MTFCA Forum

This story has taken about 15 years to finally complete. 1910 Model T ford #23805 was sold by Hickman, Lauson and Diener company in Milwaukie, WI. on may 6, 1910. The buyer was H. B. Foster Of Port Washington, WI. Foster was described as the local Ford agent in the book "The spirit of west bend" By Dorothy E Williams. She relates that Foster only drove the Ford 1 season until December of 1910 accumulating 7000 miles with only 1 flat tire.
By 1917, Harvey Bernell Foster is residing in Lancaster, WI where resided until his death in 1971. Harvey, his wife and another couple were in a bad auto accident in a different car which scared Harvey into never driving the T again. At some point, a squirrel chewed a small hole in the upholstery. Harvey cut a hole in the wall of his house and put the T in his living room where it remained until its sale to Donald E. Olsen in 1968. Donald Olsen had a very high IQ and was somewhat eccentric. Donald moved to Mexico where he died in a matter of 10 days of alcoholism. His estate was donated to a church and his automotive collection of T speed equipment and the 1910 Ford was all sold at auction in Ridgefield IL inDecember 1972.
Cecil Church of Oblong IL was the new owner. The auction flyer described the T as being in remarkable original condition, having been driven only one season and only needing new tires. Cecil sold the T to Rolland Rebers of Echo, Mn.in march 1986. Rolland only kept the car 2 month and offered it to me because he wanted to by farm land. I bought the car in may of 1986.
The T runs very well and has better low end power then any other T I've ever driven. The only thing changed on the car are the tires. Ive owned this remarkable car for almost 40 years and have decided the best way to preserve this very special car is to donate it to the Ford Piquette Ave. Plant Museum. I"m confident they will take great care of the car and it will be available for many more people to see and enjoy.
If it had not been to Cecil Church giving me the original 1910 Wisconsin license plate, I never would been able to uncover the history of this remarkable car.

Picture of the car.

Amazing story. How wonderful that it can now be enjoyed and studied by all.

Can't wait to see it in person!

Thank you, Kim for your commitment to see this car preserved and to generously share it with others! I can imagine it will be a real draw for restorers of other 1910's.

What a treasure you are giving! Thinking of others!

The car was built at Piquette, correct? If so, it is truly returning home. And even if it wasn't, what a great story and example of preservation!
Thanks, Kim, for the stewardship of the car and donating it to the museum.

Steve

What a great story & generous endeavor, Kim !

What an outstanding car. I remember when you got this car. I was still at my parents home which was in the next town over from you. And I visited you often. It's hard to imagine it has been 40+ years. I was 18 years old when I bought my 1912 from Jay in Fullerton. It has been 40 years in my possession. I am sure you remember my 1912. It's followed me to my different states. And it's still running great!

Guy, you and your dad brought your 1912 over to my house, that was the smoothest running T. I was a convert of a balanced motor from then on. Glad you still have it. We were still young back then!

I have seen this Model T and it has all the same equipment my 1910 Touring which is 341 cars later than this one. I heard of this 23805 T in 1964, but could not locate it.

Kim - What a kind and generous donation to the museum and to the hobby! There's no better source for Model T enthusiasts than to see a well-cared-for original car. Thank you for your decades-long devotion to educating other collectors through your research and personal observations. Not only are you a recognized expert in early Model Ts, you've also been very influential about thoughtful preservation and stewardship. Great job!

Martyn the car is not restored. It is in original as found condition. It is too good to restore. I have seen this car in person. It is a time capsule. It shows as an aged car that has most of the features it had when it left the factory.

Kim! And others interested in this magnificent car. First, thank you for not only preserving this car, but for your generous donation to the Piquette! Now, I am probably the only living person who remembers the car in Lancaster, WI in the 1950's. My father began in the hobby in 1952 and restored two model Ts, a 1913 and a 1911 by 1957. I still own the 1911. I would guess in the late 1950's, he got a lead on a car in Lancaster but from whom I do not remember. However, I know that the person who we met to show us the car was not a family member of the original owner. He was painstaking in his desire to not let it's location be known. This is where the story related to us lo these many years ago changes from the story told in your post. We were led to a small shed at the back of the property. If I remember correctly, it was on a corner lot in town. The side door was opened, and there sat this very car, covered with blankets and throw rugs. It was truly a time capsule, one I will never forget. The story that was told to us (apparently not true because of Kim's research) was that the car was the pride and joy of its original owner and only driven sparingly until WWI. We were told that the young owner was killed in the war and the family kept it untouched in his memory. I can guarantee you that the car was in a small shed, not in the living room of the house. We were also informed that the car was not available at any price, but they had an offer of $2200, more than a well restored early brass T would bring at that time. This memory lingered for years until we learned that Cecil Church had bought the car, and at that time, we knew (because we knew Cecil) that it was in good hands. And now, it could not be in better hands!! Thank goodness my synapses are still working!!!
Wade

It’s really remarkable the 1910 was kept inside all these years and is in the wonderful condition that it is. I have to ask one question.
Since this car was a very low mileage car what condition were the transmission bands in. After nearly 100 years it would seem they probably were beginning to deteriorate. Since the car wasn’t restored the fluids were changed in it.
All in all it’s a car that shouldn’t be touched and left as is. Since it’s going to a museum it won’t be.

Is this early brass T the best UNRESTORED 09-10 out there?

Wade, that's remarkable you saw this very car in Lancaster. I spent 3 days there about 10 years ago, trying to find anyone who knew of the car or the Crawford family, who I know now never did own the car. I went to the library, historical society, local restaurants to talk to local people and the newspaper. Know one knew of the car or the Crawfords.

After 3 days in Lancaster, I went to Madison WI and searched the state DMV records and found that the original license plate was registered to H. B. Foster. That set me on the right track.

2 weeks ago while in Phoenix, I went to the last known address of H. B. Foster. He had passed 2 years earlier, and his neighbors couldn't tell me much about him. One thought he had a sister in New Mexico. When I got home, I found her address in Tularosa, NM and wrote to her and sent a picture of the car. Several days later, I got a call from the sister's husband, she had passed 8 years ago, but the husband, 87 yeas old, has a remarkable memory of H. B. Foster and of the car in Lancaster.

He was able to tell me many stories and that the car was in fact in Fosters possession all those years in Lancaster. The squirrel got into the car while it was in the shed, and caused Foster to move the car into the house.

Thanks Wade for adding to the story.

John, The bands are still ok, the car runs great. I changed the oil when I got the car in 1986 and again 3 weeks ago in anticipation of its move to Piquette.

This is truly an amazing car. I had a chance to drive it in April 2000. As Kim stated, its low end power is quite remarkable.

Thanks Trent, in the last picture, that’s me driving and Larry Smith and Steve Coniff in the back seat.

All of these stories of this wonderful Model T has my memory working overtime! I was born and raised in Madison, WI and my dad was in the auto parts business. Back in those days, we were always searching for cars tucked away in barns somewhere. I remember one Saturday finding FOUR brass era Model Ts in barns in southern WI. All of them cut off to pick-ups for farm use. Because I worked for dad while going to school, I know that he shipped parts all over southern WI and I think that he may have been told about the 1910 from one of his customers in Lancaster. Many people knew of his Model T hobby. I guess that there is even a chance that we were unwelcomed visitors to the shed! Because the fellow seemed to know a lot about the family and the car, I wonder if somebody in H. B. Foster's family may have indeed been killed in WWI. This is, of course, just speculation but, wow, this has indeed been a stroll down memory lane!
Wade

Hillside Cemetary, Lancaster, WI

1900 - Jeweler - 24 years old
1910 - Jeweler
1920 - Jeweler
1930 - Jeweler
1940 - Electrician
1950 - Theater Worker

What a great story and piece of history! Thanks for sharing. If I ever get up to Detroit I'd love to see it.

1905 - Harvey Foster lived in Lancaster, WI as an electrician
1910/April - Harvey lived in Port Washington, WI as a jeweler This is most likely his house here. The address is 531 Chestnut, now 231 Chestnut.
1910/December - Harvey lived in West Bend, WI
1916/December - his son dies after an illness and they lived in Lancaster, WI
The house there is either on Maple St or Oak St.

Wade is correct that it would be a corner lot because the streets in Lancaster run
north and south. The ends of the block have 2 houses, both on a corner, facing the
short street.
Was the death of his son in 1916 incorrectly remembered as the death of a soldier?
He was only 5 years old. A young boy who loved riding in the car with his father?

The Hickman - Lauson - Diener Co started in 1909. They were previously the Hickman - Kraemer - Croll Co, and The Lauson CP & J Co.
In 1909 they sold Ford, Cartercar, and R.A.C. automobiles.
On October 1, 1914 Ford Motor Company opened a Ford Branch House and Service Station to service the Milwaukee and Wisconsin territory.
They took over the premises of the Hickman - Lauson - Diener Co

That is all I have found so far regarding Kim's 1910 Ford.

1910 Ford touring has arrived at Piquette.

Fantastic! I have not had a chance to visit it yet. Maybe this Sunday. Thank so much Kim for sharing her with us all!

I am embarrassed to admit that despite living only 2 hours away I have yet to visit the Piquette Ave. plant. This clearly has to change. I'm looking forward to seeing this generous donation. Thanks for what you have done for the hobby Kim.
Eric Macleod

In the last photo, that's me and Trent in the back seat.

Beautiful car Mr. Dobbins. Thank you for sharing.

Actually, in the last photo that is Larry Smith and Steve Conniff (RIP) in the back seat. I was the photographer.

Thanks Kim!