Years In Operation: 1919-1921 Models Built: Prototype, fire truck, logging truck(2) Approximate Number of Cars or Trucks Built: At least 4 Factory Address: 109 South Mill St., St. Louis, MI Officers of the Company:
Henry B. Soule: President
Maurice Bollstrom: Vice President
Guy Hamilton: General Manager
James B. Dick: Factory Manager
Fred C. Ohland: Sales Manager
J. Jandasek: Chief Engineer
Karl F. Rangee: Also Chief Engineer
S.O. Burgdorff: District Sales Manger
Henry J. Paulus: Director
E.E. Bennett: Director
W.H. Hall: Director
Samuel Hall: Director
What can i see today?
At the present time no known examples of the Bollstrom exist and research is continuing to find the vehicles or artifacts. The St. Louis Area Historical Society has other great history of the area as well as information on the Bollstrom truck and a 1917 Republic truck built in nearby Alma. Address: 110 E. Crawford St., St. Louis, MI 48880 Phone: (989) 875-4463 Website: https://www.stlouismi.com/1/stlouis/historical_society.asp
summary
Maurice Bollstrom had long been affiliated with automobiles before coming to St. Louis. In 1908, he had filed a patent for a motor vehicle which was approved in 1910. He also founded the Bollstrom Products Sales Company in Battle Creek which sold a four-wheel drive truck of his design. By 1919 he had assembled a team to design and manufacture a truck for his new company, Bollstrom Motors, which included lead engineer Joseph Jandasek who was formerly with Paige-Detroit and Plana Tractor as well as general manager Guy Hamilton who had success with automotive companies in Gaylord and Plymouth a few years earlier. A prototype truck was built and promoted throughout the state over the summer drawing interest both near and far. Although at least two more trucks were built, the company struggled to get off the ground. Bollstrom was never elected president of his own company and by the summer of 1921 had already begun pitching a front-wheel drive car in Lansing seemingly moving on. In September the company fell into receivership and by the next year ceased to exist. Another company would move into the plant to manufacture buses. The Par-Kar Coach Company was also unfortunately short-lived. The building sat vacant until 1954 when the Detroiter Mobile Home Corporation moved in and by the 1970's was one of the largest manufacturers in the country employing over 2.000 employees.
The story
1908-1910
Maurice Bollstrom had been involved with other ventures before coming to St. Louis. In 1908 he and Francis A. Messler filed for a patent for a motor vehicle. The patent was issued in April of 1910...
1915-1916
Although the Duplex Power Car Company was formed in Charlotte, MI in 1909 it made many trucks and truck parts and was reorganized into the Duplex Truck Company in 1916 making trucks all the way until 1955. Bollstrom was not only involved with this company but also had his own business prior in 1915 which also made trucks. The Bollstrom Products Sales Company was located in Battle Creek, MI. The articles below are from May, 1915 and January, 1916...
Bolstrom had a patent from his days at Duplex in 1916 for a driving mechanism...
Henry H. Soule was to be general manager as announced in 1920...
The other officers of the new company had a lot of automotive experience as well. Guy Hamilton was the driving force behind the Gaylord automobile and Joseph Jandasek who was picked to be the chief engineer had former experience with Plana Tractor and Paige-Detroit...
The pitch went out to raise money for the new company in hopes of attracting investors. The prototype truck was driven all around Michigan in the summer of 1920 including up to Cheboygan where another office was opened in the Fay Hall Hotel...
This article from the Commercial Car Journal Dec. 15th, 1920, shows the prototype truck along with 2 logging trucks...
This story also from late 1920 talks of the Bollstrom and all of its' excellent qualities...
Many thousands of dollars in stock were raised...
This article shows the land to build the Bollstrom plant being purchased,,,
The ground breaking of the new plant...
This letter shows the company in the process of finding vendors to supply the parts for the trucks...
One of the trucks built was the St. Louis fire truck. Shown below are the blue prints as well as several photos,,,
This article from the Alma Record, Sept. 16th, 1920 shows Henry Soule, the president of Bollstrom, killed in an auto accident just as the company was starting to take off.
After Soule's death the company could not come to an agreement to make Bollstrom president. In October of 1920 the decision was deferred to January....
In November it looked as if more stock was to be raised and Bollstrom was ready for vast expansion...
In January of 1921, a group of new officers was elected, the capital was to increase to $2,000,000, and a light speed truck was to be produced. Bollstrom himself was not elected as president....
Just as quickly as things seemed to be moving along, the company started to have problems. In June 1921 it looked as if Bollstrom was already thinking ahead to the next venture. These articles show his work on front-wheel drive units to be marketed for automobiles...
In this article from the Michigan Manufacturer and Financial Record, Volume 28 July 1921, it was suggested that Frank Ruggles of the Republic Truck Company and Ruggles Truck Company might take over the plant...
Chilton's Motor Age Volume 40 Part 2 Oct. 6th, 1921 states that Ruggles did arrange to take over the plant but further records show he untimately went on to form his own company in Saginaw...
Perhaps many factors led to the demise of the company. A huge problem the entire truck industry faced was an abundance of trucks after the war. The company went into receivership in by September of 1921...
S.O. Burgdorff who was the district sales manager for the company was appointed.
In the same factory Bollstrom occupied, a new company moved in called Par-Kar which built busses and began operations in 1922. It is unclear if Ruggles had a part in this business. Later the Detroiter Mobile Home Corporation moved in and eventually had more than 2000 employees. It went on to become one of the largest mobile home manufacturers in the country.
references
Richard Apps-Personal Collection
Trailer Topics Magaziine-January 1960
St. Louis Downtown Historic District
St. Louis Area Historical District
Cheboygan Democrat-June 1920
Motor Age-Volume 20/27/42
Commercial Car Journal-Nov/Dec-1920
The Alma Record-1919/1920
Michigan Manufacturer and Financial Record-1920/1921
Motor Record-September-1921
Chiltons Motor Age-Volume 40-1921
United States Patent Office
The Motor Truck-1921
Automotive Industries-Volume 40/44
Advertising and Selling With The Advertising News-Volume 22
