Francis Edgar was born in Kingfield, Maine back in 1849. He and his brother Freelan learned to carve violins by their grandmother Liberty when they were only 10 years old. His brother moved to Lewiston, Maine and opened a photography studio in 1874. In a few year Francis joined him building the studio into one of the largest in New England.
After several more years they were dissatisfied with photography so they sold the business to a man call George Eastman for 500,000.00. They set their sights on the emerging automobile industry where they built the Stanley Steamer. No, not the company that cleans water issues but an automobile manufacturer. Francis and Freelan Steamer built only 200 of their vehicles the first year. They operated of course via steam from 1902 to 1924. The vehicle set a land speed record at the time of 127 MPH, in 1906 and held it until the gasoline engine finally beat the record 5 years later. It wasn’t until 2009 that a steam powered automobile broke that record, it lasted for 103 years. Not bad at all don’t you think?
Until tomorrow remember to smile, it will make people wonder what you’ve been up to
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