Honeymoon in a T

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Honeymoon in a T
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ben Umberger on Sunday, September 08, 2013 - 09:25 pm:

Hello,

I’m a long time reader but virtually never posted. I hope some of you can help my friend get an idea how people typically traveled in a T. My friend is writing about her parents who honeymooned in a Model T. She is interested in how many miles people would travel in a day, what roads and traffic were like. Where travelers stayed overnight and what were typical meals for such travelers.

I have attached a couple of pictures, wondering what year you think the car is. Here is her notes on the trip.

I am writing a story of my parents who were married June 2, 1928 in the farmhouse where mother lived in Decatur, IN. Daddy was from Berne, IN.
I found the honeymoon photos - these are at Mammoth Cave, KY.
.
We have no journal of the trip, and these are the only photos we have, but I am trying to add info about what we think the trip would have been like from Decatur IN to KY and back.
The newspaper clipping of the wedding says .."after the reception the bride and groom went to southern Indiana, KY and Tennessee."
I doubt that they set up the tent every nite.

Anything you might be able to learn re possibilities of eating, lodging or mileage would be great.

Thanks

Ben


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Sunday, September 08, 2013 - 09:35 pm:

Photos?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tony Bowker on Monday, September 09, 2013 - 12:50 am:

Several years ago in The Vintage Ford, Elizabeth Bell wrote of a trip as a 16 year old girl and her father from Iowa to San Francisco. The first day they covered over 400 miles, starting at 4am and staying in a cabin at 9pm. That, I am sure this distance was the upper extreme. There is a book called Model T Tramps, the story of two 21 year olds who wanted to visit all four corner states. The trip took about a year, covered 10,000 miles and the fastest they drove was 25 mph on a concrete road in Florida. Also of note, they were no paved roads in Montana. They spent most nights in a tent on the side of the road, other times in barns of a friendly farmer.
Both are great reads and give a good idea of road travel conditions in the early 1920's.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harold Schwendeman - Sumner,WA on Monday, September 09, 2013 - 01:12 am:

Tony - Would you happen to know who the author of the book Model T Tramps was? Thanks,....harold


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Monday, September 09, 2013 - 02:38 am:

Likely Tony thinks about "Ford Tramps", written by Seegar W. Swanson while he was in his 90's: http://www.amazon.com/Ford-tramps-Seegar-W-Swanson/dp/0967188202


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Monday, September 09, 2013 - 02:44 am:

"Ford to Frisco" by J. Smith Walsh is another period travel story: http://www.modeltford.com/item/FORD-FR.aspx


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Grady L Puryear on Monday, September 09, 2013 - 10:04 am:

Talk about missed opportunities ! In the 70's (?) I was eating breakfast in Evanston, Wyoming. A light snow was falling, a nice day. An older couple were sitting in the booth next to me, they were talking about old times when then had come through Evanston on their way to California. This trip had been back in T days, they were newly weds and had left from somewhere up north, Illinois, Iowa or somewhere, I sure wish I could remember the details. Anyway, they struck out for California looking for work. I got to talking to them and they still remembered most of the details of the trip,it would have made a book to end all books. They took it as it fell, if they were in a town when night fell, they would try to hole up with some family, I did that with my folks back in the day. They described the dirt road, lack of fuel, all of the above. I so regret not getting names and such and following up on this, still regret it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert G. Hester Jr., Riverview, FL on Monday, September 09, 2013 - 11:14 am:

Hi, Ben. I have a copy of the book that Roger mentioned above. It's on loan to Scott Conger, you should ask him for it. Good details about a Model T trip from southern Illinois to San Francisco in about 1915.

As a child, my dad moved from South Georgia down to central Florida in 1924. An uncle drove him and his mom and siblings down in a new Model T touring car, a trip of some 325 to 350 miles. The trip took two days, mostly on sand roads. They packed provisions for the trip. Dad said that the unbelievable part was that they made the whole trip without a flat tire.

Hope to see you Saturday. Bob


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Don Lyon, PDX, OR. on Monday, September 09, 2013 - 11:45 am:

Another very good book is "Eight Girls, Two Model T's, and The American West". About 8 gals that drove from Minnesota to the west coast. Great read, Don.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott Conger on Monday, September 09, 2013 - 12:46 pm:

http://www.amazon.com/Alices-Drive-Republishing-Veil-Duster/dp/1880397560

Alice's drive, a reprint of Veil, Duster and Tire Iron, a true story about a young woman's drive across the country in a Maxwell.

Let me tell you: our ancestors were a heck of a lot tougher than we are today...


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