Oh, what fun it must have been to ride on the motorized sled seen in this historic photo from the Chapman Historical Museum in Glens Falls.
We’re curious if the photograph is of the “auto-sleigh” that Lewis Newton of Hudson Falls designed in 1920.
Glens Falls area residents enjoy a ride on this motorized sled that might have been the “auto-sleigh” that Lewis Newton of Hudson Falls designed in 1920.
Photo courtesy of Chapman Historical Museum in Glens Falls.
“The sleigh is attracting much attention, being viewed by a number of mechanically inclined persons, who have expressed as believing that few improvements could be made to the production by Mr. Newton,” The Post-Star reported on Jan. 19, 1920.
Some of the features of the motorized sled in the photograph fit The Post-Star’s description of Newton’s device.
The auto-sleigh had runners, a motorcycle wheel and a skid chain attached to a sturdy frame which held two Thompson motors to power the device.
In test runs, Newton operated the device at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.
Newton apparently designed multiple versions of the auto-sleigh, so it’s possible the device pictured in the photograph is another prototype, or it may not have been one of his devices at all.
“Mr. Newton has a number of orders for sleighs of similar types and will doubtless be engaged in filling the wants of the local public the remainder of the winter.”
Newton, who operated a bicycle and motorcycle shop at 19 Cushing Ave. in Hudson Falls, got his start in small engine transportation as a U.S. Army motorcycle courier in France during World War I.
He came home to Hudson Falls in March 1919, and in June advertised in The Post-Star: “I want to purchase 500 second-hand bicycles at once,” presumably to start his business.
At least once Newton traveled from Hudson Falls to New York City via motorcycle to pick up supplies for his bicycle shop, making the round trip in 15 hours.
In September 1920, Newton and Burt Wells traveled on a 4,000-mile motorcycle touring and camping excursion that included visits to Syracuse, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York City.
Sources: The Post-Star March 9, April 23, June 4, 1919; Jan. 19, Sept. 22, 1920.
Maury Thompson was a reporter for The Post-Star for 21 years before he retired in 2017. He now is a freelance writer and documentary film producer specializing in regional history. Thompson is collaborating with Snarky Aardvark Films to produce a documentary about Charles Evans Hughes and the Adirondacks, which is expected to release in 2020. See the trailer here.