Sorry everyone. Had to do a quick post so I didn't get the requisite pic with it. The Right hand drive, fenders, mounted spare, and the top end year of 1917 gave it away. Don't ask me how the hell I knew what it was because I haven't got a reasonable explanation. Guess I saw it somewhere in a magazine or something and it stuck. Anyhow, glad we could help you out fly-sig. Good luck with the family history.

quote:

Originally posted by Drew136:
Wow. They have pretty good write-ups on Findagrave. I'm not sure about the car...but I don't think it's a Model T. Radiator doesn't seem to match up.

Frank's findagrave is curated by a relative who has done a lot of research and who is the source of that photo. Still, there are many gaps.

Findagrave can be a really good source, or at least provide some clues to other directions to look. But, it is sometimes pretty polluted with bad information. There are a lot of people with the same name who were born or died +/- a couple of years, and who had some family with the same names (father, child, etc).

Prior to about 75 years ago, name spellings were variable, and some people just changed their names. Not like today with strict government records of everything.

Another issue is, especially with older graves, dates were guesstimated. A lot of people didn't know their own birthday.

Genealogy sites like FamilySearch still need a critical eye looking at the information. Lots of speculation, plain incorrect linking of sources to individuals, and all manner of bad information (illegible handwriting on census, birth, marriage, death records, etc).

I found at least one Viele with those slants on the hood.

The steering wheel is on the right and the spokes are thicker and wider.
I think its the Auburn too.

I know very little about the brass era. I believe there were a lot of car builders, but not a lot of manufacturers. Just looking at a bunch of pictures, I saw at least a half dozen cars similar to the Auburn. Same fenders, frames in front of the radiator, radiator, windshield, headlights and sidelights etc. It’s easy to see the car in the OP is not a Model T.

Saying it’s an Auburn is not so easy. Bendable brings up a Velie built in Moline that looks similar. The Velie pictures that look similar seem to have different hinges on the windshield. Geographically though, Moline is 360 miles from Ft. Recovery while Auburn is 80 and pretty much on the way from Toledo. I don’t know how these things were sold back then, but I’m going to guess location played a big factor.

Just look at the firewall mounting brackets that are angled below the windshield, there is nothing in the OP's photo that shows that it is not an Auburn, every thing matches.

Don’t know whether it is an Auburn or not - but there is an incredible Auburn museum in Auburn, Indiana.
It is located in the original factory, corporate headquarters, sales show room.
If my memory serves, it was first Deusenberg, then Cord and then Auburn.
If any car enthusiast gets to north east Indiana, it is definitely worth a long afternoon to see some beautiful cars.

quote:

Frank's findagrave is curated by a relative who has done a lot of research and who is the source of that photo. Still, there are many gaps.

Findagrave can be a really good source, or at least provide some clues to other directions to look. But, it is sometimes pretty polluted with bad information. There are a lot of people with the same name who were born or died +/- a couple of years, and who had some family with the same names (father, child, etc).

Prior to about 75 years ago, name spellings were variable, and some people just changed their names. Not like today with strict government records of everything.

Another issue is, especially with older graves, dates were guesstimated. A lot of people didn't know their own birthday.

Genealogy sites like FamilySearch still need a critical eye looking at the information. Lots of speculation, plain incorrect linking of sources to individuals, and all manner of bad information (illegible handwriting on census, birth, marriage, death records, etc).

I agree with your opinions about online and historical genealogy. I tend to verify everything with additional sources where I can...and the additional sources are sometimes wrong.

Names and dates were not documented as well as today in the United States and some of Europe. I have a friend whose son worked in Saudia Arabia for a millionaire. The millionaire was born in the desert and estimates his birthdate within a few years; and this was in the 1960's.

I've been playing with genealogy for 50 years...and the research nowadays is much easier...but a mistake can be copied a thousand times.

Anyway, I love your post, and the photo and the story. Thank you.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris42:
Don’t know whether it is an Auburn or not - but there is an incredible Auburn museum in Auburn, Indiana.
It is located in the original factory, corporate headquarters, sales show room.
If my memory serves, it was first Deusenberg, then Cord and then Auburn.
If any car enthusiast gets to north east Indiana, it is definitely worth a long afternoon to see some beautiful cars.

I'd bet that if the OP emailed that picture to them they could tell for sure.

quote:

Originally posted by Sailor1911:

I'd bet that if the OP emailed that picture to them they could tell for sure.

Excellent idea!

For the car and history buffs:

Frank's father Leander Florelow Harris during the Civil War. He was in the NY 15th Engineers. Leander is in the front row, just right of center, not wearing a hat.




Frank's son-in-law with his Model T in 1925




Frank's son-in-law and grandson in 1929 with a different Model T




From a 1942 Ford brochure. The house was my grandfather's, and my dad and his sister were the kids in the pictures.