Note 1 — Front matter

S. H. Oliver, Automobiles and Motorcycles in the U.S. National Museum (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 213, Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1957), p. 24.

[2] G. R. Doyle, The World's Automobiles (London: Temple Press Limited, 1959), p. 67.

[3] Recorded interview with Frank Duryea in the U.S. National Museum, November 9, 1956.

[4] Charles Duryea's statement to Springfield Daily Republican, April 14, 1937.

[5] Frank Duryea, America's First Automobile (Springfield, Mass.: Donald Macaulay, 1942), p. 4.

[6] Letter from Charles Duryea to Alfred Reeves, March 25, 1920; copy in Museum files.

[7] History notes dictated by Charles E. Duryea in the office of David Beecroft, editor of Automobile Trade Journal, on January 10, 1925. Copy in Museum files. Hereinafter, these notes are referred to as "history."

[8] Frank Duryea in statement made to the Senate Committee on Public Administration of Massachusetts, February 9, 1952.

[9] Duryea, op. cit. (footnote 5), p. 6.

[10] Copy of contract in Museum files.

[11] Affidavit of William Rattman, March 19, 1943, states that the Russell ledgers give that date.

[12] Recorded interview with Frank Duryea in U.S. National Museum, November 6, 1957.

[13] Letter from Frank Duryea to David Beecroft, November 15, 1924; copy in Museum files.

[14] Letter from Charles Duryea to C. W. Mitman, March 21, 1922; copy in Museum files.

[15] See "history" (footnote 7), p. 6.

[16] Duryea, op. cit. (footnote 5), p. 8.

[17] Copy of letter in Museum files.

[18] Duryea, op. cit. (footnote 5), p. 12.

[19] Letter from Frank Duryea to Charles Duryea, November 3, 1893, states that the engine could be run at 700 as well as 500 rpm. Copy in Museum files.

[20] Duryea, op. cit. (footnote 5), p. 14. Also in letter from Charles Duryea to C. W. Mitman, January 11, 1922; copy in Museum files.

[21] Letter from Charles Duryea to C. W. Mitman, January 11, 1922; also letter from Frank Duryea to David Beecroft, November 15, 1924. Copies in Museum files.

[22] Letter from Charles Duryea to F. A. Taylor, December 5, 1936, says he "thought" they had five teeth. Copy in Museum files.

[23] Frank later wrote his brother, January 1894, that he fixed the tank so it would not draw sediment from the bottom. Copy of letter in Museum files.

[24] The number of mufflers Frank Duryea constructed is not known. He wrote Charles, December 22, 1893, that he "will try a new muffler also."

[25] Selden Patent Evidence, vol. 9, p. 110.

[26] See "history" (footnote 7), p. 2. Charles wrote, "Some parts of these [referring to the batteries], like the jars, I had on hand for six or eight years, and did not need to buy."

[27] Ibid., p. 15.

[28] Ibid., p. 15

[29] Frank stated in this letter that the friction drum originally had two belts, forward and reverse, but since they tended to foul each other, he removed the reverse belt and left the other to serve for both directions. How the shipper fork might have handled two belts is not understood.

[30] As actually constructed there are only two gears on the secondary shaft. He obviously discovered that one gear secured to two clutches would serve for both forward and reverse. Space was also limited.

[31] Recorded interview with Frank Duryea in U.S. National Museum, November 9, 1956.

[32] Letter from Frank Duryea to Charles Duryea, November 8, 1893. Copy in Museum files.

[33] Frank Duryea, in a recorded interview in the U.S. National Museum on November 6, 1957, said that he believed these had been purchased from Rochester Rawhide Company.

[34] Letter from Frank Duryea to Charles Duryea, December 22, 1893. Also letter from Frank Duryea to David Beecroft, November 15, 1924. Copies in Museum files.

[35] Telling of the first use of the car in later days, Frank Duryea mentions the many noises and vibrations that accompanied the trip: the vibrating tiller, the tinny sounding muffler, the clattering chains. He later reported speeds of 3 mph in low gear and 8 mph in high gear.

[36] Letter from Frank Duryea to Charles Duryea, Jan. 19, 1894, says they went up hill via Summer and Armor Streets, then out Walnut to Bemis' at Central Street School.

[37] The letter read: "I have designed a new muffler and we will proceed to make it before long, in a day or two. Instead of one shell ⅛-inch thick I shall put a shell 1¹⁄16-inch thick inside another of equal thickness, but about 1 inch greater diameter i.e., one chamber within another so as to cause sound to turn corners to get out. Still another shell will be added if it prove insufficient, making it turn about again—taking care in each case to give ample room for expansion—outer one need not be more than ¹⁄32 inch possibly. Will let two threaded rods with nuts hold heads on both or on three cases, if the 3d be essential."

[38] This letter gives further proof that the car never had a brake. Frank said the car came back down the hill with no brake, but that the engine held the vehicle back.

[39] Duryea, op. cit. (footnote 5), p. 37.

[40] It is possible that a few parts were removed at this time to be used on the two-cylinder car. The muffler may have been one of these, and even more likely, the governor parts. Charles Duryea wrote to C. W. Mitman December 27, 1921, stating that his younger brother Otho and a Henry Wells had put in a battery and gasoline in 1897 and started the engine. Because the chains were not on the car they could not attempt to operate it; but the engine ran too fast, and finally something broke, probably the engine frame, found to be broken during the recent restoration. Charles thought the engine ran too fast because some of the governor parts were already missing.

[41] Recorded interview with Frank Duryea in the U.S. National Museum, November 9, 1956. On the formation of the Duryea Motor Wagon Company, Mr. Markham was rewarded for his part of the venture. He had invested nearly $3000 in the work, and sold out his rights in the company for approximately a $2000 profit.