Caledonia Argus

Model Ts make impression here

Posted: 6/10/03

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

A caravan of Model Ts chugged into Caledonia Saturday evening, captivating the town and bringing back memories for many of its residents.

The group, which started out in Los Angeles, California, was on a 2,700 mile journey to Dearborn, Michigan, to help the Ford Motor Company celebrate its 100th anniversary. When notified of the trip through the area by Ford, Jane Schiltz, manager of the AmericInn, had the idea to recreate a 1912 photo taken at the corner of Main and Kingston Streets. The photo was taken from a second story balcony at the former Palen Photo Studio, and featured many Model Ts. The photo opportunity was was created when a group of Caledonia residents welcomed a group of Spring Grove residents as well as visitors to Spring Grove who were there for a ìHalling Lag,î or reunion of people who could trace their roots to the Halling area of Norway.

Over the weekend, the parking lots of the AmericInn and Red Carpet Inn in Caledonia drew many curious visitors who wanted to take a look at these wonderful old cars and the people who keep them on the road. The drivers graciously answered questions and shared their enthusiasm with those who stopped by.

By 6 a.m. Sunday, Randy Myhre had opened up the service bays at New Caledonia Ford, and mechanic Pete Lord was on the job, assisting Model T owners as they performed routine maintenance and repairs on their vehicles. He said he found helping with the old cars was kind of fun, and there were no computers to worry about.

ìThey are pretty straight-forward,î he said.

Bob Collett, a former auto mechanic, came even further than most of the drivers; he started his journey in Brisbane, Australia. He was one of four cars from Australia on the tour.

ìItís good fun,î said Collett, as he worked on his 1926 Model T.

Collett explained that Model Ts are popular in Australia. In fact, in 1925 a Model T plant opened in Melbourne.

ìI enjoy the car, and I get to meet a lot of people,î said Collett. ìThatís why weíre here.î

Another Australian, Gavin Pocock, said that people along the way have been friendly, and donít get too impatient when encountering the caravan on the roads.

ìWe try to stay out of the way,î he said.

Ray Gularte, a retired vegetable farmer from Gonzales, California, has a special connection to his 1924 Roadster. He bought the car in 1945 at the age of 15, and used to drive it to school with his sweetheart Lillian at his side. His sweetheart has been his wife for a long time now, and after retirement he took the Model T out of the barn and restored it. He and Lillian have enjoyed many Model T tours. Last year, they went on a Model T tour through Portugal and Spain.

ìMy wife and I have had a lot of fun,î said Gularte.

He estimated that with side trips, the current trip will be about 3,000 miles, easily the longest trip they have been on.

ìModel Ts are prone to breakdowns, but most are easy to fix,î said Gularte. ìYou can overhaul a transmission on the side of the road.î

During the weekend, the Model T enthusiasts did some sight-seeing, and on Sunday assembled for the historic photo at the corner of Main and Kingston. A large crowd turned out, and many cameras flashed as the cars lined up. Four bucket trucks, from the City of Caledonia, Tri-County Electric, Donís Tree Service and Hoskins Electric were lined up to give several lucky photographers a perspective close to the one in the original photo. One of the cars in the original photo, now owned by the St. Mary family of Caledonia, was in the front row. Many people wore period clothing for the occasion.

Behind the Model Ts, classic cars of other vintages were lined up.

Following the event, the group gathered at the Four Seasons Community Center for a turkey dinner and entertainment. They made their way out of Caledonia early Monday morning, headed first to La Crosse and then to Oshkosh before arriving in Dearborn on June 12.

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