New England Diary Details Early Automobile, Air Plane History In 1911

The Winton automobile company was founded in 1896 in Cleveland, Ohio, by Alexander Winton, a Scottish-born bicycle manufacturer. The first car was built in 1897. It was one of the first gasoline-powered automobiles made in the United States. Winton's purpose was to turn the experimental horseless carriage into a commercial product. By 1910, Winton specialized in luxury touring cars, elegant and hand-crafted for wealthy clients and sold cars in show rooms in Boston and other cities. Offering a 3 1/2 x 6 diary/journal by a New England man, about 80 completed pages, detailing various activities and experiences he and his wife Emma had while driving dozens of trips throughout the region with his newly purchased Winton, number 10,571, likely built in 1911. The various listings indicate that the owner was testing the Winton. Our writer also details observing early sightings of the Burgess-Wright air machine. Interesting that early automobile and airplane history occurred around the same time. The details begin on Jan. 1 and conclude through the end of the year: "Put Winton Car into commission today and drove it for the first time. Indications are it will prove very satisfactory...Drove as far as Winthrop Circle...distance of 16 miles... "Sent speedometer to makers in N.Y. to have reset put in order... "Finished drawer on underside of running board... "Took Winton car out this p.m., this being the 2nd time out. Air pressure does not hold...We drove to Nahant and...continued to Revere Beach & Winthrop Circle...Left car at Robbins Garage for them to look over the air leak... "Took Mrs. Churchill and Della Fellows with us...Short ride for an hour through Marblehead to the 'Fort' thence past Emma's old house...by Swampscott shoreline to Lynn... "Took all the girls, Emma, Amy, Lena and Mrs. Gardner Lewis for a 35 mile drive through Swampscott and then to Middlesex Hills...Drove new Winton about 300 miles and everything satisfactory to date... "George in trying to start his car had a muffler explosion disrupting the casing... "Ernest, Anne and Gregory and myself started for Edgewood in Winton and had a very pleasant trip arriving in 3 1/2 hours - 62 miles. West by the direct route, Boston, West Roxbury, Dedham, Walpole, Norwood Methuen, Plainville, North Attleboro, Pawtucket and Providence. "No indications so far of hitch in behavior of Winton... "Started with my car for the Winton headquarters in Boston to have repairs made as a result of an accident yesterday. Came home in train. Actual repairs small but will take several days to patch up the paint on guards... "Car has now covered 2,000 miles without a cent for repairs or a minutes' delay from any trouble except the inevitable tire troubles of which I had two instances - one blow out and one tube failure... "This morning we were treated to the novel sight of a Burgess-Wright Flying Machine, circulating over the city. This being the first instance of navigating the air in this vicinity. Emma and I went to Nahant at 8 a.m. where the bi-plane had just landed and I left my car to examine closely this latest invention for getting about. It has a four cylinder engine and twin propellers. "After some tinkering, several flights were made toward Lynn and Swampscott, the ship being under perfect control. "This may be considered the beginnings of the era of air navigation. "Took a car full of Fellows & Brown girls to share the air ship demonstrations... "Decorated the Winton with flags and pennant out of respect to the ever glorious Fourth (of July)... "At Pawtucket, my left wear tire went down owing to overheating from the use of recliners which I have had in for some time as age experiment but find they are not a success, especially in hot weather... Blue linen cover with vertical fold to front cover. Light toning, in pencil, very readable.