Years In Operation: 1895 Models Built: The Elston Approximate Number of Cars Built: 1 or 2 Factory Address: Officers of the Company:
R.W. Elston: Inventor
What can i see today?
The fate of the Elston is unknown. You can find out more about the Elston and the history of the Charlevoix area by visiting the Charlevoix Historical Society. Address: 103 State Street, Charlevoix MI 49720 Phone: (231) 547-0373 Website: https://chxhistory.com/
Elston built his vehicle on the second floor of his house. The house was located on Main Street(now Park Ave.) between Bridge and State. Address(Approx): 106 Park Ave., Charlevoix MI 49720
Elston owned a hotel in town. The building is no longer exists but once stood where the Olesons Plaza sits today. Address: 112 Antrim, Charlevoix MI 49720
The story
In 1895 Robert Elston began building a 4-passenger carriage that was originally to be electric but was later changed to gasoline. The vehicle was featured in a story March 14th, 1895 in the Charlevoix Sentinel...
The purpose in building the vehicle was to compete in the Chicago Times-Herald Race of 1895. It was the first officially recognized race in the United States...
Elston worked to get his vehicle ready for the November race in the upper part of his residence. He tested the vehicle driving it around the block but it kept breaking down. No known photos exist of the vehicle but this drawing depicts what it would have looked like....
The vehicle was listed in the entered field....
Other vehicles from Michigan were entered as well including entries from Grand Rapids and Benton Harbor. Both vehicles have great significance in the automotive world. Much like the Elston, the vehicle from Benton Harbor didn't make the race and was written off as a failure as stated in this article from the Argus-Leader Sioux Falls South Dakota February of 1896...
The vehicle is believed to be the first in the United States to be built from scratch and was completed November 26th, 1895. The wood and metal work was done by brothers Louis and Albert Baushke and the engine by William Worth. Production was planned under the name of the Benton Harbor Motor Carriage Company. This vehicle still exists and is the oldest running vehicle in the world. It resides at the AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania...
The Sintz Gas Engine Company from Grand Rapids also had an entry in the race. Clark Sintz was a pioneer in gasoline engines and provided engines to 2 of the earliest vehicles. The most important being the first vehicle to drive down Detroit streets in 1896 by Charles Brady King...
The winning car of the race was a Duryea. Charles E. and J. Frank Duryea were early pioneers in the automotive field. They opened the commercial period of the automobile industry by being the first organized American company for the manufacturing of gasoline automobiles and the first to attempt to build and sell automobiles for a profit. They built a prototype in 1893 which now resides in the Smithsonian Institute. The second car built in 1895 was entered into the race and was built entirely by J. Frank. This car was one of 13 built and one example still exists. It is currently at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI.
Elston did try a different power plant in his vehicle after having trouble with the reliability of electric power. He headed off to Racine Wisconsin in July of 1895 to see about an engine he had heard about. This engine was to be installed for the race and was said to be 4 h.p. The article below states R.W. Elston was from Racine Wisconsin instead of Charlevoix which was an error and most likely due to The Kane-Pennington engine being made in Racine. Kane-Pennington were to have several cars in the race of their own...
As stated Elston never made the race but did display the vehicle in town. He went on to tinker with automobiles and has a patent on record from 1897 for a self-propelled automobile...
Not much is known of Elston's automobile endeavors after 1897. He did eventually open a hotel in Charlevoix....
references
The Iron Age-Volume 57
Library of Congress-Sanborn Fire Insurance Map 1907
The Henry Ford Museum
The Horseless Age-The Automobile Trade Magazine-Volume 1
The Electrical Journal-1895
Motor Age-Volume 8
Digest of United States Automobile Patents 1789-July 1st 1899
