1913 Studebaker Trip Diary
This article was taken from the October 2003 issue of Turning Wheels and details their trip from Eldora, IA to Los Angles, CA in a 1913 Studebaker. The only reference to the actual Studebaker Model, occurs on the first day when the author of the diary indicates the car was a 1913 Model 30. As Studebaker did not manufacture a Model 30 in 1913, we can assume either that the car was actually a Model 35, or that it was perhaps a left over 1912 Model 30 E-M-F, re-badged as a Studebaker. The only actual photo of the car in the Turning Wheel edition, was of very poor quality and thus was very limited as a item of identification. In any event, it makes little if any difference to the story as either car would have been very similar in design.
Below can be found a detailed specifications of the Studebaker car which was most likely used to make the trip, note the specifications are clearly for an E-M-F 30 as the 1913 Studebaker Model 35 had a bore of 4 and one-eighth inches and a stroke of 5 inches. However, this is the specifications found in the Turning Wheels article.
Studebaker “30” Touring‘ Car — $l,l90
Detailed Specifications
Motor — Thirty horsepower: four cylinders cast in pairs; bore 4 inches, stroke 4 ½ inches, 226 cubic inches piston displacement. Cylinders cast in our own foundry of the best gray iron.
Pistons — Fitted with drop forged connecting rods and ample piston pins and bearings. Pistons carry four expanding rings and are so accurately ground that every piston we manufacture is interchangeable with any other piston we ever made. Every pair of pistons is accurately balanced on scales so that they turn without any vibration.
Crankshaft — Drop forged from solid steel bar. Amply large and fitted with three bearings, insuring rigidity.
Valves — Set on left side of motor. All Valves 1 7/8 inch diameter with lift of
3/4 inch. Push rods easily adjustable. Valves are ground in their own seats.
Crank Case — Aluminum, with removable base-plate for reaching crankshaft.
Carburetor — Studebaker, tried through several years of service and proved efficient at all speeds and under all weather conditions. Intake manifold is large enough to provide swift passage for the gases. Carburetor is capable of 4 to 55 miles per hour on direct drive and is very flexible with minimum of adjustment.
Timing Gears — Cut with spiral worm from forged steel blanks.
Ignition — Dual system. Dry cells and Splitdoff magneto of ample size.
Motor Cooling — By water; tubular radiator and centrifugal pump.
Lubrication — Automatic, vacuum-feed principle, direct from oilier cast integral with crank case. Keep oilier full and it needs no further attention. Pistons and motor bearings are lubricated by splash. Other bearings in the car are fitted with dust proof grease cups and oiler.
Clutch — Direct: external cone, leather faced and fitted with flat springs to facilitate engagement.
Transmission — Three speeds forward and one reverse, controlled selectively through single gear shift lever. Shaft drive through two universal joints. Transmission gears mount in aluminum housing just forward of the rear axle. This puts the weight where it. Belongs, gives better traction and balance. Gears are cut from drop forged blanks to the finest possible accuracy. They are case hardened in our own shop and when assembled are set with care. Every set of gears is vigorously tested for quietness before shipment.
Brakes — External and internal. Large braking surface so that either set will lock wheels. Service brake is operated by foot pedal. It is lined with thermoid and contracts on hub drum. Emergency brake is controlled by hand lever and expands within drum where braking surface is steel against steel.
Frame — Pressed steel, U section, dropped frame.
Control — Standard. Single gear shift lever operating in H plate. Spark and throttle levers above steering wheel. Pedals for clutch and service brake. Accelerator operates through floor slot.
Bodies — Bodies are made in our own shops of the finest materials and in he most skilled manner. Seats are wide and deep, with cushions comfortably slanted. Upholstery is of No. 1 hand buffed leather, covering best curled hair over finest pillow springs. In side handles on doors, and hooks provider so that tonneau doors can be opened for ventilation.
Top — Silk mohair.
Painting — Body, Studebaker dark blue, finely striped with gray; frame, axles and fenders black. Wheels, Studebaker gray.
Wheels — Selected second growth hickory, artillery type. Fitted with continental detachable, demountable rims.
Tires — 32 x 3; inch.
Gear Ratio — 3 ½ to 1.
Springs — Full elliptic rear, semi-elliptic front.
Wheel Base — l 12 inches.
Running Boards — Covered with linoleum, with oval brass mounding.
Equipment — Three oil lamps of appropriate design. Prest-O~Lite tank
connected to large, brilliant headlights. Horn, tool kit, and tire repair out fit ready for the road. Silk mohair top complete with side curtains and dust cover, nickel bound automatic windshield, special for each car, Stewart speedometer.
Models and Prices — All cars fully equipped f. 0. b. Detroit.
Studebaker”30″Touring Car $1,190
Studebaker “30” Demi-Tonneau $1,190
Studebaker “30”Roadster $1,185
Iowa to California in 1913 In a 1913 Studebaker
An Auto trip from Eldora, Iowa to Los Angeles, California August 31 to November 5, 1913.
From the diary of Hiram Shaw Kneedler
Submitted by Peter E. Kneedler (Grandson)
This narrative is from a diary maintained by Hiram Shaw Kneedler during a trip from Iowa to Los Angeles in 1913 in a 1913 Studebaker. Mr. Kneedler’s entire family occupied the Studebaker. In addition to Hiram, the party included Mrs. Mary Francis Kneedler (Hiram ‘s wife) and their children Charles Edward Kneedler, Kenneth Stanton Kneedler, Elizabeth Kneedler, and Howard Shaw Kneedler. Howard Shaw Kneedler, the youngest member of the party, was my father. None of the trip participants are living. My mother, Mildred Kneedler, found the diary in her attic, and I transcribed it. The diary is a wonderful source of information on the conditions of roads in America and the difficulties of travel in 1913. There is also a genuine appreciation of the scenery and natural beauty encountered at every turn.
Hiram Shaw Kneedler was a newspaper man and owned The Boone Republican newspaper in Eldora, Iowa. In 1913, in search of better employment and adventure, he uprooted the family, and decided to go west to California. He eventually became secretary of the Chamber of Commerce in San Bernardino, California. Most families would have traveled by train at that time, but Hiram wanted to experience the scenic wonders of America first hand by automobile. A brand new I913 Studebaker was purchased for the trip, and badly overloaded, the family of six started out with their personal belongings and camping equipment from Eldora, Iowa in August of 1913. In some places the diary was very hard to read (some of it may have been written while en route); therefore, there are a few parenthetical remarks for clarity. The diary begins with a prologue or overview of the trip:
Prologue
Our trip from Eldora, Iowa to Los Angeles, California, which we undertook in a 1913 Studebaker in 1913, followed the Transcontinental Road (which later became the Lincoln Highway). Drivers who use it in later years will miss the pioneering which we experienced but will have better going. With the exception of stretches in Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada, which had been badly torn up by cloud bursts that occurred weeks before us, the way was not bad, although the roads were for the most part natural dirt roads upon which little work had been done. With a moderate financial outlay (considering its length), the road could be made into a great and permanent highway. In wet weather, there were sections made up of alkali and mud flats which could not be negotiated at all (referred to later in the diary). There were only a few mountain passes that were very bad. One in particular, New Pass in Nevada, was a genuine nightmare. On the whole, the mountain roads were good. No one traveling the country by rail can have any idea of how many mountain ranges there are. Only the more important show even on the best of maps. All the way across it is one range after the other, but usually the grades are not serious, except for here and there a sharp pitch near the summit. We did not carry any extra gasoline at any time, but always stayed informed as to the next place to lay in a supply and we kept the tank full. All the way over we were troubled by a leaky reservoir [radiator], yet we carried no extra water except in our two and half gallon water bag. Sometimes in the high altitudes when the water gave out, we would stop to cool the engine and let it run with the hood up where the wind could strike it. We were blessed with good weather, and our complete camp equipment made us independent and enabled us to get along very well. Our frequent breakdowns were largely due to being seriously overloaded and an inclination to run without due caution on bad roads. We met pleasant people all along the way and were always hospitably treated. The nine weeks outing did us all good, and except for badly chapped lips due to sun and wind, we experienced no ill effects at all. Even sleeping on the hard cold ground in light rains and heavy frosts produced not a particle of ill effect.
Westward to California!
Iowa (Eldora, Marshalltown, State Center, Ames, Boone, Jefferson, Dennison)
Sunday August 31, 1913 At 8:15 am.
We cranked up our Studebaker 30 and started from Eldora, Iowa and began the long trip to Los Angeles, California. Charles [oldest son] was at the wheel where he stayed for most of the trip. I was beside him. Howard [youngest person in the family] usually perched between my knees on the case that contained the camping kit. Mother [Mrs. Kneedler], Kenneth and Elizabeth occupied the rear seat. Inside the top cover on each side and at the back were rolls of blankets. Extra wraps were suspended in straps. The auto trunk was filled to the brim. We carried a double-barreled shotgun and 21 Colt revolver for protection. A South African water bag swung at the side. A suitcase, small grip, etc., were disposed in the tonneau. It was a beautiful morning and the roads were fine. We crossed the bridge out of Eldora and took a last look at what had been our home. The first lap of our journey took us to Marshalltown where we struck the Transcontinental Highway (typical few of this road below) which we followed westward. We went through State Center, Ames, Boone, Jefferson, and Dennison, and the road was as fine as a road could be and we made good time. We stopped for the night and made our first camp at a school house about four miles west of Dennison after a futile effort to locate in a corn field or find a more suitable place. The school house yard afforded an ideal camp, and we were all very comfortable. During the day we kept count of the railroad crossings and found there were 32 of them. Day’s run – 183 miles
Iowa and Nebraska (Dennison, Omaha, Missouri Valley, Council Bluffs)
September 1, 1913
Broke camp early and ran to Omaha, through Missouri Valley and Council Bluffs, reaching Omaha at 2:00 p.m. A Labor Day celebration was in progress. At Missouri Valley we had two punctures – the first on our trip. Elizabeth was sick most of the day but kept up bravely. The last eight miles of road into Council Bluffs was as bad as anything we found on the whole trip with the possible exception of New Pass in Nevada. In the hills the dry clay had been churned into a bottomless dust that filled horrible chuck holes. How we ever got through it without wrecking the car is a mystery. We took rooms at the Wellington on Farnam Street above the Court House.
Day’s run – 77 miles
Day’s run – 77 miles
Nebraska (Omaha, Fremont)Tuesday
September 2, 1913
We spent most of the day buying a moving picture outfit for which we paid $123 .55 all told from the Omaha Film Exchange, A.C. Haitman, Manager, 14th and Douglas. We also bought a lantern ($1 .25) and a folding spade ($1.30), etc. The weather was intensely hot, 100 in the shade, and at 4:00 p.m. we were off again to the west. Just outside the city we ran through a violent rain and wind storm, but finally got out of it, and at 7:30 p.m. we went into rooms at Fremont, Nebraska on account of threatening weather.
Day’s run – 40.5 miles
Nebraska (Fremont, Grand Island)
Wednesday September 3, 1913
We left Fremont at 7:00 am. and a little later camped for breakfast. Later on in the morning we met a party in a Hupmobile bound for Los Angeles, a Mrs. East and son Fred of Omaha with a chauffeur named Yates. The roads were for the most part fine all day with occasional patches of sand that covered chuck holes. During the day we overtook two other Iowa cars bound for Douglas, Wyoming. At 6:30 p.m. we camped with the Easts four miles west of Grand Island. It was a lovely night, and we were near the home of a hospitable farmer who took a good deal of interest in our trip.
Day’s run 130.6 miles
Nebraska (Grand Island, Gottenburg, North Platte, Cozad, Willow Springs)
Thursday September 4, 1913
We broke camp at 8:00 am. and ran over almost perfect roads all day until just after the Platte River at Gottenberg where they became increasingly bad. The country side was getting very bare and houses were very few and far between. At 6:00 p.m. we went into camp about eight miles east of North Platte in a shaded lane leading up to a ranch house a half mile beyond. There was a post office there called the Inland Post Office that apparently served one or two shacks. The Easts camped near us. During the day between Cozad and Willow Springs we passed two young fellows who were crossing the country on Foot. They were from Buffalo, N.Y. and were pushing a push cart containing all of their personal effects.
Day’s run – 147 miles
Nebraska (North Platte, Southerland)
Friday September 5, 1913
We broke camp early and by 8:30 a.m. we were in North Platte. We camped on a street well out of town and repacked our stuff. Part of the motion picture equipment was expressed here, and we shipped some of our own gear ahead to Cheyenne. Then we drove the 20 miles to Southerland and rented the “Opera house”. We then billed the town, sold tickets, and tried to put on a picture show. After some hours of work, we had to give up, return ticket money to the audience, and camped on the edge of town thoroughly discouraged.
Day’s run – 44 miles
Nebraska (Ogallala, Big Springs, Sidney, Six Station)
Saturday September 6, 1913
We left our shaded, secluded camp at 8:30 a.m. and got on the Transcontinental Highway. We traveled on roads that for the most part were excellent. In the sand hills gear Ogallala we encountered a gentlemen with a broken Ford car. He had struck an outcropping in the middle of the road and smashed his axle. Later we found a man from Webster in trouble with his tires and a Ford from Ottumuwa stalled by reason of smashed ball bearings. Our Studebaker had trouble with a leaky water tube. The countryside was now growing into wide bare plains and hills. At Big Springs we ascended to a high plateau which the government survey post showed to have an elevation of 3,700 feet. The corn growing in the plains looked very bad due to the drought. At Sidney we met a gentleman in an EMF who was starting in a week for Los Angeles. The sky looked stormy, and at 3:30 p.m. we went into camp in a pleasant school house yard near Six Station. We had a big stew made from rabbits and doves we shot during the day. The wind blew hard during the night but it did not rain.
Days run – 132 miles
Wyoming, Colorado (Cheyenne, Fort Collins, Loveland)
Sunday September 7, 1913
We left camp at 8:00 am, and promptly b1ew out a front tire. We put an old one on in its place. We reached Cheyenne at 1:30 p.m. Two or three miles out of Cheyenne we had a narrow escape from a wreck! Howard looked over the side of the car and noticed the rear wheel rim was wobbling. When we examined it, we found that it lost all but one of the lug nuts. It was remarkable that we did not have a serious accident. We “borrowed” nuts from the other wheels, and at Dildrines Garage in Cheyenne, we purchased three so we could get to Denver. After dinner at a cafe, we started for Denver, but we made a wrong turn and went to Fort Collins and Loveland instead. The old tire that we put on the front axle blew out just before we got to Fort Collins, and a great storm raging in the mountains off to our right filled us with alarm. After repairing the tire, we ran through very fine country to Loveland where we stored the car and took rooms at the Beckwith House.
Day’s run – 136
Colorado (Loveland, Denver)
Monday September 8, 1913
We left Loveland after breakfast and ran on fair roads through fine fruit country to Denver. We got there at noon and had luncheon at the Iowa Cafe after visiting the bank. We then went to the Pantages Theater and received instructions from the operator there on how to operate our motion picture equipment. We secured a new Federal tire for $10.00 in exchange for the old one. In the late afternoon we took a long drive through the city and the park. We accidentally ran across the East party again and visited Chasbrough Park with them. We returned to our rooms at the Reo on Broadway, and after supper we went down to the brilliantly lighted center on 17th and Curtis and took in a couple of moving picture shows.
Day’s run – 70.6 miles
Colorado (Denver, Greely)
Tuesday September 9, 1913
We slept in rather late. It might be noted that when we stopped at hotels during our trip, we were glad to indulge in baths which we all appreciated. Kenneth and I secured supplies for the trip. After luncheon, I secured the seven tubes I had left to be repaired. We then drove to the city park and then on to the DeSato Hotel where we saw Sam Fisher, formerly of Eldora, who escorted us for some miles out of town to show us the way. For the first 20 miles, the road west was very bad. It was rough and cut up by workmen. Then it got very good; it was graveled and in fine condition to Greely where at 8:00 p.m. we stopped for the night, taking rooms at the Chapman House. Elizabeth had a bad cough which required us to stop as early as we did.
Day’s run – 65.5 miles
Day’s run – 65.5 miles
Colorado and Wyoming (Greely, Cheyenne, Granite Canyon)
Wednesday September 10, 1913
We left Greely after break fast over roads that had been softened by heavy rains the day before. It might be noted right here that with the exception of two light showers, we had no rain during the entire trip. It rained heavily ahead of us at times but the roads were generally perfectly dry for us. On the way to Cheyenne, which we reached at 12:45 p.m., we passed an old man, a tramp, who wanted a ride, but we were so heavily loaded, I refused. After that we had a standing, joke about “the poor old man” which we worked with every variation. In Cheyenne we had the motion picture screen laundered, put in supplies, repacked our stuff at the train depot and checked some on ahead. We bought an alcohol stove and at 4:00 took to the road again and headed for Salt Lake City, along the line of the Union Pacific. We got caught in a little shower which we sat out with our backs turned to it. At 5:15 p.m. we went into camp at a stone school house half a mile or so beyond Granite Canyon. It was a picturesque spot, and as there was a supply of coal handy, we had a big fire.
Day’s run – 81.6 miles
Wyoming (Sherman’s Pass, Ames Monu-ment, Laramie, Rock River, Medicine Bow)
Thursday September 11, 1913
We could hear the coyotes howling and realized that we were really getting into the far west! We kept a good fire going with the coal we obtained from the little school house coal bin. The kids, without doing damage, entered the school house through the window and explored the library and played with a little organ. Our camp site was located in a wild, desolate place with-out a house in sight and only the rugged hills all about. We got up early to a heavy fog which we feared might turn into rain. As we drove up the wild mountain grades the fog lifted but the cold increased. The summit, Sherman’s Pass, was at an altitude of 8,200 feet, and we passed the Ames Monument. The sun came out just as we came into view of the Monument – a lonely sentinel in this high place. Then, by easy stages, we dropped down to excellent roads with broad landscapes all about us, rugged rock formations, and pine-clad hillsides. There was always something to attract our interest – a group of stunted cedars, some odd and grotesque rock formations, or sheltered valleys among the high peaks. We reached Laramie about 10:30 a.m. and made Lovejoy’s garage our headquarters. From there we followed the new Trans-continental Highway that followed Union Pacific tracks through Rock River and reached Medicine Bow at 5:00 p.m. We shot a jack rabbit and sonic cottontails and had a little dash of rain. Medicine Bow, a typical “frontier” town of a few houses and a couple of saloons, gave us a nice surprise: a modern, three-story hotel called “The Virginian” that was owned by Gus Grimm. This entertaining individual had “blown in” as a hobo a few years before, got hold of a saloon without a cent to his name, and made a lot of money. He owned the hotel, the electric light plant, saloon, and everything else in town. We tried to put on another picture show and billed the town, but as usual, we could not work the apparatus. We had to return $35.00 to a disappointed audience and gave up in disgust. Mr. Grimm and I had worked until 2:00 o’clock in the morning, and we went to bed terribly disappointed.
Day’s run – 99.6 miles
Wyoming (Medicine Bow, Carbon, Hannah, Rawlins, Warnsutter)
Friday September 12, 1913
A little after 8:00 a.m. in the morning after breakfast, we paid for our lodging at the Virginian (a total of $7.50) and got away from Medicine Bow and headed west. We drove through the deserted town of Carbon – an extensive town without a single inhabitant. Every house was deserted and going to ruin. We then reached Hannah where great mines are operated. The whole country was alive with jack rabbits, and Kenneth shot some and a sage hen as well. Saratoga, which was 20 miles north, is a famous hunting and fishing resort. At Rawlins, we laid in supplies and expected to go into camp early. We were running along a road that was good except for transverse ditches that cut across it where rains had washed them out. They were narrow and deep and could scarcely be seen until one got right on them. The road continued over a high plain that was covered with sage brush. About fifteen miles out of Rawlins we dropped into one of these ditches with a terrible crash, smashing the windshield, tearing the trunk rack loose, and starting a leak in the gasoline tank. After surveying the damage and fearing to lose all our gasoline while out in this deserted wilderness, we decided to press on to Wamsutter, about 23 miles distant. The roads were very bad. One part of the road followed the top of an old railroad grade. As night came on, we almost ran into a deep gully where a bridge had been taken away. No barrier had been put up to show that there was a detour. At last, after dark at 8:30 p.m., we pulled into the town of Wamsutter and pitched camp in the sage-brush just outside of town. We had rabbit stew and rolled up into our blankets for the night.
Day’s run – 106.4 miles
Wyoming (Point of Rocks, Salt Wells)
Saturday September 13, 1913
At 8:15 a.m. we were on the road again, and such roads! Hideous for the most part – deep narrow gullies or trenches across them every twenty feet or so into which the wheels would drop with a sickening thud. We had one radiator leak that did not appear to be serious, but the water pump was leaking badly also. This bothered us all the way across. It was impossible to keep the radiator full of water. At Point of Rocks – a few houses by the railroad clustered in a deep ravine – we put in seven gallons of gas, visited a kindly old storekeeper named Galvin Hasson who has a son living somewhere near Los Angeles, and then went on. The road crossing the railroad tracks winds sharply through the hills at a stiff grade. We got to the top of the grade and were going along the level at a fairly lively pace when there was an awful jar, and the car came to a stop! We got out and found that the tie rod on the left side of the car had come loose at the forward end and had been thrust into the ground to a depth of at least two feet! It was a great wonder that it did not upset us! We had to dig it out of the hard soil, badly twisted of course, tie it up, and go ahead slowly. We went on for a few more miles when all of a sudden the car came to a complete stop with a sickening crash and jar, and we failed in every effort to move it. The road ran close to the north side of the Union Pacific tracks, and about a mile on further was the Section House at Salt Wells. Here we found a mechanic named Charlie who tried to help us, but all was in vain. At last it was decided to send Kenneth to Rock Springs by the 10:30 a.m. train which was accordingly signaled and took him on board. The rest of us camped by the car on the road-side. Mother, Elizabeth, and Howard slept in the car, and Charles and I slept on the ground by a campfire made of old railroad ties which we gathered among the sage brush. It threatened rain all night, and there was a light shower in the early morning.
Day’s run – 57 miles
Wyoming (Rock Springs)
Sunday September 14, 1913
We cooked a teal duck which Kenneth shot yesterday, and then at the Section House, a nice woman baked us a batch of biscuits, a couple of gooseberry pies, and gave us some butter. I paid her a dollar for the lot. At about 10:30 a.m. Kenneth came back in an auto with a mechanic who proceeded to disconnect the gears and take us in tow. We all had to get out and push the car over a couple of sharp little hills, and it was a tight squeeze even then. We finally reached Rock Springs, the great little mining town of Wyoming. We put up at the hotel near the railroad while the Western Auto Transit Company took charge of the car. We met Reverend A.P. Shepp, an Episcopal minister, who, besides being a very kindly and agreeable man, was full of interesting reminiscences.
Day’s run – 12 miles
Monday September 15, 1913
During the day, while waiting for repairs to be made, I visited the office of “The Miner”, but the editor was away on a hunting trip. I called on Banker Hay, a cousin of Senator Borah, who was anxious for me to locate there, and, I, think, if the editor of the paper had been in town, I might have arranged to get hold of the paper. I also met the mayor of the town. At 5:30 p.m. the repairs were completed, and we loaded up and started off. Just before we pulled out, an auto hearse drove in bound from San Francisco to New York with the body of some auto enthusiast who had requested that he be taken across that way. He undoubtedly found it to be a rough trip. The driver of the hearse did not add anything to our peace of mind by his accounts of the rough road he had just crossed. At almost dark we camped under a bluff at the right of the road five miles west of Rock Springs. A high wind was blowing.
Day’s run – 6.8 miles
Wyoming (Bryan, Granger, Black River)
Tuesday September 16, 1913
We left camp at 8:30 a.m. and drove to a Section House at Bryan. We found three cars that had stalled and were in need of repairs. One, a big Auburn, had attempted to pass a Ford at a cutoff and had gone into deep water and blown its engine. The occupants were waiting for repairs and were making the best of it – a very merry party. A little further on we met a man and his wife in a auto from Idaho bound for Florida via Indianapolis. He reported dreadful roads ahead. The road we were on improved as we got closer to Granger, which we reached about 1:00 p.m. after circumventing an enormous gravel pit. We stocked up at Granger and then headed off for Salt Lake City. Early in the afternoon, while on a fairly good road except for occasional gullies caused by recent cloudbursts, we came to Black River, a beautiful stream fringed with birch trees. It was such a tempting place that we made camp, cooked three rabbits, and prepared to be comfortable. Kenneth got out his fishing tackle, but the fish grabbed his hooks off as fast as he could throw them in. We all enjoyed the campsite very much. In the evening we had an immense campfire that must have been visible for miles.
Day’s run – 59.4 miles
Wyoming (Black River, Lyman, Fort Bridger, Evanston, Castle Rock Station)
Wednesday September 17, 1913
We found the night pretty frosty, and we all got up early. A thick, white frost covered our bedding. The night in this high altitude was wonderfully beautiful. Not a cloud in the blue and a full moon all night among the myriad stars. The elevation here is approximately 7,000 feet. The sun came up about 6:00 a.m. and a big fire soon warmed us. Just after break-fast, we heard a couple of shots, and the East party came along again! We were all very glad to see them. They came to our camp and had coffee with us. An hour later we all set off again together at 9:30 a.m. We drove though Lyman and historic Fort Bridger where ruined houses still stand among the trees. Then onward to Evanston where we laid in supplies. Here fine irrigation ditches ran beside the road. About a mile later, we passed Castle Rock Station and camped on the hillside overlooking the bottom lands of the railroad. We built a big fire of logs and sat about talking and singing while the boys explored.
Day’s run – 76.4 miles
Wyoming and Utah (Castle Rock Station, Coalville, Salt Lake City)
Thursday September 18, 1913
There was heavy frost again, but the night was beautifully clear. Mrs. East walked to the station for eggs and milk, and we all had breakfast together. We got underway at 9:00 a.m. and the road was rather bad for the first mile or two. After that, we drove all day through the most wonderful scenery to Salt Lake City. We drove through Webber and Echo Canyons. There was always a little stream nearby as well as great walls of seamed red rock. The crests and sometimes the sides of the rock were covered with foliage which contained the dazzling yellows and scarlet of autumn. Some of the trees were veritable masses of flame. We were continually entranced by the scenery. At Coalville, we stopped beside the shady road for lunch and were overtaken by an Australian. a Mr. H.A. Tippes of Sidney, who was finishing, a five year trip around the world on a bicycle! He started his trip in 1908 and amused us very much. We finally went over the great pass and then down the splendid grade where we coasted for five or six miles. Our only stop was at a wayside inn. We reached Salt Lake City at 5:00 o’clock. We installed ourselves in a fine apartment at the Rex. We were very comfortable while repairs were made on our machine.
Day’s run – 65.8
Utah (Salt Lake City)
Friday September 19, 1913
We spent the day in Salt Lake. A Mrs. Richmond and Mrs. Snell called on Mrs. Kneedler. We also attended a noon organ recital at the Tabernacle and spent the evening with the Richmonds in their home. Afterwards, we went with Mrs. East to the Rathskeller and listened to music.
Saturday September 20, 1913
We spent the day in the city, took dinner with the Snells and spent the evening there.
Utah (Salt Lake City, Saltair, Grantville)
Sunday September 21, 1913
We made some final repairs on the car, had breakfast, and laid in a stock of provisions. (Hotel bill $9.00, Laundry $8.10). At 10:00 a.m. we got started. The East party accompanied us. We had quite a little trouble getting out of town and drove to Saltair where, though the season was over, the bath house was open, and we all went bathing in the wonderfully clear saline waters. Then we headed west again and ran through the scattered town of Grantville and camped by the roadside under a row of great poplars. It. was stormy looking and the wind was blowing, but we got a fire going. It rained some, and Charles, Kenneth, and I crawled into a little tent that the Easts had with them. Mary, Elizabeth, and Howard slept in the auto. A new party was with us at the time, a one-armed man and his wife, the G.P. Wolletts of Ottumuwa, whom we met after leaving Saltair. At the time we enjoyed them, but they became a source of annoyance and later disrupted the party. She, particularly, was not congenial.
Day’s run – 57 miles
Utah (Grant City, Caldwell, Kanaka Ranch)
Monday September 22, 1913
We got up to find that the nearby mountains were covered with snow, and there were heavy storm clouds. A strong wind was blowing, and there were dashes of rain. We obtained provisions in town, and I found a druggist whom we had known in Caldwell, Idaho. At 10:00 a.m. we were off and found the road very soft and rough. At certain places, all the cars on the road skidded badly, and finally, after making about 8 miles, we camped on a hillside. We stayed there for a couple of hours and waited until the bright sunshine and cool breeze dried off the road a little. With a little fire going, we could look off from our lofty perch to the barren flats and the great Salt Lake. When we got under way again, the East’s Hupmobile broke a spring, and we stopped at Kanaka Ranch, 80 miles from Salt Lake. This is a big ranch operated by Mormons and settled by people from Hawaii and Samoa. It is under the management of W.M. Waddoups, a very kindly, young man. There were 120 Hawaiians and two white families. We camped in a grove east of several big barns.
Day’s run – 32 miles
Utah (Kanaka Ranch)
Tuesday September 23, 1913
We could hear rain falling in the early morning. We were sleeping in the hay in the big barns, and when we got up, the ground was covered with about three inches of snow. By 8:00 o’clock, the sun came out and a thaw set in. All day cloudiness alternated with sunshine, and we were not at all comfortable. We all had a big dinner at the home of Manager Waddoups, then a big campfire, after which we retired to the hay. Charles and Fred East preferred a sheep herder’s wagon that was in the corral. Alfred Kennison, a Samoan, gave Elizabeth a couple of beautiful bead necklaces that he brought from his South Pacific home.
Utah (Kanaka Ranch, Indian Village, Olds’ Ranch)
Wednesday September 24, 1913
The sun was shining brightly when we got up at 7:00 a.m. and we packed up and were ready to start at 10:00 a.m. just as we were leaving, the Fasts’ Hupmobile broke down, and we were stuck all day until 5:00 p.m. before they could get it going. In fact, we probably would not have been able to leave then if two young mechanics in a Ford had not come along. They were from Grundy Center and on their way to Los Angeles. Their names were Charley Home and Clyde Hamilton. They took the engine completely down and put it back together again. Finally at 5:00 p.m. we were off again over pretty bad roads. We passed through Indian Village after taking down and putting up numerous gates in fences. We camped at Olds’ Ranch. Another party bound for the east coast occupied the only spare room in the log cabin. It was a typical frontier home. Near the house was a running stream and a pond. There were large hay ricks and a good deal of stock. The Wooletts (the party going east) curled up in their auto which was fitted with a bed (the seats reversed). We then gathered around the campfire and Mary [Mrs. Kneedler], Mrs. East, and the kids made a bed on the side of the hay. They spent a cold night occasionally interrupted by the visit of sheep or cows. Ice formed on the pond during the night.
Day’s run – 17.3 miles
Utah (Olds’ Ranch, Fish Springs, Mud Flats, Kearney ‘s Ranch)
Thursday September 25, 1913
It was a beautiful bright morning, and Kenny tried to shoot some ducks on the pond without success. After breakfast, we started out at 10:00 a.m. and ran through wild and picturesque mountain peaks and high plateaus, dotted with scrub cedars and all looking very strange. At some places the roads were very bad, and at others, wonderfully good. At Fish Springs, we stopped and talked with old man Thomas, the pioneer who runs the place. He has a miserable little house made of stone on a sort of promontory. Just east of here is Mud Flats – a treacherous valley where the roads are impassable in wet weather. Autoists who get stuck, as they are sure to do after a rain, are enjoined to make a fire and generate smoke. Upon receiving the smoke signal, old man Thomas issues forth with teams and drags them out after assessing the cost at “all the traffic will bear” (from $10 to $75 – as much as he can rob from them). A few miles further we came to Kearney’s Ranch where we camped. Gas at Fish Springs is 60 cents a gallon, while Kearney’s will sell it for 50 cents. F.J. Kearney and his sons, 0.G. and Bill, have lived here many years. The elevation is 4,326 feet. They pretend to run a hotel, store, and repair shop, but know mighty little of autos and have no facilities for repairs, except a blacksmith shop. We camped together in the big yard about the hay stacks.
Day’s run – 80.8 miles
Utah (Kearney ‘s Ranch)
Friday September 26, 1913
This was certainly an unlucky Friday. We all got up and prepared to get underway early. We were a little slow getting ready, so we sent the other autos off, saying we would overtake them. Just as they disappeared around the bluff, we were ready to start, but a local man, Oscar Kearney – a big drunken hoodlum – suggested that our carburetor was not working right and volunteered to fix it. He got in the car, drove back on the road about a quarter of a mile, threw it into reverse and put on the emergency brake. It appeared to us that he intentionally smashed the rear pinion all to pieces. They hauled the car back, took it all to pieces on the road, found out what the trouble was, and then proceeded to get drunker. At 5:00 p.m. in the afternoon, he finally patched up another machine which he wanted to drive to Windom, some 75 miles away and telephone Salt Lake City for parts. (Windom was the nearest point to the Union Pacific Railroad). I’m not sure he would have progressed this far had not Mr. J. Larson, Secretary of the Ogden Publicity Bureau, come along and helped me press him into action. We settled down to wait, desperate and greatly discouraged.
Saturday September 27, 1913
Mary’s [Mrs. Kneedler] birthday is today. She was ill all night, and I got a room for her in the house where she could be more comfortable. Kearney returned and said his car broke down. He said he had passed the word to a stage driver from Gold Hill.
Sunday September 28, 1913
During the early morning, a Mr. and Mrs. Miles Ray Potter of Lansing, Michigan passed through in a REO bound for San Francisco. In the evening the Ranch people had a dance which Mary and Elizabeth attended. It was reported as a “great” event. Three young mechanics on motorcycles from Philadelphia came in and camped. They proved to be our salvation, as without their help, I do not think we would have ever gotten away.
Utah (Kearney ‘s Ranch, Deep Creek Sum-mit, Chinn Creek, Anderson’s Ranch)
Monday September 29, 1913
Early in the morning we were awakened by a Mr. William M. Lamb of Wendover who, as a brother Mason, had driven over with his wife to bring us the parts we needed. Otto Kearney was “paralyzed” and could not help, but the three young mechanics and brother Bill got busy on the car, and at noon, with great sighs of relief, we started off again. We had fine roads via Deep Creek Summit and Chinn Creek to Anderson’s Ranch at an elevation of 6,300 feet. Anderson is six miles east of Shelbourn Pass (7,300 feet) where we put up on account of the cold. Here we had supper, rooms, and breakfast. Ice formed outdoors.
Day’s run -75.5 miles
Utah and Nevada (Anderson, McGillis, Ely)
Tuesday September 30, 1913
Today was Howard’s birthday. We started at 8:00 o’clock and went over the pass without trouble. Then we wound down over picturesque roads to a great flat plain leading into Ely. When we were about six miles east of McGillis, where there is a great smelter, the car cramped into a rut, and we could not budge it. An old man who was driving his wife and daughter from Salt Lake to Long Beach, California came along. I started to ride to McGillis with him, but after about four miles, Wilbur Fogle, one of the mechanics who had been so helpful at Keamey’s (the other two had stayed there to prospect) came along. After discussing our situation, he went back and got our car going, and I walked back. While the car was being repaired, John H. Wattsson, a civil engineer and one of the County Commissioners, and a man from Ely, came along and chatted a while. We got lo Ely, laid in supplies, got directions, and started out. This is one of the most wonderful mining camps in the world. Although we found many of the roads puzzling, we finally got through Ely and rather late went into camp some seven or eight miles west of Ely on a hillside among a lot of scrub, spruce. Here we had a fire, cooked supper, and made our beds.
Day’s run – 61.5 miles
Nevada (Ely, Moorman ‘s Ranch, Eureka)
Wednesday October 1, 1913
Getting an early start from our cozy camp, we drove over bare valleys filled with white sage where wild horses were plentiful. We drove to Moorman ‘s Ranch in a cleft in the hills. Here we had breakfast for which, of course, they charged us. The Moormans have a daughter living in Venice, California where she runs the Sidney Apartment House. The Moormans stayed there last summer. Our road lay over the mountain ranges where the scenery was superb, but some of the stretches of road were hideous and made the going slow. We had one puncture and one break in a chuck hole. Our greatest amusement was to watch Wilbur on ahead on his motorcycle, trying to negotiate the rough roads and occasionally taking a tumble and doing some remarkable stunts with his long legs. We reached Eureka, a forlorn mining town at 6:00 p.m. I met editor E.A. Skillman of The Sentinel, a fine fellow. At one time the place had a population at 10,000, but now it only has a couple of hundred. We went into camp at a tumbled-down mill just on the western edge of town. Wilbur climbed into a big pipe to make his bed.
Day’s run – 75.1 miles
Nevada (West of Ely)
Thursday October 2, 1913
It was a beautiful morning, and we got away from camp early and drove all day over roads that led across mountain ranges and high plateaus with sage brush and valleys in between. In places the road was badly washed, but in others, like a boulevard with crushed rock on hard sand. We had a couple of punctures about 25 miles west of Eureka which delayed us for a time. At five we camped in a little glade in the mountainside where there was a spring brook. Just below us was a narrow green valley, and it was full of cottontails. The boys shot half a dozen in a short time, but when we prepared to dress them, we found that most of them had an ugly looking grub attached to them. The sight of the grubs destroyed our appetite for rabbit stew. Wilbur said all the rabbits had these parasites at certain seasons. [Could they have been ticks?]
Day’s run – 68 miles
Nevada (West of Ely to Austin)
Friday October 3, 1913
This was another of our unlucky days – enough to make almost anyone superstitious about Fridays. After a pretty frosty night, we got started in high spirits. We placed a rock under one wheel of the Studebaker as the car stood on a kind of incline. When we started, our car jarred over a rock. It created a bad “knock” in the differential, and after going a half mile, the car came to a stop with a sickening, grinding sound. We had reached a hollow in the hills, and Wilbur Fogle [on the motorcycle] had gone ahead and was out of sight. Mrs. Kneedler, Elizabeth, and Howard walked on to overtake him, but it was up a terrific mountain and then down the other side. A climb on either side would discourage a saint. They found him waiting at the top of the grade two miles ahead. He came back, and Mrs. Kneedler, Elizabeth, and Howard went into Austin. We jacked up the Studebaker and took the differential apart. All six of the gear wheels had been ground to pieces. We left the whole outfit right there and walked into Austin. In Austin I telegraphed to Salt Lake City for parts and sent out a regular S.O.S. to various other points for help. We then began our long and hideous vigil in that half deserted town until the parts came. We put up at the International Hotel. I found the editor of The Reveille, a Mr. Hayworth, who had once tried to buy the Boone Republican from me. There was a break in the telegraph line which caused some delay, and there was only one train in from the main line every day (and none on Sunday). So we stayed in Austin on the 4th, 5th, 6th, and on Tuesday, the 7th, the parts arrived on the 3:00 p.m. train. Charles and I went back to the car and spent one night with it. The weather was raw and there was a little snow. We huddled under an improvised tent.
Nevada (Austin)
Wednesday, October 8, 1913
Wilbur Fogle and I went out to the car with the newly arrived parts, and, after working all day underneath the car, we drove into Austin, loaded up, and started west once again. Seven miles out, we were overtaken by a furious snow, hail, and rain storm. Fortunately, we found a deserted house near a beautiful spring and took possession of it. There was a stove and plenty of hay. We were reasonably comfortable.
Day’s run – 13 or 14 miles
Nevada (New Pass, Alpine, East Gate Ranch, Frenchman’s Station, Sand Springs)
Thursday October 9, 1913
We ran over some bad roads and some that were very good. At one place we slipped off the road, and before we could get back on track, we drove into a terrible ditch with a small stream at the bottom! We had a fearful time getting out; we used sage brush as handholds, then pushed from the back and finally managed to reach a ranch house occupied by a single man. We then proceeded to New Pass which none of us will forget. For three or four miles, the road was the rocky bed of a mountain torrent winding amid the great sides of a chasm. There was little evidence of a road at all. I walked ahead and signaled back to Charles who drove. It was incredible the places our Studebaker had to negotiate. In a particularly bad spot, one forward tire was torn right off the rim. We had to jack the car up on rocks with the greatest of care, and with great difficulty, put on another tire. Then we struck pretty level going through Alpine and East Gate Ranch and over to Alkali Flats. We had been repeatedly warned about the alkali flats. In wet weather, it is impassable and extremely dangerous if one gets off the road. It is a wide and forbidding sink hemmed in by bare, bleak hills. We reached Frenchman’s Station on the west side and wanted to stop for the night at this miserable place but could get no accommodations. We had no choice but to push on. The next stretch of road was the bleakest of all. There had been a rain in the mountains which gullied and mired the road badly. Some big freight wagons were struggling in it but we got past them and started over the mountains. The road was very lonely and we had no gas for our Presto lanterns. Darkness overtook us before we got to the summit. It was too cold to dare try to camp, so we pressed on, all pretty well scared and anxious. At last, with one lantern on the front of the car, we struck the down grade, and by careful driving, arrived at Sand Springs without an accident. Sand Springs only had one saloon, a miserable lodging place filled with teamsters, and an empty wool shed where we camped.
Day’s run – 80 miles
Nevada (Sand Springs) Salt Wells, Gibbs Ranch, Fallon)
Friday October 10, 1913
Sand Springs, about two miles away, is named for a great yellow mountain of clean, yellow sand. The “spring” is a myth, I guess. We had a great deal of trouble with punctures before we could get started. The road took us through another dreary stretch of alkali flats. It was six or seven miles to Salt Wells. This was a dangerous as well as a horrible piece of road; in fact, it was bad all the way into Fallon. The ruts, cut by heavy teamster wagons, made the center of the road so high that the car scraped all the time. Leaving the road would mean the loss of the car in the treacherous quagmires. Puncture followed puncture and our pump failed to work. At last we got to Gibbs Ranch and bought lunch, rested, and then drove to Fallon with two flat tires as all tubes were punctured, and we had no pump or patches to make repairs. We finally arrived at Fallon at 4:00 p.m. after the worst day’s travel of all. We took rooms at the Grand Hotel in Fallon and put the car up for repairs. We purchased dinner at a restaurant which we entered through an alley (I bought a big steak). We took in a moving picture show after dinner.
Day’s run – 35 miles
Day’s run – 35 miles
Nevada (Fallon, Wadsworth, Reno)
Saturday, October 11, 1913
We got away at 9:00 a.m. and, for the most part, had a beautiful day’s trip. The roads were mostly good and in some places, exceedingly fine. Here and there a puncture spoiled our pleasure. At one place beyond Wadsworth we stopped by a great canal and then drove through more interesting and picturesque mountains and valleys. At some places we came within an eyelash of the Truckee River and followed it right into Reno. At one place we stopped to let Kenny have a shot at some ducks. We enjoyed this ride exceedingly, and at 4:00 o’clock we reached Reno and put up at the St. Albans Hotel, a very good rooming house.
Day’s run – 65 miles
Nevada (Reno)
Sunday October 12, 1913
We spent the day in Reno looking over the town while repairs were made on the Studebaker. We took a long walk. The Auburn car, which we passed when it was broken down in Bryan, Wyoming, joined us in Reno, and we decided to go over the Sierras together. New drive shaft $15.50 Labor 10.00 Inner tubes $2.50.
[Photo at the right: typical of the foot hills of the Sierra mountain’s and the road the Kneedler’s would have traveled. Photo left: A car very similar to the Kneedler’s Studebaker, negotiating a narrow mountain road]
(Nevada and California (Reno, Truckee, Donner Lake)
Monday October 13, 1913
We had to repair some tires that gave us trouble right away, but got loaded and left Reno at 10:00 a.m. I was anxious to get over the mountains because a snow storm was liable to occur at any time and make it impossible to pass. The roads for the first few miles out of Reno were not very good, but soon they became regular boulevards and were ideal all the way across the Sierras. At Truckee we stopped long enough to call on Judge McGlashan who gave me a copy of his “History of the Donner Party“. It is the accepted standard authority, and he devoted many years to get all the facts. Of course we all wanted to go to Lake Tahoe, but my fear of a weather change vetoed the project, and we pressed on. We drove past Donner Lake and up to the summit (a grade of 32%) to where it plunges right into the snow sheds. A number of autos have been caught there and people have been killed by the train. It was a very steep ascent, and we all got out, except for Charles who drove up like a hero when I gave the signal. The other cars required “pushing”. On the other side of the sheds was another short but steep incline, and then we were on top of the Sierras. The road wound down through the most wonderful and beautiful scenery in the world. The other parties traveled faster than we did and were soon out of sight. At 5:00 p.m. we went into camp in a very “airy” shack near a stream. There was an open fireplace in the center of the room, and we built a roaring fire and kept it going while mother read the story of the “History of the Donner Party” to us. It was doubly graphic and interesting because we were right where they had suffered most.
Day’s run – 50.4 miles
California (Dutch Gap, Colfax, Auburn)
Tuesday October 14, 1913
Sunshine ushered in a glorious day in these high Sierras and a day of travel worth all the trip. The ground was white with hoar frost. We packed leisurely and, to better enjoy the Scenery, we put down the top of the car for the first time on our trip. We caught up with the Auburn Party soon and journeyed together all day. The fine road continued through the most awe-inspiring canyons and high ridges where we could look down hundreds of feet to snow sheds and the railway. We then dropped gently down to Dutch Gap which we reached at noon. We passed through Colfax and Auburn, and before we got to Folsom, we camped for the night with our new friends in pleasant piece of woodland. Quail roosted in a tree above our campsite. We gathered about the big camp-fire and talked until bedtime.
Day’s run – 62.5 miles
California (Folsom, Sacramento, Wood-land, Rumsey)
Wednesday October I5, 1913
We got started in another beautiful day’s run at 8:00 a. m. We passed Folsom and the big state penitentiary and then struck the superb highway in Sacramento, the first of the new boulevards we encountered. After a couple blowouts, we reached Sacramento at noon. Here Wilber Fogle, the man on the motorcycle, went his separate way. We had a good 1unch, laid in supplies, and started north toward Woodland to visit my uncle, Tom. The first few miles out of Sacramento were hard going through the tulle swamps, but we soon struck good roads, particularly beyond Woodland. We could have made the 40 miles from Woodland to Rumsey in an hour and a half easily, but we had a succession of punctures, one right altar the other. It was 6:30 p.m. when we finely found Uncle Tom’s place in Rumsey after making inquiries at a little store. It was a joyous reunion, and we talked late.
Day’s run – 97.3 miles
California (Rumsey)
Thursday October 16, 1913
We spent the day resting in Uncle Tom’s house and gave the car a thorough cleaning. As a final measure, we drove down into the creek, and all hands got busy washing it. Then we could not get it back up the steep, sandy bank! After exhausting a every effort, we had to drive it down the stream about a half mile and get it out there. A Mr. Nakahara, a very intelligent friend of Uncle Tom, entertained us in his home and served tea.
California (Guincia, Madison, Winters, Fairfield, Benecict)
Friday October 17, 1913
We spent the day driving around the valley, calling on Tom’s friends. We then drove to the little town of Guinda for bread. We left Tom’s place at 10:00 a.m. and drove through Madison, Winters, Fairfield to Benecia. About eight miles out of Benecia, we had a lot of tire trouble and had to change tubes four times – all leaking! The road was right beside a big tulle swamp, and there were more and fiercer mosquitoes than any of us had ever dreamed of! Mrs. Kneedler and Elizabeth had to fan them away from us while we worked with the tubes, and even then they almost set us wild! Finally, we arrived at Benecia with a couple of flat tires and, since it was almost supper time, decided to stay overnight. We made arrangements at the Palace Hotel, which was anything but palatial. The eccentric proprietor, whose name was Pico, amused us very much. The University of California Glee Club was here from Berkeley.
Day’s run – 79.5 miles
California (Martinez, Oakland)
Saturday October 19, 1913
We put our car on the 10:00 o’clock ferry and crossed the Carquinez Straits to Martinez [northern San Francisco Bay]. We then ran over the hills to Oakland without incident and took rooms at the very pleasant Hotel Ray at 10th and Washington. In the afternoon we drove out to see Mr. H.D. Rowe and his wife, and then in the evening we visited Idora Park.
Day’s run – 55 miles
California (Oakland, SC117 Francisco)
Sunday October 20, 1913
We put the car up for repairs and spent the day about town. We took in a picture show at the Pantages in the evening.
Monday October 21, 1913
We took the ferry to San Francisco and visited Chinatown. Called on old Southern Pacific friends, Mr. Judah and others. [Mr. Kneedler was formerly employed by Southern Pacific.] Got two new Federal tires in exchange for the old ones. They cost a total of $19.00 and were size 33 x 4.
Tuesday October 22, 1913
We went to San Francisco again and had dinner with the Rowes at their home in the evening.
California (Oakland, San Francisco, Hayward, San Jose)
Wednesday October 23, 1913
We went to San Francisco again and visited the Judahs and came back on the 1:00 p.m. boat. We purchased the following items in preparations for the next segment of the trip: 12 gallons of gas $2.40, 1 gallon Polarine (oil) 80 cents, Inner tube repair $2.50. We started at 4:00 p.m. and headed for San Jose via Hayward over very fine roads. On the way we picked up a stranded cyclist who had broken down and carried him 14 miles. We reached San Jose at 6:30 p.m. and stopped at the Winton Apartments and ate dinner at the Oyster Loaf.
Day’s run – 60 miles
California (Los Gatos, Santa Cruz, San Lorenzo, Big Trees)
Friday October 24, 1913
We drove over fair Santa Cruz mountain roads to Santa Cruz by way of Los Gatos. The Bear Creek road was closed on account of forest fires. The scenery down the San Lorenzo Canyon and at other points was very beautiful and the day was delightful. There are some very sharp pitches on this stretch of road and our brakes were in bad shape. In fact, they would not hold the car at all, particularly when it started backward as we later found. We spent a couple of hours on the beach, though all the resorts had of course closed for the season. The kids had a great time on the sand to commemorate their sight of the Pacific again. Then we got some supplies and drove out to Big Trees. A guide showed us around and we camped among the redwoods. It was an ideal location, and a stove afforded us the opportunity for cooking. It was beautiful among the great redwoods by a little stream.
Day’s run – 60 miles
California (Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Moss Landing, Salinas, Soledad, King City)
Saturday October 25, 1913
At 9:15 a.m. we started back for Santa Cruz through the beautiful canyon. We put in five gallons of gas ($1.00) and three quarts of oil. We then went on through Watsonville to Moss Landing, a quaint, deserted point on the coast where the kids insisted on spending a couple of hours on the beach. I hunted up a Mexican beach-comber living in a little shack among the sand dunes and purchased a bunch of clams. We then headed for Watsonville, Salinas, and Soledad and across the long bridge into King City. Here we were going to take a different road but were advised by an automobilist not to try it. So we went back over the long bridge again and headed south. It was getting dark, and we finally camped in a school house yard about five or six miles from King City in the canyon. We got water at a ranch house back on the road.
Day’s run – 85 miles
California (Bradley, San Miguel, Paso Robles, Templeton, Santa Margarita, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach)
Sunday October 26, 1913
We got up after an uncomfortable night and were glad to see the sun come up. It was cold and uncomfortable on the hard ground. Our road south was a most interesting one, though at times the going was not very good. We went through Bradley, San Miguel, Paso Robles, Templeton, Santa Margarita, and over the Cuesta Grade. Cuesta Grade is about the fiercest test on nerves imaginable with a weak car. While approaching the incline, Charles did not shift into low soon enough, and the car started rolling backward. Mrs. Kneedler, whose favorite perch was on the running board on grades, jumped off. Charles thoughtfully turned the car in and it became jammed against the hillside. It was the only that move that saved us and the car, but we all got quite ajar. No one, fortunately, was hurt. Going down the drop [other side of the hill] is a steady one without a flat spot. It was a 10 or 12% grade all the way with many curves. One can see for miles and look down for hundreds and hundreds of feet. The Coast Line of the Southern Pacific climbs across the mountains here. One of the tunnels apparently had been burned out for we could see passengers walking around a narrow trail to reach a train on the other side. At San Luis Obispo we stocked up on provisions and ran down to Pismo Beach. It was a most interesting road through the mountains. We passed the hot springs on the same road mother and I had traveled on our wedding journey 18 years before [1895] when a gentleman from San Luis Obispo drove us down to the beach. We rented a vacant house for the night that was not a very desirable one. The kids had a great time on the beach.
Day’s run -90 miles
California (Arroyo Grande)
Monday October 27, 1913
We spent most of the time on the beach where Kenneth shot a bunch of snipe, and the rest of us dug about a bushel of clams to eat and take with us. At about 5:00 p.m. we got underway again and drove through Arroyo Grande. About four miles later we went into a pleasant camp by the roadside near a small brook. We were quite cozy although we had an altercation with a rancher living across the road who thought Kenneth and Howard had been disrespectful to him when they went for water. We had a big clam roast and went to bed.
Day’s run – 10.5 miles
California (Arroyo Grande, Oceana)
Tuesday October 28, 1913
We were shocked to find that when we woke up in the morning, dogs had stolen a fine, big piece of bacon and a pound of butter which we had thoughtlessly left exposed. Then we loaded the car and got in and found that it was broken down. There was a horrible clatter when we tried to run forward, but we discovered that we could “back” all right, so we “backed” all the way back to Arroyo Grande. We put it in Hale’s Garage and discovered that the main shaft was broken, so we were “up against it” again. The spectacle of our backing four or five miles over the hills with Kenneth sitting astride of the hood to give directions must have been quite a sight. Not only was the shaft broken, but the rear pinion and the intermediate gears were stripped. As we foresaw a wait while the parts were secured from Los Angeles, we had Mr. Hale [owner of the garage] drive us over to Oceana. There we were able to rent a neat, little, modern cottage for fifty cents a night. [!] We secured an oil stove from Mrs. Richard Carkeet who owned a little store there, and we made ourselves comfortable. Of the four or five scattered houses, only the Carkeet’s was occupied. We had the white magnificent beach to ourselves. It was part of Pismo Beach which was only about four miles distant. We had a very enjoyable time. In spite of the law, we kept ourselves liberally supplied with delicious little clams which can be dug up in quantity on the beach. We also caught plenty of delicious surf fish, while Kenneth shot all the ducks we could possibly eat on the nearby ponds.
Friday October 31, 1913
We spent the day bathing (we got suits at the store) and in prowling among the sand dunes, fishing, hunting, and digging clams.
Saturday November 1, 1913
Mr. H. D. Hart drove down with the car, and we got ready to start. I drove him back to Arroyo Grande, and on the return, struck a heavy sand bank right by the cottage, and smash went the pinion! Mr. Hart came down and got the car, and we were in for another delay. In the late afternoon we had some rain, but of course, didn’t mind it.
Sunday November 2, 1913
The new parts for the car arrived, and Charles went to Arroyo Grande with them and returned with the car at about 8:00 p.m. We got ready to start in the morning.
California (Arroyo Grande, Santa Maria, Gavietta)
Monday November 3, 1913
We got away at 10:00 a.m. and went through Arroyo Grande, Santa Maria, and over the long steep grade to Gavietta where we camped in a beautiful “pocket” surrounded by high mountains and with a running stream nearby. It was a ride for many miles through charming mountain scenery, although the “grade” was a grueling one. Our camp was under some big oaks where we had a fire and roast duck for dinner.
Day’s run – 82 miles
California (Santa Barbara, Summerland, Carpenteria, Lompoc)
Tuesday November 4, 1913
We left camp at 8:00 a.m. and drove to Santa Barbara. The road follows close to the sea shore and is a regular “tango”; it goes up and down and dips into little indentations in the coast. The road was rough in places, and once we all had to get out when the Studebaker had to climb a steep hill up to a railroad bridge that we then crossed. For the most part, though, the going was very good. The ranches are big and private homes very few. We got to Santa Barbara at 11:00 a.m. and had a nice dinner at a cafeteria. We were escorted through the old mission, and also saw a motion picture company at work. At 4:00 o’clock we were on our way. We passed through Summerland, Carpenteria, and Lompoc over the beach road which in some places was horribly rough. We tried to buy some shrimp at one or two Italian fishing camps without success. We got supplies at Ventura and went into camp in a Eucalyptus grove near the river.
Day’s run – 81 miles
California (Santa Paula, Saugus, Newhall, Los Angeles!)
Wednesday November 5, 1913
We broke camp early and were off by 8:30 a.m. We passed through Santa Paula, Filmore, Piero, and over pleasant roads among orchards and hills. At 11:30 we camped in some thick brush by the roadside where a delightful stream was running. After lunching, we all took baths, put on our “good” clothes, and made ourselves presentable for our entry into Los Angeles. Saugus was only eight or nine miles away, but just after leaving camp, our gas ran out! After making an effort to push the Studebaker up little hills so we could coast down the other side, we had to give it up. Fortunately, a couple of gentlemen in an auto came by and sold us a couple of gallons of gas drawn from their own supply. This enabled us to get over the particularly atrocious stretch of road into Saugus where we struck the splendid state boulevard into Los Angeles through the Newhall tunnel. The ceremonies of opening the new Owens River aqueduct were just closing, and we passed a beautiful cascade of water. There were people and autos by the thousands. With a few minutes delay caused by a connection that came apart, we rolled into Tropico and at 5:00 p.m. up to the C.D. Ingraham home on Brend Boulevard. Our long trip was at an end.
Day’s run – 75 miles
Post Script: Just a month later, on a rainy December night with Charles at the wheel, our Studebaker was demolished on Diamond Street in South Pasadena.
Summary Statistics:
Total Trip – 2,984 miles
Actual Running Days – 42
Total Time of Trip – 64 days
Highest Day’s Run – 184 miles
Gasoline Used – 331 gallons
Total Cost of Gasoline – $85.03
Oil Used – 17 gallons ($15.70)
High Cost per Gallon – 50 cents (Utah)
Lowest Cost per gallon – 16 cents
Mileage per gallon of gas – 9.1