Bawden, W.T. SUMMER VACATIONS. 1923, 1925 to 1928.
Bawden, W.T. SUMMER VACATIONS. 1923, 1925 to 1928. Four volumes (9 ½ x 15 ½ inches). Cloth boards, cord ties.
The four volumes are a voluminous collection of automobile travel items collected by W.Y. Bawden and family. Their home is in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Each volume is for a year from 1923, 1925 to 1928 of which all of the years trips are taken through a typed itinerary, detailed typed notes and lists in the front of the volume. The photos and post cards are very neatly identified with the notes commenting on the towns and cities gone through, parks and sites visited; miles and days traveled and any mechanical issues noted. In addition there are numerous maps which are marked in detail the routes that the Bawden family traveled from Tulsa across the country and within specific states. The volumes are filled with photographs well marked and identified to date and activity with typed labels. In addition the volumes include post cards, souvenir brochures, maps and travel receipts from camping sites, parks visited, etc.
The First Trip – Summer of 1923. Friday, June 29 to Tuesday July 19. (This trip is in the rear of the 4th album).
This 1923 trip, taken in a Dodge Brothers Touring Car, covered 19 days and 2,016 miles. Gas used was 109 gals. or $27.12, and 28 quarts of oil. The total cost of the trip for the three individuals was $153.14 or $8.06 per person per day. The single trouble with the car was that it needed an adjusted generator which cost $2.25. Several of the points of interest included Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Sleepy Hollow in Tarrytown, N.Y., Lake Placid in the Adirondack Mountains, Saranac Lake, a drive to the summit of Mt. Washington, Plymouth Rock, Gettysburg Battlefield, etc. They visited six state capitols and traveled thru 10 states and Canada. Sixty two principal cities were driven thru.
There is 1 map, 78 photos and 48 post cards visually describing the trip.
The Second Volume – Summer of 1925
The Bawden 1925 summer trip began on Saturday, June 27, 1925 and extended to Friday, August 14, 1925. The 49 day, 5,562 mile trip was traveled in a Studebaker Special Six Phaeton which weighed 3,900 lbs with the added weight of 3 passengers (535 lbs.) and camping equipment and luggage (565 lbs.) brought the total weigh to 5,000 lbs. They camped 27 nights of the trip and stayed at a hotel for 7 nights. The used 477.5 gallons of gasoline at an average price of 24.2 cents for a total cost of $116.54. In addition they consumed 75 quarts of oil which cost $19.40 or an average of 25.8 cents per quart. During this summer trip they had three rear tires which had to be replaced as the side walls broke down plus three punctured tires. In total they visited 18 states and passed thru 136 primary towns. One of the many interesting photos is the 1st photo which shows them at their home with a Coca Cola stand in front of it, selling the beverage to raise money for the upcoming trip. The photo is captioned “June 1 to 25 – Earning money to help finance the trip.”
Highlights of the trip included seeing the Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Corley Mountain Highway, Colorado Springs; Denver Mountain Parks, Denver, Colo.; “Hell’s Half-Acre” near Casper, Wyo.; Wind River Canyon, near Thermopolis, Wyo.; Big Horn Hot Spring, Thermopolis, Wyo.; Shoshone Canyon and Dam, near Cody, Wyo.; Yellowstone national Park; “Bad Lands” near Marmarth, No. Dak.; Sand Dunes, near Gary, Ind. And the Studebaker Factory, South Bend, Ind.
In total 141 post cards. 93 photos, 20 maps and various tourist ephemera
The Third Volume – Automobile Trip – Summer of 1926.
The Bawden’s summer 1926 trip began on Thursday, July 1 to Saturday, August 14 covered 4560 miles or an average of 101.3 miles per day. They used 372 gallons of gas at a cost of 23.8 cents per gallon or $88.77. They changed their oil 7 times at a cost of $14.40; and greased the car all over 5 times which cost $7.00 total. They averaged 86.0 miles per qt of oil not counting the oil changes. The total motor expense for the trip was $183.70. They stayed with friends and relatives for 22 nights, camped out for 16 nights, stayed at “Rooms For Tourists” for 3 nights and hotels for 3 nights. The rooming expenses plus subsistence expenses for 23 days was $109.13 or $4.74 per day. In total they drove through 16 states plus the District of Columbia and 113 principle towns.
On the 3nd trip the Bawden’s went to the following points of interest: Starved Rock State Park, near Ottawa, Illinois; Chautauqua Lake, N.Y.; Niagara Falls; Watkins Glen, Seneca lake, N.Y.; Lackawanna Trail, Tunkhannock Viaduct; Pocono Mountains, Delaware Water gap; Valley Forge and the Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia; Atlantic City, N.J. and Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Md.; Washington, D.C.; Great Falls of the Potomac River, VA., Mount Vernon; Antietam Battlefield, Sharpsburg, Md. And Harper's Ferry, W.V. and Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg, PA.
There were five vehicle breakdowns including a puncture in the right front tire; broke left rear bumper bracket; ignition drowned out in heavy rain; broke right rear spring and a puncture in the left rear tire.
In total the third album has 2 maps, 110 photographs, 65 post cards and trip related ephemera.
The Fourth Trip – Wednesday, June 15 to Saturday, August 13, 1927
This was the longest automobile trip of the Bawden’s covering 60 days and 9,329 miles. In the process of this road trip they used 732 gallons of gasoline, or spent $163.76 for an average of 22.3 cents per gallon. They changed their oil on the Studebaker Special Six Phaeton with the big six motor 11 times using up 98 quarts of oil or costing $32.70. Additional oil as needed was 17 quarts or $4.95. They greased the car 6 times. All in all the car maintenance was such that they averaged about 12.74 miles to the gallon. Their total expenses including motor expenses, subsistence expenses and incidental expenses for the 60 days came to $745.75 or a breakdown of $12.42 per day. The weight of the car with accessories was 3950 lbs with added weight of 3 individuals of 590 lbs and camp equipment and luggage was 710 lbs. Thus, as they traveled down the highway the were a total of 5,250 lbs.
During the 60 day trip they visited 19 states and passed through 144 cities and towns. They visited 11 state capitols and 7 national parks and monuments. Other highlights of the trip were seeing the ruins of Cicuye Indian Pueblo and Spanish Mission near Pecos, New Mexico; San Miguel Mission in Santa Fe plus the oldest house in the United States; Cliff Dwellings, Walnut Canyon National Monument near Flagstaff, Arizona; Mission San Buena Ventura in Ventura, California; Big Trees Grove in Santa Cruz, California; Arrowrock Dam near Boise, Idaho; Temple Grounds in Salt Lake City; Fort Bridger, Wyoming and Lincoln Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois.
Mr. Bawden also gives a meticulous Speedometer Mileage Record; Miles From Home Chart; Part of the Trip Completed in Record Time; a listing of his Motor Troubles with an added note that “We were saved a great deal of additional expense and inconvenience by William’s knowledge of the automobile, gained in the Automobile Mechanics Course, in Tulsa Central High School, during 1926-27. During the 60 day trip there were 21 instances of tire trouble. On July 18 he makes a note that at Grantsville, Utah “From this point, leaving my family in the car at the roadside, I was carried by a passing motorist to Garfield (28 miles east), from whence two tires and tubes were secured by long distance telephone and trolley car from Salt Lake City (22 miles farther east), and carried back to our car. The second tire went down at 4:00 p.m., and we had the two new tires on the wheels, ready to run, at 8:30 p.m. Two old tires were thrown away; two tubes shipped back to Tulsa.”
And finally “A temporary roadside repair on one of these tires was necessary, to get us to Springfield, MO. (14 miles), from whence we succeeded in reaching home on Saturday afternoon, August 13th, but during the night L-R went down, in the garage – the 19th flat tire.”
In total the fourth trip album has 2 maps, 173 photos and 131 post cards.
The Fifth Automobile Trip – Summer of 1928. Saturday, June 9 to Wednesday, July 25, 1928.
Covering 47 days or 3,942 miles with an average day of 83.9 miles the Studebaker Special Six Phaeton with at big six motor logged through 13 states and Washington, D.C. and 108 principal cities. The trip used 363 gallons of gas at an average of .19 cents per gallon. The oil was changed 7 times or 57 qts. And 11 qts of additional oil. The motor expenses for the trip including gas, oil, greese, auto repairs, parts and adjustments, tires, trailer repairs and parts, bridge and tunnel tolls and garage and storage charges came to $178.93. Subsistence expenses including provisions for 35 days, meals, hotel and homes of friends came to $132.27. As was the case with all of Mr. Bawden’s trip photo albums he gives a moving weight of the car and trailer of 6220 lbs. There seemed to be an unusual amount of car troubles on the road including:
June 10 “Near Carthage, MO., because of heavy rains, highway 6” to 18” under water for distance of more than one-half mile; State Highway trucks detailed to assist motorists.”
June 30 “Bolton’s Camp, near Chestertown, N.Y., heavy rain began at 7:30 p.m.; at 9:00 p.m., fearing trouble, we piled bedding on chairs inside tent and climbed in car for the night; unable to protect ourselves from mosquitoes in the car; when rain stopped at 11:15 p.m. we returned to the tent, found things dry inside, drove out mosquitoes with smudge, and went to bed.” Mr, Bawden makes special note that “From Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Parkersburg, West Virginia, June 9 to July 11, inclusive; 33 days: RAIN on 23 days!”
During this trip they stopped at the Studebaker “Proving Grounds” near Ypsilanti, Michigan; Plant of Ford Motor Company at Fordson; Chautauqua Lake in New York; Niagara Falls; the 1000 Islands of the St. Lawrence River; Lake George; Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mts; etc.
In all this trip has 1 map, 104 photos and some travel ephemera.
Being offered are 4 amazing photo albums with 5 trips articulated and detailed containing 26 road maps, 487 photos and 385 post cards. All photos with great contrast and each album in superb condition. Four of the best travel photos albums we have ever offered.
