In honor of the MotoCross of Nations race in Crawfordsville this weekend, we thought it appropriate to note that Lew Wallace may be given credit for the first motorized race in Crawfordsville, between him and his new car—it was a race he lost.
For all of the research that has been done on Lew Wallace there are still things we do not know. Some of them are of great consequence while others are just curious questions. One of the “merely curious” questions surrounds Lew’s purchase of an early automobile. It is generally reported that Lew purchased the second automobile in Montgomery County—but who purchased the first!? Lew purchased his automobile in the early years of the 20th century, but we do not know what happened to it after Lew’s passing in 1905.
Lew was a forward-thinking person; interested in the new and the next, so it is not surprising that when automobiles were first being made for private purchase he would be interested and thanks to Ben-Hur, he had the financial resources needed to purchase one. In February of 1902, at the age of 75, he became one of the most famous owners of a Waverley Electric car (Model 20A Surrey). The auto had a top speed of 15 miles per hour and could go about 50 miles on a charge. The automobile was shipped to Crawfordsville on a freight train, complete with mechanic, O.C. Irwin, who made sure the vehicle was in running order and to teach the General how to drive. Mr. Irwin forgot a lesson!
Four days after the car arrived, the general decided to make some adjustments and got out of the car as Mr. Irwin looked on. Somehow as Wallace made the adjustments, he hit the “go-ahead” button and that’s what the car did. As the astonished general and mechanic looked on the car took off down the street without a driver. The men raced after the car but didn’t catch it before it ran down an embankment and came to a stop in a deep ditch. The next day, the general and the mechanic resorted to the basics and got a team of horses to pull the car out of the ditch. In this first auto race—Car 1, General 0!
The Waverly Electric was an early and well-known automobile. It was produced from 1896 to 1914 and was called “by far the best Electric on the market”. In addition to Lew, Waverly autos were owned by such celebrities as Diamond Jim Brady, Willa Cather, Madam C.J. Walker (African-American hair care entrepreneur), Thomas Edison, and William Horlick (creator of malted milk).
Lew might have been influenced to purchase his Waverly automobile because the company was, in part, owned by his cousin, Charles Edward Test. In 1900, Test was part of a group of businessmen who formed the National Motor Vehicle Company, of which he became president. This company was initially involved with the production and sale of electric vehicles, including Waverly cars like the one that Lew Wallace purchased in 1902. The Waverley traced its name to the earlier Waverley bicycle produced by the Indiana Bicycle Company from 1893 to 1899.
The first Waverley Electric built in 1898 was a two-person Stanhope based on C.E. Woods’ American Electric and utilizing Elmer Sperry’s patented battery that kept its charge much longer than other batteries. The Stanhope, priced at about $1,500 (almost $60,000 in current dollars), was a buggy with high seat and closed back, especially favored by physicians. The Waverley Stanhope had tiller steering, an upholstered leather seat, 36-inch, ball bearing wooden wheels with pneumatic tires, and a headlight centered on the buckboard frame. It could travel about 40 miles on a charge with a top speed of about 14 miles per hour. It is reported that the first woman driver in the U.S., Genevra Delphine Mudge, drove a Waverley Electric on New York City streets in 1898.
In 1900, the Indianapolis Bicycle Company joined the American Bicycle Co. trust headed by Albert Augustus Pope, father of the American bicycle and manufacturer of the Columbia electric car—and Pope became involved with Waverley manufacturing. An interesting characteristic of one 1900 Waverley was a front seat that faced the rear. The driver sat in the back seat operating the center steering lever—in position to converse with his passengers. The physician’s model offered side curtains and a storm apron to keep the vehicle as dry and comfortable as a closed carriage. Its battery was guaranteed for two years, and it was said to be “safe, speedy, noiseless, odorless, and economical”. The “dos-a-dos” style of Waverly had two seats back-to-back so front-seat passengers sat with their backs to rearward-facing back-seat passengers—and Waverley, removing any doubt as to battery efficiency, threw in a contract for battery maintenance for five years. At the time Lew purchased his Waverley, marketing stressed the ease of use and often included women drivers in their ads.
In 1903, the company owned by Test began shifting over to internal combustion engines and in 1912, Joe Dawson, driving for the company, won the Indianapolis 500. For 1913, when sales of electric cars peaked in the U.S., popular Waverley models were the Chelsea and the drop-sill Victoria. That year’s Limousine-Four, at a cost of $2,900 (over $111,,000 in current dollars), featured a “low hung body (a full six inches lower than any other high grade electric), low set chairs, [and] amazing easy riding”. 
Charles Edward Test died in 1910, and in 1915, following the retirement of William B. Cooley, Herbert Rice — who certainly knew the business — became President of Waverley. That year, however, the Model T was selling for a mere $490. When customers also found the Model T could go 200 miles on a tank of gas, they saw the marked advantages. While the Waverley was for many years synonymous with luxury, its slow speed began to annoy its drivers. Ultimately, it simply could not compete with the high power and low cost of gas-fueled cars. In 1916, the Waverley Company closed its doors. By that time, Lew and Susan Wallace had been gone for a decade and their Waverley had probably been put to pasture like his horse and buggy! The nine story Test Building on Monument Circle in Indianapolis was built by members of the Test family to honor Charles Edward and reflects his contribution to the Indianapolis auto industry.
Note: Lew was not the only member of his family interested in automobiles. In 1911, his half-brother, David Wallace Jr., was the assistant manager of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In that year the Speedway was introducing the Indianapolis 500 race much as it is still run today. In 1909 and 1910 the race had been run differently. David visited the racetrack to check on things on Wednesday, May 24, 1911. When he came home, he took to his bed, slipped into a coma and died on Sunday, May 28—two days before the inaugural race.
Source: http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/waverley-electric-car.cfm
Website: Chuck’s Toyland A Historical Preservation from Charles D. Test
Website: Heroes, Heroines, & History. Blog on June 6, 2015, Waverly Electric Car by Ramona K. Cecil
Thanks to Tim McCormick
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The General Lew Wallace Study and Museum celebrates and renews belief in the power of the individual spirit to affect American history and culture.
Museum’s Mission
The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum is deeply committed to the protection and preservation of Lew Wallace’s legacy now and for generations to come.
