Features Research Archives

To Top

Day 18 – Wed. Apr. 29th: Power Wagons & Pecans

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 17 –Tue. Apr. 28th: Dr. Peppers & Texas Rangers  | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 19 – Thu. Apr. 30th: Texas Justice, Pacific War, & a Comfy Bed –>

2015-04-29-lee-m38-me-lee-father

Talking about jeeps and life with Lee (left) and his father Sam (right).

Great day yesterday that started with a question mark … Would Paul Cook respond to my request to see his Power Wagons before we passed Kempner on our way to San Saba. I had contacted him at the last minute, so I wasn’t assured he was available. Since we had nothing else planned, we just went with the flow and hoped Texas would surprise us with something.

2015-04-29-waco-llano-map

Around 11am we were driving south toward Temple, Texas, when I saw a sign for Buc-ee’s. Then I looked across the freeway and saw a giant beaver head with lots of triangle flags, which I believe is the international symbol for ‘Hey, we’ve just opened so come over and take a look!’. I asked Ann if she knew what a Buc-ee’s was. She didn’t. I didn’t either, but told her we were going to find out! So, we took the exit and drove across the freeway for our first ever Buc-ee’s experience.

2015-04-29-bucees1

You really have to see a Buc-ee’s to believe it. HUGE!

Our jaws dropped as we pulled into the massive parking lot. This was supposed to be a gas station/convenience store, but it was enormous. It was so big it seemed like it took an hour just to circle all 112 fuel pumps (yes, we counted them). As many of you know, Ann and I have been through many states in the last few years, but this Texas-sized gas stop was the biggest one, by far, that we’d ever seen. We were even more surprised to learn this was the 35th store.

2015-04-29-bucees2

I’m just one of the many nuts in the store.

2015-04-29-bucees3

That’s a LOT Of picked eggs. I picked up a jar.

Continue reading

 
To Top

Fearless Fred and his Wagon

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

According to one website, ‘Fearless Fred’ patrolled the rough and tumble world of Shirley, Long Island, New York, in wagon during the 1950s. I only have the one photo of him and his patrol jeep.

http://spoonercentral.com/SpotlightPhotos/Fred.html

1950s-fearless-fred-shirley-longisland

 
To Top

Day 17 – Tue. Apr. 28th: Dr. Peppers & Texas Rangers

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 16 – Mon. Apr. 27th: Frontier Texas | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 18 – Wed. Apr. 29th: Power Wagons & Pecans –>

2015-04-28-dr-pepper-museum2

Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco, Tx, and a happy Dr. Pepper fan eagerly waiting to venture inside.

We had big plans for Tuesday morning. Our first stop was going to be the outdoor historic village of Buffalo Gap. So, when I hopped out of bed at 7:30am and saw that it was raining, we quickly changed that plan. Without feeling rushed, we somehow didn’t get out of the room until 10:30am.

2015-04-28-abilene-waco-map

The rain was gently falling as we got onto eastbound Interstate 20. Soon we turned southeast on Highway 6. If there’s one thing I like about these Texas state highways it is the speed limit: 75mph. That’s faster than any of the speeds on Oregon’s Interstates. You can get places in Texas, however the places are so spread apart, that even at 75mph it doesn’t seem fast enough.

Eventually we reached Dublin, Texas. I spotted a cool Dr. Pepper sign and asked Ann if she’d like a photo of it. She agreed, so I did a loop around the block, We weren’t halfway around when we ran into several more Dr. Pepper signs. Then we spotted a Dr. Pepper museum reference. That’s when the light clicked for both us. We both remembered reading that besides the Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco, there was a second one in a small Texas town. This was it.

2015-04-28-dublin

This is the billboard I spotted while driving through Dublin.

Feeling lucky, we jumped out of the jeep to see what this was all about. We learned that Dublin was home to the first Dr. Pepper bottling plant. The Dublin plant used cane sugar in all their soda pop products, including Dr. Pepper, even when the rest of Dr. Pepper world switched to high fructose corn syrup. This fact angered the Dr. Pepper company, so the company revoked Dublin’s right to bottle and sell it. Now, the Dublin Bottling Works bottles and sells a variety of custom flavors and sells them all over the country.

2015-04-28-dublin-bottling-works6

2015-04-28-dublin-bottling-works2 2015-04-28-dublin-bottling-works3

Continue reading

 
To Top

Jeep Clubs of America Pin on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Seth spotted this odd eBay auction. I can’t imagine a context that would have produced such a pin. Is it truly vintage? Jeep Clubs and Victory? Or is that V for 5?

“Rare WWII Jeep Clubs of America Victory Pin Whitehead & Hoag Red White & Blue”

View all the information on eBay

red-and-white-pin2

red-and-white-pin3

 
To Top

1944 Photo with Smith, King and Nimitz on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Is the USMC serial number on the side normal? I don’t remember seeing that in other photos.

“Original WWII press photo of US Marine Lt. General Holland Smith, Commanding Amphibious Assault Troops in Pacific (standing) showing US Fleet C-in-C Admiral Ernest King and Admiral C. W. Nimitz (seated in jeep) aroung on Saipan, 7-24-1944.”

View all the information on eBay

1944-07-24-nimitz-smith-saipan-jeep1

1944-07-24-nimitz-smith-saipan-jeep2

 
To Top

Jeep Memorabilia Collection East Haddam, CT

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Brian is selling his collection of jeep memorabilia, documents, signs and more. He’s sharing some of the pics at sellajeep.com. You’ll need to email him for prices and for a full list of what he has available.

“After 30 years in the Jeep business I am selling off my massive collection. I am long time master Jeep restorer and collector Brian Hainer. There are hundreds of vintage and modern toys, thousands of manuals and pieces of Jeep literature, dealer signs, dealer items etc.

The collection includes items from WW2 to about 1986, last of the CJ’s. Lots of NOS toys new in the box. The MB toy is #92 of 250 made by Fine Art Models, very rare to see one for sale. The sign photo is of a very large dealer sign. One panel says jeep and the other service. Over 18 feet long. I have a lot of factory photos and a huge pile of original blueprints of the Willys factory and of parts. Some are half scale and over 12 feet long.

I am also restoring a CJ5 snowblower Jeep right now, next will be a CJ5 trencher, after that is a CJ5 diesel Jeep with a large compressor that was used for drilling rock in New Hampshire to make ski slopes, and finally a CJ3B welder Jeep. All of these were factory equipped as described, and all are getting a careful restoration that I am known for. If anyone is interested now you can have the Jeep built as you like, such as color, tires, etc.

I am hoping to find good homes for all my vehicles and memorabilia so don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to own the item you have been looking for!

Pictured are just a few of the thousands of items I have so please email for more details.”

http://www.sellajeep.com/mjs/sale/adm034/adm034.html

jeep-collection

 
To Top

Day 16 – Mon. Apr. 27th: Frontier Texas

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 15 – Sun. Apr. 26th: Parks and Wind | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 17 – Tue. Apr. 28th: Dr. Peppers & Texas Rangers –>

2015-04-27-frontier-museum1

That’s us sitting on a giant metal skull at the Frontier Texas Museum. Above us are Buffalo that pivot like weather vanes.

On Monday morning we awoke planning to reach Waco, but we got side tracked by an errant attempt to locate a Best Buy so Ann could buy a lens cap. I won’t go into the machinations of locating one, even when trying to use both of our ‘smart’ phones, or how we eventually (and accidentally) stumbled upon one and how we were so surprised that my wife did an all-too-quick u-turn in the street, dumping a rather sizable container of ice-cold water into my lap. No, you don’t want to hear all that!

And, I’m really sure that after you read this sad tale, and after you learn what it took to get the lens cap, and when you understand just how wet my underwear and shorts were, you’ll acknowledge the personal sacrifice I made in the cause of the lens cap, and only then can you appreciate that three hours after we bought the lens cap I accidentally dropped it onto the ground — it broke, into several pieces … uggghh!!!

2015-04-27-odessa-abilene

Instead of that long, sad tale, I will give my impressions of Monday morning in Odessa. There were many men around our motel dressed in heavy one-piece work outfits. They all worked for energy companies with bland, forgettable names. All drove white trucks packed with tools in the back and with catchers on the front that could move an entire herd of cows. On Sunday evening, they had all looked tired from a long day; most were gone by Monday morning, but not before eating up all the available breakfast that our motel served that morning. They did manage to save me a piece of sausage.

We were out of the motel room by 9am. As we drove through Odessa, my view was filled with industrial buildings, piping equipment and oil rigs. The equipment suggested people here worked hard. My other impression was that land is cheap, or at least was cheap. All the endless industrial companies we passed on Monday morning on our way to nearby Midland seemed unconcerned with how they organized their stuff. Stacking didn’t seem to be a concern, as everything was horizontal. Space was cheap, stacking wasn’t necessary. Those were the thoughts that bounced around my head as we drove to the Petroleum Museum.

2015-04-27-petroleum-museum3

Near the entrance to the Petroleum Museum.

We arrived at the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum just after it opened. When we entered the building we were told that the entire history portion of the museum was undergoing an $18 million dollar remodel. Obviously that wouldn’t do us any good, but they did have a few exhibits — gems, paintings, and race cars — that we could view. Since we were there, we wandered around and looked at those for a short time. However, I really wished we could have see the main oil history exhibit.

2015-04-27-petroleum-museum1

Me pretending to drive one of the race cars. I didn’t fit very well, especially not on the driver’s side! I hope they didn’t mind me removing the steering wheel . . . .

2015-04-27-petroleum-museum2

The mineral exhibit was interesting, but shamefully I know very little about them (where are my ancestors when I need them??).

Continue reading

 
To Top

1946 Photo of Doctor Using VEC for House Calls on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This must be a 1945 VEC CJ-2A (note the rear hubs. This doctor traded in his horse for a jeep to make house calls.

“1946 Press Photo Dr John Kinchelos Veteran Traded Horse for Jeep”

View all the information on eBay

1946-09-18-doctor-house-calls1

1946-09-18-doctor-house-calls2

 
To Top

Day 15 – Sun. Apr. 26th: Parks and Wind

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 14 –  Sat. Apr. 25th: Saddleblankets to Prada | TRIP OVERVIEW | Day 16 – Mon. Apr. 27th: Frontier Texas –>

2015-04-26-bigbendnp2

An overlook at Big Bend National Park (looking west)

Today we drove and drove.

2015-04-26-alpine-odessaThe first part of the trip took us south toward the Mexico border at Presidio, Texas. Along the way, we encountered ‘Elephant Rock’, which we felt lived up to its name.

2015-04-26-elephant

Called Elephant Rock for an obvious reason.

Eventually we reached Presidio, a dusty dry border town. I am not entirely sure what the appeal is for living in that area; it looks like plenty of shops and stores were out of business.

2015-04-26-presidio-3

Ruins of an old house in Presidio

2015-04-26-presidio-2

Ruins of old building in Presidio

2015-04-26-presidio-1

Ruins of old truck in Presidio

Continue reading

 
To Top

Fort Miles Motorpool Re-enactment in Delaware

• CATEGORIES: Event, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Joe Sicenavage was kind enough to share these photos. He writes, Here’s a look at the Fort Miles, DE motorpool during a re-enactment event Saturday.  This garrison was home to the 261st Coast Artillery Corps beginning in WWII and is located within the Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, Delaware.

2015-willys-motorpool-de1 2015-willys-motorpool-de2 2015-willys-motorpool-de3 2015-willys-motorpool-de4 2015-willys-motorpool-de5 2015-willys-motorpool-de6 2015-willys-motorpool-de7 2015-willys-motorpool-de8 2015-willys-motorpool-de9 2015-willys-motorpool-de10