Rochester Historical Society presents “From Horse Drawn to Horseless Carriage” with Richard Cutler. Richard Cutler, Trustee of the Horseless Carriage Education Institute, will present the program at the Rochester Historical Society on Wednesday, June 15 at 7:00 pm at the East Rochester Church/Museum, 355 County Road.
Not long after the time of the American Civil War, clever people attempted to make carriages that could move under their own power. These vehicles were crude, but were the beginnings of what we now call automobiles. The concept was to place an engine or electric motor of some kind in a carriage and make it horseless.
The HCEI and most antique car clubs consider “horseless carriages” to be any car manufactured prior to 1916. A 40-minute video produced by the HCEI will take the viewer up from the beginning to this period of time. This is a fast-paced history lesson with some fascinating period footage showing not only cars of the period, but also the visionaries that put America on wheels.
After the video, there will be a question and answer period. Weather permitting, some examples of horseless carriages that would have been traversing the local roads (and still do!) will be available for a little show and tell for anyone who is interested.
All are welcome to this glimpse into transportation history.