Here are two restored photos from a batch, telling the amazing story of a Toledo Steam Carriage on 871 Mile journey!

1902 Newspaper Article reads

1902

Feb: “C.E. De Long, of Hot Springs, Ark., and J.E. Saules, of Toledo, Ohio, who started from Toledo in a “Toledo” steam carriage the day before Christmas, are reported to have reached Little Rock, Ark., on the 6th (February) , having been compelled to take the train from Memphis to Hot Springs in consequence of the heavy rains which had flooded the Mississippi bottoms and made the roads impassable. They remained in Little Rock until February 10, when they proceeded on their way by automobile.”

Toledo Steam Carriage making its was 871 Miles back home in winter.

Let us look at this article in more detail. It was Christmas eve 1902. Weather for that year was cold, you can see ice on the mud puddles in the above image. It must have been below freezing! Now take a look at the distance from Toledo, Ohio to Hot Springs, Arkansas on Google and you get 871 miles. That is by modern roads! Back then the distance would have been much more. These impressive machines probably averaged around 4.1 Miles an hour on the flat without terrain and puddles and mud, hills, weather, break downs, maintenance etc. It took them the best part of 6 weeks to make this journey! Now that is an adventure!

Toledo Steam Carriage showing it power in climbing a slope 1902 on its way back home 871 miles across Eastern America.

The journey was no doubt made even longer by setting up a tripod and composing and taking photos along the way in the frozen weather and trying to operate the equipment!

A very kind thank you to Nick Howell for providing the images from his restoration order. You can read more about these machines on toledosattic.org

If you have old photos like this or need a photo restoration but don’t know what service you need to check out the main photo restoration page to see how I can help and how to hire me.