The Hudson Triangle
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THE HUDSON TRIANGLE Digital Supplement Exclusively for members of the Hudson Essex Terraplane Historical Society. A 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization Volume 15 Issue 1 FIRST AUTO TO ENTER SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, 1910 Generals Highway, Three Rivers, Tulare County, CA Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ca1791.photos.215543p/ February/March 2013 Page 1 HET Historical Society - Moving Forward The Starting Line “On February 28, 1906, Chapin, Coffin, Bezner Departments and Brady signed a formal agreement establishing a partnership for manufacturing The Starting Line 2 automobiles with $6000 capital.“ * Behind the Wheel 3 To recognize the founding of the HMCC in The Finish Line 20 February, we have included some early history ___________ articles. Park Waldrop found our cover photo this month as History well as the article from “Mac's Motor City Garage“. This led to several photos at the Library of 1910 Model 20 Front Cover Congress. Training Program Part 1 6 We are also starting a new series this issue. Dennis The Hudson Plant 8 Flint taught a docent class about Hudsons at the Library of Congress Photos 14 California Automobile Museum in Sacramento, The Triangle 16 CA. He provided a copy of the training material that End of the Line 17 was used in the class. And it provides another collection of facts about the history of the HMCC. Letters 18 A Dealership 19 We are starting to see sparks of Spring in Southern California. Next month the local car shows start in Historical Society Projects earnest, so it is time to put on another coat of wax and get the Hudson out for the public to admire and Doc Hudson Tour 5 enjoy. Gilmore Exhibit 24 And our local Playhouse is running the play “Driving Miss Daisy” https://vimeo.com/54990164 . It has been very successful and they are going to run it Historical Society, Inc. another month. Recently we took the Hornet up and parked in front of the theater before the matinee. Dennis Flint 4 We drew a nice crowd and passed out some Board of Directors 22 literature to interested observers. Archives Bob From the HETHS Media Library 21 * excerpt from “HET Handbook of Facts” Membership Dedicated to How to Reach Us 22 Preserving the Membership Application 23 History of Hudson Motor Cars ___________ © 2013 February/March 2013 Page 2 HET Historical Society - Moving Forward done right. The Doc Hudson replica is preparing to leave Aaron Cooper, HET Club president and HETHS director and Iowa to then be displayed in Nebraska, courtesy of the Falk family. From Behind the there it will go to Colorado where, under the Wheel supervision of HETHS member Bill Lentz, it will be displayed and then to Utah where With Mike Brownie Peterson will see that it makes ap- Many of us are experiencing the first signs of pearances in more museums and car show spring and that means get that Hudson, Essex, events. After that it will drive to the internation- Terraplane, Dover, or Italia ready to fly! al meet in San Francisco. And after that it will As you will read in this edition of the Triangle, be displayed in Sacramento at the California Automobile Museum. Finally, after its time in Dennis Flint, HETHS director has resigned his Sacramento, it will start a series of events position on the board of directors. It is not just across the country, to end up in French Lick something to say, when I say, he will be Indiana for the 2014 HET international meet. missed. Dennis, often without fanfare, consist- Thanks to Dick Teeter, HETHS director for ag- ently gave to the Society. In my world, I count gressively managing this effort. Dennis as a friend and hope he will continue to help us with our many projects. He is a good Finally, just a note about vision. For any or- one – when you see Dennis, it would be a ganization, vision is critical to its survival. We good idea to let him know what he means to have to know where we have been, where we our society. are, and where we want to go. Many of us are busy with Hudson car projects. When Sue Kennedy, past HETHS president, I know at least three directors who are busy and the HETHS directors approved the Doc restoring a car for the upcoming season. Re- Hudson project they saw the potential for it cently I mentioned to Brownie Petersen, who helping the Society fulfill its 501C-3 commit- is in the process of rescuing a 1954 Hornet ment and for telling the Hudson Essex Ter- coupe, that each time we save one of the raplane Historical Society story. It is a great HMCC made products, we are preserving a bit tool, allowing us to tell the Hudson story and to of history. Once we all are at the big Hudson recruit new members. Those who led this pro- meet in the sky, these cars will still be bringing ject are to be thanked and congratulated for joy to folks for a long time. the vision of a Doc Hudson replica car. This edition of The Triangle focuses on history related to the Hudson Motor Car Company and their cars in observation of the founding of the Hudson Motor Car Company, which took place in February. Park Waldrop, HETHS director is owed a thank you for his contributions to this issue. Bob Ross, our editor is doing a fantastic job. I am sure you will agree. Bob is involved in oth- Take care and drive those Hudsons! er important projects for the Society. If Bob agrees to do something, you know it will be Mike February/March 2013 Page 3 HET Historical Society - Moving Forward Dennis Flint Resigns from the Company story. The exhibit included a TV/ HETHS Board of Directors VCR with the Legacy Video running on a continuous loop. Dennis arranged for several Dennis Flint from different Hudsons to be displayed in the Sacramento, CA joined museum, as this museum required that the the HET Historical Hudson cars be rotated every few months. Society July 25, 1996. But Dennis didn’t just give his money to the Society; rather he became an active and enthusiastic member. On the first day of his membership, he suggested the HET Historical Society consider sponsoring a Hudson exhibit at the Towe Ford Museum now known as the California Auto Museum in Sacramento, CA. Over the course of the next year, Dennis Dennis’s 1940 De Luxe Six worked diligently as the HET Historical Society representative in making a Hudson In addition to the money given by the HET exhibit happen at the California Auto Historical Society to sponsor this exhibit, Museum. Dennis personally gave the museum hundreds of dollars to continue the exhibit. Dennis also donated his 1941 Hudson to this museum and he developed Hudson educational materials for training docents. With a change in leadership at this museum in November, 2009, the HET Historical Society sponsorship of the exhibit at the California Auto Museum was discontinued. In October, 1997, the HET Historical Society established a Hudson exhibit at the Wisconsin Automotive Museum in Hartford, WI. We were searching for a Kenosha built Hudson for this exhibit, which would be particularly relevant to Wisconsin transportation history. In July, 2003, Dennis loaned his 1956 Hornet sedan to the California Automobile Museum Wisconsin Automotive Museum. Then, in September, 2003 Dennis donated to the HET Historical Society his 1956 Hornet, which continues to be on display at the Dennis personally made a kiosk display with Wisconsin Automotive Museum in Hartford, literature telling the Hudson Motor Car WI. February/March 2013 Page 4 HET Historical Society - Moving Forward Dennis Flint is the only member of the A Preliminary Draft of the Doc Hudson HET Historical Society who has Tour donated a Hudson to the Society, as all other automobile donations have Our proposed routing is as follows: come from non-members. Doc is now in Iowa. Aaron Cooper will be Dennis was elected to the HET driving to Nebraska in March to hook up with Historical Society Board of Directors Ron Falk. in July, 2002 and served continuously Ron Falk with the cooperation of Tom Henry and until January 2013 when he submitted Mr. Dikeman will be heading west toward his resignation. Dennis became a Colorado and the Rocky Mt members. lifetime member in August 2003. There, Rocky Mt members Ed Wright and Bill His contributions and services to the HET Lentz will take over from the Nebraska guys and Historical Society are too numerous to meeting Mike Cherry with Doc Hudson, probably mention, but include chairing the near Rawlins, WY. development of several Hudson Story Mike needs Doc Hudson by May 1 if possible. Boards which were displayed at the Mike and Brownie Petersen have big plans for National Automobile Museum, The Doc Hudson in Utah; a former Hudson Harrah Collection, during the 2005 dealership display followed by a car show in National Meet in Reno, NV. Dennis’ Boise, Browning Museum and a big car show in unique contributions to the HET Ogden. Following Utah, Mike will drive Doc Historical Society have been unparalleled Hudson to San Mateo for the International Meet by any other member. in July. Then I will take Doc to Sacramento for Thank you Dennis for your many years of a couple of months in the California Auto service and your great enthusiasm for Museum. Thanks to Dennis Flint for that lead. the HET Historical Society and for the We need museum location ideas after October history of Hudson Motor Car Company.