Vintage Rambler

1897 Rambler	William Tramm in Rambler	1897 Rambler
	1897 Rambler in Chicago	close-up

VINTAGE RAMBLER BACK 'HOME' AGAIN

In the August 1986 "Pioneer History" column in The Lowell Tribune, the story of one of Lowell's early blacksmiths, William Tramm, was told. His shop was in the present Belei Woodworking building on West Commercial in Lowell.

Tramm was an experienced blacksmith, wagonmaker and later an auto mechanic, and lived alone over the shop amidst many antiques and old time musical instruments. The story also told about the two old automobiles that he owned and drove in the Labor Day Homecoming Parade each year. One was an 1896 or 1897 Rambler, with a one-cylinder engine, cranked on the side and steered with a lever. The other was a larger 1908 Reo with a buggy top and high wooden wheels.

In September 1986 Dick Schmal received a letter from an old friend, Donald Petry, son of Dr. Franklin Petry and a former Lowell resident, who now lives in Bloomington. Petry wrote that the old Rambler was owned by his brother, lawyer Franklin Petry of Hebron, who still drove it in many of the Hebron parades.

Petry had owned the car since 1933, after previous owners Henry Heiser and Floyd Turner. The car was stored for a time above Felders Chevrolet in downtown Lowell and then made its trip to Hebron.

The old Rambler now has a Lowell address once again. On Sept. 22, 1986, the antique car was purchased by Ray McIntire, who proudly has it on display at his Diamond Farm in rural West Creek Twp. The 1896-97 Rambler was built soon after the first successful automobile, by the Charles Duryea Mfg. Co., made it debut.

The Three Creeks Historical Assn. will proudly display the old car, courtesy of the Diamond Farm, at Buckley Homestead County Park during the Homestead Days this weekend, Oct. 10-11. Many other old items will also be on display in the main barn.