Stanley Steamer: books - history and technology

Mr. Stanley of Estes Park

A biographical history of entrepreneur, philanthropist and transportation innovator Freelan Oscar (F.O.) Stanley of Kingfield, Maine, who together with his twin brother, F.E., achieved success manufacturing photographic dry plates and the Stanley Steamer automobile.

Forced to move West with tuberculosis, Stanley found refuge in Estes Park, Colorado, and spent the rest of his life building up the small, rustic western town into a world-class resort.
With the palatial Stanley Hotel as his centerpiece, Stanley promoted the West and fostered the new industry of automobile tourism. This book brings to life one of the West's (and East's) true fascinating characters.

The Stanleys of Newton - Yankee Tinkerers in the Gilded Age

This meticulously researched book delves into the lives of the remarkable Stanley Brothers, Francis E. and Freelan O. Stanley, identical twins from Kingfield, Maine. Inventors and entrepreneurs, the Stanleys settled in Newton, Mass., where they made a significant impact on the industrial and manufacturing history of Newton and Watertown, first through their Stanley Dry Plate Company, 1890-1904 (eventually sold to Eastman Kodak), and the Stanley Motor Carriage Company, 1902-1924, makers of the venerable Stanley Steamer automobile, perhaps the most successful "alternative power" vehicle in US history, and a feared competitor on local racetracks.

Dacey's engaging account does not stop with the Stanleys' manufacturing and racing successes, for the Stanleys' lives were intertwined with the dynamic social and intellectual circles of Newton and Boston at the turn of the century. Patrons of the arts, the Stanleys supported local symphonies, opera companies, and social clubs, and even produced by their own hands concert-quality violins still prized by musicians today.

Dacey's extensive research drawn from family diaries and archives provides a unique glimpse into the vibrant cultural life of Newton and Boston's adjacent suburbs. Over 250 pages of well-written research, indexed and illustrated with many rarely-seen photographs, "The Stanleys of Newton" is highly recommended for those interested in Newton-area history, and those fascinated with early photography, violins, steam cars, and other intriguing aspects of the early industrial age.