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COURIER photo/Gabriel Fenoy
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| Claremonter Bill Grant opens the rumble seat of his Model A Ford, which was used to deliver the Claremont COURIER from 1929 until the 1950s. |
Old COURIER car: Model A still hummin’
Today, the Claremont COURIER is delivered to its subscribers twice a week by mail, but 80 years ago the delivery method for the paper was quite different.
In 1929, Stanley Larson, the owner of the Claremont COURIER in 1908, came into the possession of a Model A Ford. The car belonged to Sybil Georgi, and when the two married, the car came into use as the delivery vehicle for the COURIER. From 1929 until the early 1950’s, the Model A delivered the newspaper to Claremont residents, making it a little-known but important part of the COURIER and Claremont’s past.
Originally the car was not designed for deliveries or transporting large loads, so Mr. Larson decided to remove the car’s rumble seat, an exterior seat that popped up out from where the trunk would be in a more modern car. In its place he put a pick-up truck attachment, significantly increasing the carrying capacity of the rear section of the car.
The Model A continued to deliver the COURIER until the early 50s, when a new 1954 model car took over the duties. This ended the Model A’s stay with the COURIER, but not its visible presence in Claremont. Shortly afterward, Mr. Larson sold the COURIER to Janis and Martin Weinberger, and the contemporary mail delivery system was put into use at the paper.
Although Mr. Larson decided to briefly employ the Model A at the College Press, he soon retired it altogether from the newspaper business.
In 1967, when Bonnie Snortum and her family moved in next to Sybil and Stanley, they found them to be warm and friendly neighbors. Ms. Snortum called Mr. Larson “one of the finest gentlemen I have ever known,” and remembered him for his kindness and his devotion to the humane society.
In 1974, Mr. Larson decided that he wanted to sell the car. He needed room in his garage, and he did not use the car as much as he had in previous years. He offered the car to his long-time neighbor, Bill Grant, and asked him if he would like to purchase the car. Mr. Grant readily accepted the offer, and took possession of the car that same year. When Mr. Grant purchased the car, it was still in almost good-as-new condition with only the barest traces of wear and tear visible, due to its regular duties at the newspaper. (story continues below)
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COURIER photo/Gabriel Fenoy
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| This Model A Ford, which once belonged to former COURIER owner Stan Larson and was used to deliver the COURIER, can be seen rolling down the streets of Claremont during the Fourth of July parade. |
Since then, Mr. Grant has made the car a noticeable part of Claremont by driving it through the town for 4th of July parades, and for meetings of the Model A Club. In 1990, Mr. Grant had the car completely restored, keeping the physical appearance of the car exactly as it had looked when originally purchased. As a result, today the car is in perfect working order. In fact, Mr. Grant said that the Model A could resume its paper delivering duties at any moment, owing to its good condition.
However, in 2002, Mr. Grant decided that the car could not carry as many passengers through the parade as he needed and, as a result, stopped driving it in the parade. Mr. Grant still takes the car out from time to time, but it does not see nearly as much fresh air as it used to.
Mr. Grant, a subscriber to the COURIER for the last 43 years, said he always enjoys reading the paper, and believes that under Mr. Larson and continuing on to this day, it has been an important community service. He was happy to explain the car’s history with the COURIER, and especially its sojourn under the care of Mr. Larson.
“Stan Larson was one of the stalwarts of this community,” Mr. Grant explained.
He said Mr. Larson was “a community builder, what I would consider to be a statesman.”
Mr. Grant said that residents of Claremont who have lived here for an extended period of time are doubtlessly aware of the car’s previous owner and his relationship with the COURIER. However, he was also sure that these facts are not known by the younger generations of Claremont residents, nor has he ever drawn attention to the car or its past since he purchased it.
Some people do remember Mr. Larson however. Mr. Hans Ritter, another Claremont resident, lived near Mr. Larson for many years, and described him as “the kindest person you will ever meet, particularly to children.” Mr. Ritter remembers many instances of kindness on Mr. Larson’s part, and hopes that others will remember him in the same way.
