One Hundred Years

An article in Saturday's Wall Street Journal called This Car Changed America (subscription required) celebrates the upcoming 100th anniversary of the sale of the first Model T (Oct. 1 1908):

One could start a lively debate among historians about which car is the second most influential in American history. Perhaps the Chevy Corvair, which launched Ralph Nader, the consumer movement and the litigation explosion? Or the Volkswagen Beetle, the official car of the 1960s counter-culture? Or maybe the Toyota Prius, which might lead to cars powered by electricity and fuel cells?

But there is zero question about which car has had the biggest influence: Henry Ford's Model T, which went on sale 100 years ago, on Oct. 1, 1908. The Model T put America on wheels, created mass mobility, revolutionized mass production, established the American middle class and eventually reshaped the country's physical landscape with suburban sprawl. Over a two-decade run more than 15 million were built, more than any other car in history except for the Beetle.

The Model T followed Ford's Model R and Model S, adhering to the fledgling company's convention of naming cars after letters of the alphabet. Even before it went on sale, dealers had ordered 15,000 Model T's -- more than twice as many cars as Ford Motor had sold the entire previous year. Henry Ford, who was 45 years old and only modestly successful when the T was introduced, promised dealers that the car would be reliable, affordable and versatile. He was right.

The Model T's two-cylinder engine produced 20 horsepower, less than some of today's John Deere lawn tractors. But to a farmer used to harnessing two or four horses to a plow, having the equivalent of 20 horses must have seemed a quantum leap. The car could cruise at 45 miles an hour at a time when that speed felt plenty fast on America's rough roads. It got 15 to 20 miles on a gallon of gas. There were two gears, plus reverse. A chassis crafted of a new type of steel, vanadium, made the Model T lighter but stronger than other cars of its day, and it was the first car with fully interchangeable parts, which made repairs easy and inexpensive.

The first Model T cost about $850, compared with the price-tags of $1,000 or so on comparable Chevrolets. Until 1913 the Model T was available in four colors: red, green, blue and black. But that year Mr. Ford invented the moving assembly line and, with it, modern mass production. He decided that using just one color would further enhance efficiency, and famously declared that customers could have "any color they want, as long as it's black."

A year later Mr. Ford began paying his workers the unheard-of sum of $5 a day, and the American middle class was born. By 1922 Mr. Ford had cut the price of his Model T to $250, while competitors were charging closer to $300. One of every two cars in America -- indeed, in the world -- was a Ford. Mr. Ford had made good his pledge: "I will build a car for the great multitude. No man making a good salary will be unable to own one, and enjoy with his family the blessings of hours of pleasure in God's wide open spaces."

Model T's could be -- and were -- converted into speedsters, tractors, fire engines and delivery trucks. New companies made Model T accessories; one allowed the engine manifold to be used as a cooking grill, another powered saws for chopping wood. The Lamsteed KampKar, a forerunner to the Volkswagen micro-bus, was a $535 kit that converted the Model T into a camper, with beds, stove and running water. The KampKar was made by Anheuser-Busch during the 1920s, when Prohibition forced the brewer into other lines of business.

Model T's became such an American staple that "The Original Ford Joke Book" was published in 1915, poking affectionate fun at the car. One entry:

It maketh me to lie down beneath it.

It soureth my soul.

It leadeth me in the paths of ridicule for its name sake.

Yea, though I ride up the valleys, I am towed up the hills.

Over the years, Ford regularly improved the Model T, with such additions as headlights and electric starters. What didn't change were key design quirks, which eventually made the car obsolete and allowed General Motors to pass Ford. The Model T had three floor pedals: a clutch, a reverse pedal and a brake. The accelerator was mounted on the right side of the steering column, where turn signals often are found today. The car never did get turn signals; drivers used hand signals instead.

The car was nicknamed the "Tin Lizzie," explanations for which vary. Eventually it was made in 19 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, England, Germany, India and Japan. "It was the first world car," says Robert Casey, curator at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich., and author of an excellent new book, "The Model T: A Centennial History."

Model T enthusiasts gathered in late July on a fairgrounds in Richmond, Ind. -- home of the Model T Club of America -- to celebrate the car's 100th birthday. Among the 800-plus Model T's on hand was a Lamsteed KampKar belonging to Peter and Sally Kable, who shipped it from their home in Kiama, Australia, to Los Angeles. Then they took nearly six weeks to drive it to Indiana, camping out many nights, just like the "tin can tourists" of years past. Eric Gould drove his Model T from Monroeville, Ala., also the hometown of Harper Lee, author of "To Kill a Mockingbird" -- a book that changed America in its own way.

Also attending the celebration was Edsel Ford II, a member of Ford's board and a descendant of Henry Ford. "I am thrilled to be with the keepers of my great-grandfather's legacy," the 59-year-old scion told the crowd. The Model T succeeded, he added, because it was "a product that delivered freedom." Near the end of his remarks Mr. Ford grew choked with emotion, clearly and deeply moved by the occasion, as indeed was his audience. The loudest applause came when Edsel introduced a tall, friendly 28-year-old junior purchasing analyst for Ford Motor who happened to be his eldest son: Henry Ford III.

Cooking By The Book

The accounting firm of Doughty, Doughty, & Doughty* has just released the latest Doughty 500 financial statement:

August 2007--Income from the 2007 auction $1017

August 2007--Expenses for operating web site for one year $200

August 2007--Expense for design of label for water bottles $70

December 2007--Interest income for 2007 $12.68

August 2008--Interest income for 2008** $14.13

August 2008--Income from 2008 auction $410***

August 2008--Expense for cost of banners $199.70


Income $1453.81

Expenses $469.70

Balance $984.11


* Who would trust any firm run by three guys with the same last name?

** As of July 31st, 2008.

*** Sales reported at the time of the auction were $435, but only $410 was actually received.

2009 Tour

It's never too early to start thinking about next year's tour. In what will be a historic passing of the command baton from generation to generation--and despite deep-seated reservations from more sober-minded family members--Mike, Sean, and Tom will be in charge of the strategy, tactics, and logistics in planning and executing the 2009 Doughty 500.

They will obviously need all the help they can get so please feel free to pass on any and all ideas that you have for making the tour better than ever. I have quite a few myself and will be making them known soon. For now, let me throw this one out there:

How about an annual Doughty 500 golf tournament during the tour? Play a scramble format so any hack (like Jay) would feel comforaable playing. Set aside the same day of the week for it each year, have prizes awarded, maybe a group dinner afterward, and even come up with a special Model T releated trophy (must have the ability for victors to drink out of like the Stanley Cup). Something to think about.

From a small acorn...

Lots of news and lots of updates on the way in the next few days.

But first, an important item of business. One of the difficulties in maintaining this site is the amount of time it takes to post photographs that people send me, keep family contacts updated (which I haven't been doing), and keep up on the latest family news. It requires far too much manual intervention.

In order to help make all of the above much easier and keep everything more organized and updated, I've created a new Doughty 500 page at My Heritage.com. You can access it at:

www.doughty500.myheritage.com

There is A LOT we can do with this site. So far, I added the photos from this year's 500 that Brendan sent me. You can easily upload your photos too or import them from other photo sharing sites like flickr, Picasa, webshots, and photobucket. I will be adding more albums and more photos shortly. If you do upload photos, please try to put them in the correct album "2007 Doughty 500" for example.

Another nice feature is the family tree. I just started this so there are very few names right now. Please go in and add as many as you can. You can also include e-mail addresses for people and their birth dates.

There are also places for a message board, a calendar, polls, and even recipes. Yes, finally we can share recipes! I understand that David makes a mean apple brown betty. The one thing that don't currently offer is video file sharing, but I'm sure Etrayu will let us know the links to the clips he posts on You Tube.

Anyway, go there take a look and let me know what you think. I'm also going to send an e-mail invite out to some of you to join up too. The current plan that I signed up for is free, but limits us to 15 people which obviously won't work. If this is something we want to stick with (and I think it is) we'll have to sign up for an upgrade. For $5 a month we can get 250 members, a gig of storage, and a face recognition tool included. A bargain indeed.

If this new site works out, it may eventually be able to replace the current Doughty 500 site. For now, I'm going to keep them both active. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck

Sean (Larry) e-mails to step up to the happy hour challenge:

Without consulting Mike (Moe) & Dave (Curly) I am volunteering the three of us for the Tuesday happy hour. Tom will not be there so I am drafting Dave as a stand-in. I do not know what the theme will be but I am reminded of a quote from Mike just last week. When faced with making a cocktail decision he said "Go HARD or go home. I'll have a chardonnay, please." A telling moment.

Let the humor begin.

The Countdown's On

Only a week to go before the official kick off of the aught-eight Doughty 500. A couple of items of business to attend to quickly:

- The exact date and time of the auction will be determined on Monday night. There will be separate (but equal) auctions for kids and adults. Please bring items appropriate for either or both. While we realize that embarrassing photos of family members are priceless, we encourage you to try to keep the value of items to be auctioned under $15 per.

- We still need a host/hostess for happy hour on Tuesday night. With a pretty pregnant wife (yes, she's both pretty and very pregnant) and two small children in tow this year, I fear that I will not be able to fill in behind the bar (in fact my overall participation in this year's tour will be limited). But if there's one thing the Doughty family knows (perhaps an unfounded assumption) it's how to sling drinks. I'm sure that some upstanding member of clan Doughty will step up to the challenge.

That is all.

Happy Hour/Event Schedule

Here's a preliminary schedule proposal:

Monday July 28th--Drinks and dinner at the Chetek Airport hosted by Paul & Bernice

Tuesday July 29th--Open (let me know if you want to host it)

Wednesday July 30th--Mike and Tammy host

Thursday July 31st--Graduation party happy hour (hosted by Sonja & Danette) and auction after dinner

Blame It On Henry

Danette heps us to this story from NPR:

This year is the 100th anniversary of perhaps the most famous car ever made. The first Ford Model T--also known as the Tin Lizzie--rolled out of Detroit in 1908. It put America on wheels and helped forge a manufacturing revolution.

At Ford's Piquette Avenue Plant, in a room about 12 feet by 15 feet in size, Henry Ford and a handful of engineers worked to build what Ford called a "universal car."

They decided it would run on gasoline. Both steam power and electricity were options at the time, but gas-powered cars were easier to refuel and quicker to start.

Gimme Some Water

Official licensed Doughty 500 water will once again be available on this year's tour. The water is derived from the finest Wisconsin springs and comes in a bottle bearing the official Doughty 500 logo.

A case of this pure liquid refreshment is available for a mere twelve dollars. What a bargain.

Pre-order yours today by dropping Danette an e-mail at:

ddtj@triwest.net

Come the tour, the weather will be warm and the roads will be dusty. Don't be caught without a way to wet your whistle.

What About The Children?

DeeAnne e-mails with a suggestion:

I would also suggest that we have a separate children's auction if we do it again this year. People can bring items for either the adult one or the children's. Also, no adults can bid on the children's items.

Sounds acceptable to me. I am assuming that the definition of children will be based on mental maturity meaning that Sean would be eligible for the children's auction. It's an open question whether he should really be allowed to participate in the grown-up bidding anyway.

Now Three, Will You Give Me Three?

Brendan has asked that we conduct a poll to determine if we should have an auction at this year's Doughty 500. He has also suggested that we try to limit the value of the goods donated to $15 if we do agree to a reprise.

Should we have an auction at this year's Doughty 500?
	Yes, it was a lot of fun last year
	No, I don't like fun
	I was pretty loaded last year and don't remember much of the auction, but I'll go along with the wishes of the majority
Free polls from Pollhost.com

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Day

We will once again be continuing the tradition of rotating happy hour hosts at this year's Doughty 500. Since Paul and Bernice are the official tour planners, they get a day of their choice. I also understand that one happy hour will be used to celebrate this year's graduates (alcohol free those under twenty-one of course).

That leaves two openings, which will be determined by a drawing. If you want your name in the hat, drop me an e-mail. The drawing will take place in mid-June and results announced shortly thereafter.

Banner Day

Bernie is planning to use some of the funds raised from last year's auction to purchase official Doughty 500 banners. Unless anyone has serious objections (no Dave, we can't use ALL the money for beer) twenty-five such banners will be ordered at $6.25 each and distributed at this year's tour. That is all.

Ambulance Chaser

We are happy to report that Brendan is out of the hospital and at home recovering as well as can be expected under the circumstances.

If you see him at this year's 500, be sure to ask him about his excellent ambulance adventures. It turns out he would have arrived at the hospital much sooner in the back of a 'T' or hitching a ride on a horse and buggy. The journey only seemed like five hundred miles.

Get Well

Brendan Doughty was hospitalized last Friday and remains at St. Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin.

His daughter Molly provided this update yesterday:

He is in St. Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield and will probably be there for another week at least. He was taken by ambulance on Friday and had to have surgery on his "innards" and he had a temporary pacemaker put in. He is doing O.K. now, but he gave us a scare.

And a follow-up today:

He had a rough night last night and was moved back to the cardiac floor, so I am not sure of his room number. The hospital is 611 St. Joseph Avenue, Marshfield, WI, 54449. We appreciate any thoughts and prayers.

Please direct those thoughts, prayers, well-wishes, cards, flowers, etc. to Brendan's attention.

Raising The Bar

Bill Moen, co-author of Badger Bars & Tavern Tales: An Illustrated History of Wisconsin Saloons, offers a list of local shows featuring bar paraphernalia:

LaCrosse, WI--HEILEMAN/CITY BREWERY SHOW Sat. May 3--9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
North Star Chapter's and Heileman At Large Chapter's show at the former G. Heileman brewery in LaCrosse, next to the brewery's gift shop. A fun time for all! Contact Dave Wendl, 651-731-9573 for details.

St. Paul,MN--SUMMIT BREWERY SHOW Sat. May 17--9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
NSC's annual show in the parking lot of the great Summit Brewery. Located at 910 Montreal Circle. Contact Dave Wendl, 651-731-9573.

Dubuque, IA--EAGLE POINT PARK SHOW-Sat June 6-7
NSC's and Hawkeye Chapter's annual funfest. Friday night room-to-room at the hotel, Saturday show at Eagle Point Park. Contact Dave Wendl, 651-731-9573

Cloquet, MN--NORDLAGER SHOW AT THE NORTHEASTER HOTEL Fri-Sat July 11-12
NSC's and Nordlager Chapter's 3rd annual show at the grand and glorious and newly restored Northeaster Hotel, 115 St. Louis Avenue in Cloquet, MN. Can't miss this one. Contact Bert at 218-393-0657 or Dave, 651-731-9573

Cold Spring, MN--GLUEK BREWERY SHOW Sat. July 26
NSC's annual show at the former Cold Spring brewery in conjunction with Old Days town celebration. Contact Joe Wendl, 651-731-9573 for info.

Chippewa Falls, WI--JACOB LEINENKUGEL BREWERY SHOW Sat. Aug. 9
NSC's annual show in conjunction with Pure Water Days town celebration. Contact Dave Wendl, 651-731-9573 for info.

Maplewood, MN--NSC's GUZZLE 'N' TWIRL Fri-Sat. Oct. 10-11
Our big annual show will be at Aldrich Arena and at the Holiday Inn Maplewood again this year. Stay tuned for further details or contact Dave Wendl at 651-731-9573.

Room At The Inn?

Rumor has it that the rooms are going quickly and only a handful remain under the Doughty 500 reservation. If you haven't gotten your room yet, hop to it else you may be left out in the cold.

How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm?

Today's Wall Street Journal has an article on old tractors that are fetching Maserati prices (subscription required):

An auctioneer barks out numbers in rapid-fire rhythm. In a standing-room-only crowd, proxy bidders hunch over their mobile phones and cover their ears. Auction-house assistants fan out and move close to bidders who seem most intent on winning.

What's at stake isn't contemporary sculpture or an Old Master painting on the block at a Manhattan auction house. It's an old tractor, a 1960s John Deere, at a recent auction in New Paris, Ind. After it sells--for $57,000--and it's time to drive the tractor away, there are so many spectators trying to get a closer look that the sleek machine can only inch its way gingerly off the block.

Old tractors like this one are exerting a new kind of pull. As collecting interests a broader, wealthier audience, prices for many models, especially those more than 40 years old, have surged. Some of the oldest tractors -- early 20th-century machines often powered by steam --can now fetch $100,000 or more, up from about $10,000 a decade ago. Rarer models can sell for much more.

While farmers have dominated the antique-tractor market in the past, they are now bidding against a new, well-heeled breed of collector. The influx mirrors the trend of city slickers buying up farmland for vacation homes in rural parts of the country.

Motel Update

In the previous post with tour details, the phone number for the Super 8 Motel in Chetek was incorrect. The correct number is (715) 924-4888.

You can find out more about the Super 8 here.

A Taste Of Wisconsin

David, the official marketing director of the Doughty 500, e-mails to report that Leinenkugels'--the unofficial sponsor of the Doughty 500--has finally reached the Sunshine State:

We got it goin' on in Florida.

A Model T Milestone

The Ford Model T will celebrate its 100th birthday this year and the company is planning a year long celebration:

Celebrations will officially commence at the 2008 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in Amelia Island, Fla., March 7-9. Ford has many other regional events in the works for a year filled with celebrations, including a special Model T display at the West Coast's largest Ford enthusiast car show -- the Fabulous Fords Forever! event at Knott's Berry Farm Amusement Park in Anaheim, Calif., on April 20. In July, Ford Motor Company will be the title sponsor of the Model T Ford Club of America's "T Party 2008" that will be held in Richmond, Ind.

The T Party in Indiana promises to be something special:

Ford Motor Company, with support from Ford Motor Company Fund, is the title sponsor for the "T Party 2008" celebration hosted by the Model T Ford Club of America, which plans to bring in close to 1,000 Model Ts for this significant milestone.

The "T Party 2008" will be held July 21-26 in Richmond, Ind., and is expected to be the largest gathering of Model Ts since they left the factory. The weeklong centennial celebration will draw more than 10,000 Model T owners and enthusiasts from around the world. More than 700 Model Ts are already registered for the event, including entries from England, Norway, Australia and New Zealand.

"The support and response we're receiving around the T Party has been phenomenal. The Model T Ford Club of America has been looking forward to celebrating this milestone for many years," said Jay Klehfoth, chief executive officer, Model T Ford Club of America. "We're thankful for Ford's support in helping bring this event alive to the thousands of Model T enthusiasts who will join us from around the world."

You can find more info on the T Party here.

We're also planning to incorporate the T's 100th birthday celebration into this year's Doughty 500. Details still need to be worked out, but expect to be seeing and hearing about it a lot on the tour. The T has come a long way baby.

Saints Begora!

A couple of years ago John J. Miller made the case that Americans should honor a different Irish saint:

This time next week, many Americans will wake up wondering why they had partied so hard the night before. A better question might be why they honor St. Patrick at all, because he is not the most fitting patron saint for Irish America.

The problem isn't that Patrick is objectionable in any way. As the man who brought Christianity to Ireland, he is obviously a figure of enormous significance. Yet there is nothing distinctively American about him--and Irish-Americans have a better choice in St. Brendan.

In the year 486, about a generation after Patrick's death, Brendan was born near Tralee, on the southwest coast of Ireland. Few hard facts are known about his life except that he founded a monastery at Clonfert and established several other enclaves around the British Isles--making him one of the fellows who laid the groundwork for Irish monks to "save civilization," as Thomas Cahill's best-selling account has it, when the rest of Europe was losing its heritage.

But that's not what makes Brendan special for Irish-Americans. His connection to them comes from the legends surrounding his other feats, which became popular tales in the Middle Ages. "The Voyage of St. Brendan" describes our hero leading a group of monks on a seven-year quest in search of a promised land that supposedly lay across the vast western sea.

The story features plenty of fantastic elements, such as fire-breathing sea monsters, an encounter with Judas Iscariot and a friendly whale who lets the pilgrims hold a Mass on his back at Easter. Several literary types have labeled the "Voyage" a Christian version of the "Odyssey," and it certainly includes adventures rivaling those in Homer's classic.

If you have a chance, why not hoist one for Saint Brendan tonight?

Those Were The Days

James Lileks digs up an ad from a bygone era at the Bleat:

Let's have an old ad. I used this illustration from the 1927 Minneapolis Auto Show. Many brands, few of which remain. A flapper to make it sexy.

2008 Doughty 500

Breaking news on the dates and location of the 2008 Doughty 500. According to a press release hot off the desk of one Paul Doughty, the 2008 Doughty 500 will begin on Monday, July 28th and wrap up on Friday, August 1st.

The 2008 Tour will be based in beautiful downtown Chetek, Wisconsin a.k.a. The City of Lakes and home to the Fish-O-Rama. Now, they will also be able to lay claim to the 2008 Doughty-O-Rama. You decide which is the more prestigious event.

Motel information will be forthcoming shortly.

UPDATE: More details now available:

The 2008 Doughty 500 will take place July 28, 29, 30, 31, and August 1.

We have 21 rooms blocked at the Super 8 Motel in Chetek.

Details:

* Phone 715-924-2538 715-924-4888
* Rooms are $65.88 + $6.00 extra for each additional adult.
* Reserve rooms by June 20.

Itinerary:

* Noon July 28--Meet at Gilligan's--East on D, Chetek. There will be a short tour that afternoon.
* July 29--80-mile tour to West
* July 30--80-mile tour to East
* July 31--80-mile tour to North or something like that!
* August 1--Depart

UPDATE II The correct phone number for the motel is 715-924-4888.