A Sightseer's Guide to EngineeringNational Society of Professional EngineersNational Engineer's Week
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In 1899, a horseless carriage climbed a bumpy road to the top of the 6,288-foot Mount Washington in New Hampshire, one of New England's highest peaks. The automobile had been invented by twin brothers, Francis Edgar and Freelan Oscar Stanley. Their unusual machine was called the "Stanley Steamer."


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Stanley Museum
40 School Street
Kingfield, ME 04947-0077
207/265-2729
Web Site
See the museum's collection of inventions by the Stanley twins.  
Hours of Operation: Museum operates on a seasonal schedule. Call for information. Need a map?
The Stanley Museum, housed in a converted high school designed by the Stanley brothers, Francis Edgar and Freelan Oscar, features a number of their patented engineering creations, including an 1876 air brush, 1884 dry-plate coating machine, and, of course, the famous Stanley Steamer. The odd but popular automobile was powered by steam produced by a 23-inch, piano-wire-wrapped boiler. Early models required some level of know-how to manage all of the valves and knobs to keep the Steamer chugging. Using water instead of gasoline made the car dependent on roadside water troughs, one of the factors leading to its demise in 1924.
 
Who Made It: Francis Edgar Stanley and Freelan Oscar Stanley
 
Photo Credit: Courtesy Stanley Museum