The Stanley Steamer: America’s Legendary Steam Car

Please join the Ledyard Historical Society at its autumn membership meeting for The Stanley Steamer: America’s Legendary Steam Car, presented by automotive historian Christopher Kit Foster.

The event is 2:00 p.m., Sunday, October 2, in the Bill Library Meeting Room – 718 Colonel Ledyard Highway, Ledyard Center.

Automotive historian Kit Foster is author of The Stanley Steamer: America’s Legendary Steam Car, the definitive book on the subject. A past President of the Society of Automotive Historians, he also is Ledyard’s Town Historian and the President of the Ledyard Historical Society.

In 1897, identical twin brothers Francis and Freelan Stanley set out to build their own steam car. Having made a fortune manufacturing a new type of glass photographic plate, they came up with a light runabout that weighed but 600 pounds, and performed very well. Orders came in quickly, but before they could build many cars, some New York investors convinced them to sell the company.

After three years, however, they were itching to get back in the business, and developed a new improved steamer. By 1906, they had come out with the iconic “coffin nose” Stanley Steamer and set a new land speed record at Ormond Beach, Florida. Although the automobile industry all but abandoned steam by 1910, the Stanleys continued to build their steam cars into the 1920s, and invented many other useful tools and machines along the way.

The public is cordially invited. Refreshments will be served. Please join us and bring a friend!
For information, call 860-464-6466 - http://www.ledyardhistory.org