman, a covered bridge builder originally from Vermont, moved to Eaton and built Childs truss and kingpost truss-type bridges. Seven of the original 29 covered bridges remain today.
The Roberts Bridge, built in 1829 is the oldest covered bridge in the state of Ohio, the second oldest in the US, and one of six remaining double-barreled covered bridges in the country. This bridge was moved from its original location to a park in Eaton, the county seat of Preble County. While in Eaton you will have time for photos of your Model T at the Roberts bridge, a drive through Fort St. Clair park, site of an American fort between 1750-1799 and battleground in the Indian wars. Eat lunch and spend time shopping in this quaint town.
The Preble County Historical Society will also be on the list of sites to see. From the early 1800s to modern day, Preble County has treasured its rich farming and rural traditions. The county’s Historical Society Museum has a wealth of historical materials, from family photographs and records to old-time clothing, buggies, and even a 1903 Model A Ford! The remainder of the tour will take you through lovely farm countryside and into the town of Lewisburg. Before returning to Indiana, you will see the Brubaker, Dixon Branch, Harshman, Geeting, Christman and Warnke covered bridges, all displaying their unique charm and heritage.
From Canals to Lakes and Everything In-between!
SOUTHWEST TOUR
Days Available: W, Th, F
Max. # cars/day: 150
FEE: $20/car
Tour description:
One of the most interesting and scenic drives in Wayne County is Abington Pike. This tour takes you through lush countryside dotted with quaint farmsteads. The first stop will be in Abington for coffee & donuts served at the Abington Christian Church built in 1871. Across the street is Paddock’s General Store, listed on the Indiana Historic Site and Structures Inventory, circa 1840. This old time country store offers antiques, collectibles, pottery, deli sandwiches, and homemade pies served with a side order of memories. Just outside is the 1903 water fountain and horse watering trough. Although no longer useable, it is still reminiscent of days gone by.
We will continue southwest, meandering along the east fork of the Whitewater river and past historical sites including a spot where the rural free delivery mail service was started, plus the picturesque remains of the circa 1819 Stone Church and cemetery. Photo hounds will find plenty of opportunities for stops to capture memorable images. By lunchtime we will reach the historic canal town of Metamora. This charming 1838 town features the only remaining section of the Whitewater Canal with working locks. Take a ride on the horse drawn canal boat through the only covered aqueduct in North America, or hop aboard the Whitewater Valley Railroad for an hour-long scenic tour. Visit the original grist mill and pick up a bag of freshly stone-ground cornmeal or flour. Take a self-guided walking tour of the unique business district and see buildings and homes dating from the 1830s through the Victorian era. See the building that was the original Ford dealership in town. With over 100 shops and attractions, Metamora invites visitors to explore and discover interesting arts and crafts. Choose from a number of restaurants that offer home cooking and pies, and you’ll be hard-pressed to choose which ice cream and fudge shop to select. And no one can leave Metamora without a stop at “Aunt Teaks and Uncle Junques”. It’s hard to describe this unforgettable store!
The return drive will skirt Brookville Lake, a popular recreational spot. This man-made lake was constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s and is situated in the Whitewater River Valley, known for its traces of prehistorical Indian mounds. The last stop will be in Dunlapsville for a brief look at Treaty Line Pioneer Village. The town was first settled in 1818 and was a thriving farming community for more than 100 years. Situated on the edge of the area that was slated for development into Brookville Lake, the town became the focus of a dedicated community effort to purchase, relocate and reconstruct a number of historical structures that would otherwise have been left at the bottom of the lake. Cabins, farm structures, a church, houses, and stores were given a new future in Dunlapsville and today gives visitors a chance to see the pioneers’ way of life.
Nature Lover’s Tour of Wayne County
NATURE TOUR
Days Available: M, W, Th, F, S
Max. # cars/day: 150
FEE: $20/car
Tour description
This tour will be a real treat for the Model T nature lovers! Thanks to the generosity of the City of Richmond and the Parks & Recreation Department, Model Ts are being permitted to drive the Whitewater Gorge-Cardinal Greenway trail. Normally only open to hikers and bikers, this will be a real treat to drive, as well as a test of your driving skills! The Whitewater River Gorge was formed 18,000 to 20,000 years ago as the last Ice Age drew to a close and the Wisconsin glaciers began melting back from the Wayne County area. One huge lobe of ice lingered in the valley of the East Fork of the Whitewater River. Geologists tell us this vast mound of ice produced a raging flood of water as it melted over a period of years. The flood was so powerful in summer that along one of its paths it cut a narrow channel, scores of feet deep into the ancient bedrock. Today that channel is known as the Whitewater River Gorge. It is a dramatic, beautiful trail through deep woods with great views of the river gorge and the towering G Street bridge. There are quite a few steep hills and 9 bridges. For a sneak preview of the drive, take a look at this video.
Along the drive you will see the former site of the Starr Piano Company, which until 1949 produced upright, grand, and player pianos in a sprawling complex which was known as "Banjo Valley". The Whitewater River powered the factory until 1903. In its heyday, Starr had more than a thousand men building twenty thousand pianos per year in thirty-one buildings. Award-winning Starr pianos were recognized around the world for their excellence. In the same area was the Gennett Recording Studio. Did you know that Hoagy Carmichael, Bix Beiderbecke, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Gene Autry, even William Jennings Bryan all visited the Gorge in years gone by? These luminaries and many others made blues, jazz, hillbilly, spoken and other records at the Gennett Recording Studio, which was a subsidiary of Starr Piano, between 1915 and 1934. In the mid-1920's, Gennett was producing three million records per year in the Gorge, but the Great Depression silenced this musical trailblazer.
Thistlethwaite Falls is one remnant of an ancient waterfall which has been migrating upstream for thousands of years, deepening the Gorge as it went. The Niagara Gorge was formed in a similar manner by the backward movement of Niagara Falls. A dozen Potawatami Indiana teepees were seen near Thistlethwaite Falls by one of the first white settlers. Later, a mill was built nearby and the falls became a popular picnic spot for early residents of Richmond. About twenty acres of flood plain and wooded hillside owned by Friends United Meeting are being managed as a bird sanctuary here. The Gorge presents favorable nesting conditions for about fifty species of native birds - from house wren to green heron. How many will you see? How many more will you hear? North and south of where Bridge Avenue crosses the river, the bedrock of limestone and shale is exposed in nearly vertical cliffs. These layers of rock ere deposited by an ancient sea about 450 million years ago and contain one of the world's best fossil records of the primitive animals that lived in that period. So valuable are the examples of rock strata exposed here and elsewhere in the Gorge that "Richmond Group" and "Whitewater Formation" are recognized categories in geologists' system of classification.
Hayes Arboretum is a 466-acre nature preserve with 60 acres of old growth beech-maple forest. The Arboretum provides environmental education to adults and children through summer classes, workshops, exhibits and tours. Take time to stretch your legs on a hiking trail, enjoy a 4-mile auto nature drive, tour the Hayes History Museum, explore hands-on exhibits and visit the bird viewing room located in a 1833 dairy barn that has been converted into a Nature Center. Adena and Hopewell Indian mounds, ponds, field and two new man made wetlands are also on site.
A visit to Richmond wouldn’t be complete without a drive through Glen Miller Park and a walk through the Rose Gardens. Centered by a fountain, and dedicated in 1937, the E.G. Hill Memorial Rose Garden honors Richmond’s famed Rosarian, Gurney Hill. The All America Garden, with more than 16,000 rose bushes, hundreds of colorful annuals and perennials and a lacy Victorian gazebo, has been awarded the A.A.R.S. Display Garden designation. The German Friendship Garden is in honor of our friendship with Zweibrucken Germany.
Stop at Cope Environmental to see over 100 acres of natural and developed wildlife habitats including wetlands, ponds, wooded ravines and a native Indiana prairie. The Jim Cope Conifer Trail features 55 species of pines, spruces, larches and firs from around the world. Over three miles of hiking trails are available.
Annie Get Your Gun!
Annie Oakley Country – Greenville, OH
NORTHEAST TOUR
Days Available: W, Th, F
Max. # cars/day: 150
FEE: $20/car
Tour description
This tour is sure to be great fun for those who enjoy American western history. From Richmond we’ll head northeast through Ohio farm country to Darke County and Greenville, Ohio. Plan to spend plenty of time at the Annie Oakley Center at the Garst Museum, a wonderful place to learn more about this remarkable woman. Born in Darke County, Annie Oakley was a world famous female sharpshooter, who traveled the world with the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. She learned to shoot when she was just 8 years old. At the museum see guns, medals, personal clothing, and gifts given to her by kings, queens and Indian chiefs. Read about her career and see that this hero was not a wild west girl as many have portrayed her, but an inspirational role model who overcame childhood adversity with a rare talent that set her apart and enabled her to become a legend. Other stops in the area will include historic Bear’s Mill. Built in 1849, Bear’s Mill along picturesque Greenville Creek, is one of the last operating water-powered mills in Ohio. Hear stories of its long, rich history, such as how school children dug the 800 foot operation for a couple of years because of the threat of Confederate soldiers invading the state and burning the mill. Some may want to stop at the KitchenAid Stand Mixer Factory Tour. This is the only place in the world where the KitchenAid stand mixer is hand-built. We’ll also give you a chance to eat a famous Maid-Rite crumbleburger and take a stroll through quaint downtown Greenville before heading back for the evening activities.
Run for the Borders! From Indiana to Ohio and Back Again
SOUTHEAST TOUR
Days Available: W, Th, F
Max. # cars/day: 150
FEE: $20/car
Tour description
The rural communities that hug the Indiana and Ohio state lines share much in common, yet they each have their own unique history and heritage. Included on the tour will be College Corner, a small village that literally straddles the state line between Union County, Indiana and Butler and Preble Counties, Ohio. It has some unique political and logistical challenges since the town is located in two states, three counties, and sometimes two time zones! The original school was built on the state line and it is still funded and directed by both states. Once active enough to support a hotel and bank, the neighbors who now live on the small town’s streets have different area codes and zip codes.
Onward to Ohio we will spend time in Oxford, home of Miami University and Hueston Woods State Park. Stops will include tours of the McGuffey Museum, home of the author of the renowned McGuffey Readers. The Pioneer Farm and House Museum was built in 1836 of locally made bricks and now showcases pre-Civil War furniture, historical artificts, and antique farm equipment. The DeWitt Log homestead built in 1805 is the oldest structure in Butler County and the Black bridge is the only covered bridge in the county that remains at its original 1865 location. The Uptown Oxford walking tour includes commercial, residential, recreational, and religious sites with brief descriptions of the historic and architectural significance of more than 100 sites.
You will have the option of choosing lunch in Oxford or at the Lodge overlooking Acton Lake in Hueston Woods. This Ohio State Park boasts nearly 3,000 acres of natural resources for outdoor recreation, such as hiking, fishing, canoeing, and fossil hunting. Within the park is Hueston Woods State Nature Preserve and National Natural Landmark — 200 acres of old-growth forest, with stately beech and sugar maple trees, an abundance of ferns, and wildflowers. Take time after lunch to stretch your legs along the hiking trails or plan ahead and pack a fishing pole for an opportunity to snag largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, and bluegill.
The return drive will take us to Fairhaven, home of historic Bunker Hill Tavern. Although no longer operating, it is a significant Federal and Greek Revival building that operated as a rest haven for thousands of pioneer families between 1825 and 1900. The final stop will be back in Indiana and the tiny town of Boston. Over the years the town’s businesses included mills, tile factory, furniture store, general stores, and a bank. Today it is best known for the municipal airport that services private planes and a sky diving school. Also the Magaws of Boston are nationally and internationally known for their unique, contemporary metal and wood sculptures for gardens, interiors, and businesses.
Other Area Events and Attractions
Assembling a 1923 Model T Roadster in Less Thank 30 Minutes
In 2003 Ford Motor Company celebrated their 100th anniversary. During their celebration they wanted to show the general public the simplicity of the Model T, the car of the century. An advertising agency working with Ford contacted the Wisconsin Capital Model T Ford Club and asked if they would assemble a Model T at Ford’s big event. The catch was the car had to be a full fendered car, not a “racer” or “speedster” that many clubs have as an assembly car. This was not to be a speed assembly, but a showing of how a Model T was assembled. Club members Dena and Dennis Gorder volunteered their 1923 Roadster, named Willie, as the assembly car. Months before the event, club members met to practice assembling the car. Two teams were organized for the event. Instructions were written for each of the 4 members of an assembly team.
The assembly program was designed to include volunteers from the audience. The car was disassembled and assembled close to 100 times prior to the event. Representatives from Ford’s advertising agency traveled to Wisconsin to critique the assembly and offer constructive feedback. The big event came and the car was assembled and disassembled 16 times in four days. Ford estimated over 30,000 people watched as the teams assembled the various parts of the car spread across the stage into a complete car in less than 30 minutes. A team member along with a volunteer sat in the car, started it up and drove it across the stage much to the delight of the audience. Afterwards team members answered questions while disassembling the car and preparing it for the next show. The teams did a private showing for the media with local TV personalities as the volunteers.
Bill Ford, along with his immediate family, was photographed with the 1923 Roadster. This same car will be available at the 2008 birthday celebration of the Model T being held at Richmond County Fairgrounds starting July 21st. Clubs affiliated with the MTFCA are encouraged to organize a team of 6 for an assembly competition. Teams will be sent the instructions used at the Ford event. There will be time during the first part of week for teams to practice. The final competition will be on Friday afternoon. Each member of the three fastest teams will be awarded a trophy. MTFCA will use the same safety regulations as required by Ford. This includes the wearing of steel-toed safety shoes by all team members, the gas tank will not be removed and there will be no hand cranking to start the car. A full packet will be sent to clubs wishing to enter the competition.
If you have a group that wishes to compete, please contact Dennis Gorder at dgorder@centurytel.net.
Victory Vintage Clothing
Victory Vintage is a fine, online marketplace and traveling Road Show specializing in 1900s, Victorian, Old West and Red Hat goods. They "specialize in Wares & Wonders from the Past" and will be at the Centennial T Party all week. For a sneak preview or to place an order in time for July 2008, visit their website: www.victoryvintageonline.com. Melanie@victoryvintageonline.com or 970-635-0804.
Spas and Beauty Salons
For those ladies who would like a day of pampering, check back for a list of area spas and salons.
Classic Car Parade
The Antique and Classic Car Club of Butler County welcomes all Model T Fords to Hamilton-Fairfield, Ohio on Sunday, July 26, 2008 to join in the nation's oldest and largest independently sponsored antique/classic car parade. For more information and entry forms visit the club's website: www.antiquecars.org
Huddleston Farmhouse & Museum Hearth Dinners
Travelers on the National Road 60 years before the Model T would have enjoyed a good hearth-cooked meal at the Huddleston Farmhouse. This 1840 house was a traveler's rest stop for people traveling west in covered wagons. The Model T Ford Club has arranged for special hearth dinners on Wednesday, July 23 and Thursday, July 24 which includes a tour of the historic house at 3:30 p.m. followed by the dinner at 5:00. Guests can help with the preparations or just watch and learn how cooking was done over an open hearth in the 1840s. Seating is limited and advance reservations are required. The $45.00 cost includes the meal and tour of the house. Reservations can be made by calling the Huddleston Farmhouse at (765) 478-3172. More information about the Huddleston Farmhouse can be found at www.historiclandmarks.org/what/huddleston.html
Golf Outing
Area golf locations will be posted here in the spring. A golf tournament is not being scheduled by the organizers.
Riverboat Casinos (Cincinnati area)
Brochures and maps and other information will be available at the Hospitality Desk on site for those who may want to make a day trip to these other great sites. Argosy Casino, Grand Victoria Casino, Belterra Casino
Cincinnati Attractions
- Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Cincinnati Museum Center
- National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
- Harriet Beecher Stowe House
