Model T Takeover
In a short video, Bill Ramsey, president of The Mason Dixon Model T Club, is enthusiastic about his own Model T and enjoys sharing information about America's most popular automobile with anyone interested. At the 2021 Victorian Chautauqua, Bill and nearly 20 additional antique cars recaptured an earlier time in Mountain Lake Park. Some drivers offered Model T rides touring many of the original cottages from 1882.
Considered an affordable mode of transportation, the Ford Model T allowed its owners to choose new and remote destinations at the turn of the last century. Most remote locations before this new invention were only accessible by railroad. Produced between 1908 and 1927, using the assembly line production method, the Model T earned its rightful place as the most influential car of the 20th century in 1999.
The Vagabonds
Between 1915 and 1924, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, and John Burroughs, calling themselves the Four Vagabonds, embarked on a series of summer camping trips that included two visits to Garrett County. The idea was initiated in 1914 when Ford and Burroughs visited Edison in Florida and toured the Everglades together. Around that time, Garrett County roads were less than favorable, so a long trip with frequent tire changes added adventure to the mountain excursions.
The Mason Dixon Model T Club plans to return to the Victorian Chautauqua in 2022. This will be another opportunity for anyone who missed this exciting part of the weekend festivities to drink in the past.
