Bill Watson's Chronological History of Chrysler Corporation
Part I, 1864 - 1911 (The Railroad Days; Dodge)

The early years: before 1900

Birth of the founders

1864: John Francis Dodge; 1868 : Horace Elgin Dodge (both in Niles, Michigan)

1875 : April 2 - Walter Percy Chrysler, Wamego, Kansas

1883 : November 8 - Carl Breer born, Los Angeles, California

1886 : Kaufman Thuma Keller (K.T. Keller), Mount Joy, PA.; Fred Morrell Zeder born, Bay City, MI

1888 : David A. Wallace, Castleton, KS; Herman L. Weckler, Pittsburgh, PA

1893 : Byron C. Foy

1892: Walter P. Chrysler begins his apprenticeship as a mechanic in a railroad roundhouse in Ellis, Kansas. While there, Chrysler made his own tools.

1894: Henry G. Morris and Pedro G. Salom construct and test a battery-operated car in Philadelphia, PA.

1895: Morris & Salom build 4 Electrobats, as they call their new car.

- Pope Manufacturing Co., Hartford, CT, manufacturers of the Columbia bicycle, builds an electric car, designed by Percy Maxim, son of the inventor of the Maxim gun.

1896: Morris & Salom form the Electric Carriage & Wagon Co., concentrating on electric cab production.

- A.L. Riker forms the Riker Electric Motor Co. in Brooklyn, NY. (One of the first Riker electric vehicles is in the Henry Ford Museum)

1897: Isaac L. Rice, president of Electric Storage Battery Co, and the Electric Boat Co., purchases the Electric Carriage & Wagon Co. Firm becomes part of the Electric Vehicle Co., Elizabethport, NJ.

May - Production begins on the Columbia Electric by the Pope Manufacturing Co. The vehicles are sold in the United Kingdom as City & Suburban Cars and in France as L'Electromotion.

1899: The automobile division of Pope Manufacturing Co. becomes the Columbia Automobile Co..

- The Riker Electric Motor Co. is taken over by Electric Vehicle Co. Production of the Riker car moved to Elizabethport, NJ, but the Riker Truck continues in production in Brooklyn, NY.

- Dodge brothers work for Canadian Typothetac Company in Windsor, Ontario. Organize the Evans & Dodge Bicycle Co.

Early automobile development and Chrysler's railroad days

1900

• The Columbia gasoline car goes into production, with the engine in front instead of under the driver's seat - an industry first. This car also had a steering wheel on the left side of the car, another first, instead of the usual tiller on the right side.
• Columbia Automobile and the Electric Vehicle Co. merge to form the Columbia & Electric Vehicle Co. of Hartford, CT. The Elizabethport plant closes, ending production of the Riker.
• A.L.Riker starts up the Riker Electric Vehicle Co., Elizabethport, NJ, but this firm has no connection with Columbia & Electric.
• Carl Breer builds his first car - a steam car.
• Evans & Dodge Bicycle Co. taken over by National Cycle & Automobile Company, Hamilton, ON, which also takes over E.C.Stearns Company, Toronto, ON. The Dodge brothers, and Frederick J. Haynes of the E.C.Stearns Company, work for National Cycle.
• April 17 - James Churchill Zeder born, Bay City, MI (youngest brother of Fred M. Zeder).

1901

• Columbia & Electric Vehicle, renamed the Electric Vehicle Company, acquires the Selden patent. Firm begins action against various firms for patent infringement.
• Dodge brothers move to Detroit, MI and open a shop on Beaubien Street making bicycles and parts for the auto industry.
• The Graham brothers, Joseph C., Robert C. and Ray A, begin a glass-manufacturing business, Pluto Glass Co. They perfect a method of mass producing glass bottles with a crown strong enough to use a cap instead of a cork.
• Waltern P. Chrysler marries Della Forker and is promoted to foreman at Salt Lake City.

1902

• Jonathon Dixon Maxwell, of Detroit, MI, joins with Charles B. King and W.T. Barbour to form the Northern Mfg. Co., Detroit, MI. Maxwell and King were engineers at Oldsmobile. The first model produced is called the Silent Northern.
• Dodge brothers get contract to build 3,000 transmissions for Olds Motor Works.
• Frederick J. Haynes accepts job as manager of H.H.Franklin Company, Syracuse, NY.
• Walter P. Chrysler accepts job as manager of the Colorado and Southern shops in Trinidad, CO.

1903

• J.D.Maxwell leaves Northern and goes to work for the Briscoe brothers, Detroit sheet metal contractors, most noted for the sheet metal garbage can. The Briscoes built thermo-syphon colling systems for Oldsmobile and provided the early backing for David Dunbar Buick.
• The Electric Vehicle Company joins with nine other car manufacturers to form the Licensed Automobile Manfuacturers. The group's main aim is to watch over the Selden patent, and all members pay royalties on the patent.
• Albert A. Pope withdraws from the Electric Vehicle Company, and begins production of the Pope-Hartford in Hartford, CT. Late in the year Pope takes over the Toledo Steamer Co, of Toledo, Ohio, which becomes the Pope-Toledo. Pope then purchased the International Motor Co., Indianapolis, IN, producer of the Waverley Electric. The car is renamed Pope-Waverley.
• Dodge brothers equip their plant to build engines for Ford in return for 10% interest in Ford Motor Company. Cancel contract with Olds Motor Works.

1904

• The Pope company sets up the Pope-Tribune car in Hagerstown, MD, and the Pope-Robinson in Hyde Park, MA.
• Three other firms are formed this year, all independent of each other as well as the Columbia company and the Pope empire - Alden Sampson Mfg Co., Pittsfield, MA; Stoddard Mfg. Co., Dayton, OH and Maxwell-Briscoe Motor Co., Tarryown, NY
• The Alden Sampson company had a contract to build the Moyea chassis and running gear for the Consolidated Motor Co., of New York. Bodies were built by the Springfield Metal Body Co., in Massachusetts.
• The Stoddard-Dayton car is built by John Stoddard, son of Henry Stoddard, a Dayton paint and varnish manufacturer.

1905

• Alden Sampson takes over the Consolidated Motor Co. The Moyea becomes the Sampson. By year end the car was replaced by the Sampson 5-ton truck.
• The Maxwell-Briscoe in production with shaft drive instead of the usual chain drive.
• Roy D. Chapin and Howard E. Coffin, leave their jobs as engineers with Oldsmobile, and with backing from E.R.Thomas of Buffalo, NY, form the E.R.Thomas-Detroit Co. in Detroit, MI
• Walter P. Chrysler becomes division chief for of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad.
• Owen R. Skelton becomes engineer for Pope-Toledo Company.

1907

• Frank Briscoe (one of the Briscoe brothers) provides financial backing for a light car designed by Alanson P. Brush. The company is called the Brush Motor Car Co., Detroit, MI, and is noted for its one cylinder engine, chain drive, wooden frame and wooden axles. Another of Brush's designs is built by the former Pontiac Buggy Co. - the Oakland - which in 1926 introduces a companion car Pontiac.
• The Columbia four introduces dual carburetors.
• The economic recession of the year brings about the downfall of the Pope empire. The Overland Motor Company, under the new leadership of John North Willys, purchases the Toledo plant and moves his company there. The plant forms the nucleus for the present day Jeep complex.
• Owen R. Skelton becomes transmission specialist for Packard Motor Car Company.
• Walter P. Chrysler becomes superintendent of the shops of the Chicago & Great Western Railroad at Oelwein, IA

1908 - Walter Chrysler buys a car

• Talks between the Briscoe brothers and William C. Durant to form one big automobile company collapse. The two groups go their separate ways, with Durant using his Buick as a nucleus for the General Motors Company and the Briscoe brothers using Maxwell-Briscoe and Brush to form the United States Motor Company.
• Columbia introduces Model XLVI, a 4-cylinder gasoline engined vehicle that drove an electric generator to provide power to an electric motor on each rear wheel. No clutch or transmission was used, or needed. Power to the electric motors controlled direction and speed. It was not a success as a motor car, but General Motors (and others) succeeded with the design principles on their diesel locomotives.
• With sales sliding at Thomas-Detroit, Hugh Chalmers is brought on board from National Cash Register. In mid 1908 the car and firm become Chalmers-Detroit.
• Walter P. Chrysler attends the Chicago Auto Show. He is a senior manager with the Chicago Great Western Railway at the young age of 33; his monthly salary is $350 but he spends $5,000 on a white Locomobile with a red interior. Curious, he takes the car apart and puts it together again to learn how it works, and learns to drive.
• David A. Wallace becomes a machinist at Buick Motor Company.

1909

• The Electric Vehicle Company becomes the Columbia Motor Car Co.
• Howard E. Coffin and Roy D. Chapin design a new lighter car and leave Chalmers-Detroit to set up a new company.
• February 24 - Hudson Motor Car Company formed, by Roy D. Chapin and Howard E. Coffin with major backing from J.L. Hudson. Other backers include R.B. Jackson, F.O. Bezner, J.J. Brady, and Hugh Chalmers
• Stoddard-Dayton forms the Courier Car Co., Dayton, OH, to produce a lower-priced car, the Courier.
• Carl Breer and Fred M. Zeder employed with Allis-Chalmers.
• Walter P. Chrysler becomes work superintendent of the American Locomotive Co. Pittsburgh, PA.
• Herman L. Weckler joins American Locomotive, where he meets Walter P. Chrysler.

1910

• The United States Motor Company is formed, taking control of Maxwell-Briscoe Motor Co., Brush Motor Co., Dayton Motor Car Co., Courier Car Co., Alden Sampson Mfg Co., and Columbia Motor Car Co. Of these firms, only Brush and Maxwell-Briscoe were profitable, well-run companies. Another asset is the Selden patent.
  • Alden Sampson was run basically as a hobby, the owner not caring if profits were produced or not.
• Dodge brothers build a new plant in Hamtramck, MI
• Hugh Chalmers, E.R. Thomas, and Roy D. Chapin groups dispose of their holdings in the others' companies. Chalmers, Thomas, and Hudson proceed on their separate, independent ways.
  • The Chalmers-Detroit drops "Detroit." Now known as Chalmers.
  • Hudson Motor Car Company builds its new assembly plant in the Pointe Claire area of Detroit, across the street from the Chalmer Motor Company plant.
• K.T. Keller becomes chief inspector at Maxwell-Briscoe plant in Tarrytown, NY.

1911

• Production of the Alden Sampson company moved to Detroit. Truck production continues and the Sampson 35 car introduced. By year end, the Sampson was dead and Maxwell-Briscoe began using the plant.
• Ford Motor Company wins the Selden patent suit - Selden patent all but worthless.

1864 - 1911 * 1912 - 1919 * 1920 - 1939 * 1940 - 1949 * 1950 - 1963 * 1964 - 1971 * History * By Year

Chrysler History | History by Year | Chrysler People and Bios

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