The Model T Ford Club Returns
The Mason Dixon T's Chapter of the Model T Ford Club International will be returning to showcase a variety of authentic cars manufactured between 1908 and 1927. As an added bonus, the club’s president, Bill Ramsey will be presenting the history of America’s most popular automobile at the 2022 Victorian Chautauqua on Saturday, July 9.
As people abandoned train travel and took to the roads, the Ford Model T was a popular mode of transport. It disrupted traveler routines and provided the freedom to choose new destinations inaccessible by rail. It also contributed to the decline of railroad destinations like Mountain Lake Park, which once bustled during the summer vacation season.
The Ford Model T (colloquially known as the Tin Lizzie, jitney, or Flivver) was generally regarded as the first affordable automobile. The trendy mode of travel was produced between 1908 and 1927. The car opened new destinations to common middle-class Americans who previously relied on public transportation or the horse and carriage. The accommodating price tag was attributed to Ford's efficient fabrication methods, including assembly line production instead of individually hand-crafting each vehicle.
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 road 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. Their well-documented excursions ignited an interest in Americans seeking their own adventures by automobile.
The car's popularity is still present today through the collectors who are frequently members of the two national clubs, The Model T Ford Club International (MTFCI) and the Model T Ford Club of America (MTFCA). Both of these clubs maintain domestic and foreign chapters. With over one hundred clubs in the United States, Canada, Argentina, Australia, and Europe, Model T owners share their passion for America’s former mode of transportation that ushered a nation into a more modern, independent society.
Henry Ford conceived a series of cars between the company's founding in 1903 and the introduction of the Model T. His first car was named the Model A and proceeded through twenty letters of the alphabet until reaching the Model T. Not every model went into production. The production model immediately preceding the Model T was called the Model S, an upgraded version of the company's largest success to that point, the Model N. The follow-up to the Model T was the Ford Model A, rather than the "Model U." The company publicity said this was because the new car was such a departure from the old that Henry wanted to start all over again with the letter A.
Bill notes that Henry Ford was obsessed with innovation and invention and had many other revolutionary ideas besides the car he warmly embraced.
“I do not think Ford fully appreciated the long-term impact of the automobile into our current time and the sophisticated nature of cars today.”
With the advent of the Ford Model T, families were suddenly able to take excursions and run errands at their leisure—plus it was fun. This new mode of transportation would greatly impact Mountain Lake Park’s summer population, which formerly relied exclusively on rail transit. Roads through Western Maryland were not up to today’s standards, so they made for a rough and lengthy trek.
“I am personally very interested in history and how amazing the Model T was during its time,” Bill shares. “To be able to participate in the historical celebration of Mountain Lake Park and to see the Ts on the streets beside many of the beautiful and historic Victorian houses and cottages is a real treat.”
Bill and his fellow enthusiasts always enjoy sharing the story of the Model T, talking about its features, and of course, diving into the small details that may go unnoticed by the novice onlooker. For the better part of Saturday, July 9, the Mountain Lake Park will be puttering with Ts scurrying about, much as they did when they ruled the highways and byways. Open vehicle owners will be offering rides for a modest donation.
“We look forward to giving the visitors a chance to actually ride the streets of Mountain Lake Park in a Model T,” Bill says with anticipation. “There is also a very strong culture and camaraderie within the Model T community,” Bill points out. “They are some of the friendliest and genuinely good people I have ever met.”
