The Automobiles in the Rohr McHenry Distilling Company Picture
The dawning of the age of the automobile ran from the beginning of the last century to the end of carriage coachwork, gas lights, hand cranking and excessive use of brass. The wealthy owned automobiles during this pre-1916 era, and ownership implied inventiveness and mechanical ability. These early automobiles were called horseless carriages, since they could transport people and freight without the need of a horse to pull them. For most, it was a dream just to sit behind the wheel of a horseless carriage.
The Watrous in the photo was a dream of a horseless carriage, hand built, uniquely designed, the only one ever built. But some dreams are really nightmares in disguise, and John G. McHenry was quoted once saying of the car, "the man only built the one because most of the time it didn't work." Irvin Keeler purchased the car and brought it to Mr. Parley, a machinist at the old Rohr McHenry Distilling Company, to see if he could get it to work. The gasoline-powered, air-cooled car depended on a friction drive off a flywheel under the front seat. The tires were solid rubber and not designed for comfort.
John G. McHenry, Jr., (June 8, 1897-December 24, 1970) was not old enough to drive when this picture was taken, and later said, "This was one of the proudest days of my life. It was the first time I had ever been allowed to operate a car. I wasn't quite old enough for a license but did get to drive some anyway."
The Fords in the picture have inflatable tires and are water-cooled. There are two white tanks just below the feet of the driver in the first car. The upper tank held water and the lower one contained the carbide for the two head lights mounted beside the radiator. The white curved device just under the driver's right elbow on the side of the car body was a gauge showing the degree of climb encountered in going up a hill. The driver would then set the forward drive setting of the hand-lever pointing up from the "floor-boards" along the driver's right knee. The steeper the grade, the further front the lever needed to be placed to get the power necessary to climb the hill Flat tires were guaranteed because of the stony roads. A "patch" on the right rear tire of the car in the foreground, probably just a piece of leather, laced tightly into place over the hole in the tire, is evidence of the rough roads it has traversed. A bicycle-type pump reinflated tires, then it was back to the open road again.
Photo courtesy of Columbia County Historical Society.
Reprints may be purchased from the Society.