Vermont History Expo
Features Coolidge Car

Drive, walk, bike, or take a train to the Vermont History Expo on June 23 and 24 at the Tunbridge Fairgrounds. This year is the "Travel and Transportation" themed history fair, and Vice President Calvin Coolidge’s 1923 Lincoln town car will be on display.

On Saturday, June 23, the historical interpreter of Calvin Coolidge, Jim Cooke, will be there to greet visitors. He may be joined by a Woodstock interpreter of Grace Coolidge in her period costume. The couple will be given several rides in the car by their "chauffeur."

The Lincoln was purchased in May of 1923 for Vice President Coolidge. With the death of President Warren Harding in August, Coolidge became president, but what happened to the car is not clear. It was probably part of the White House fleet and then served Secretary of State Frank Kellogg in 1925.

Eventually it was sold to a private collector and another collector, Jay Barrett of White River Junction, bought it and is driving it to Tunbridge. The car gets eight miles to the gallon so is rarely driven. The body of the automobile is of aluminum with a walnut finish. This is a five-passenger sedan with twin fold-down seats.

On Sunday, June 24, at 4 p.m., Barrett will share his knowledge of cars and history with the visitors at the Vermont History Expo. His talk, "The American Auto Industry in the 1920’s," will discuss how automobiles have changed the American culture and how they were part of an advertising age!

"The Coolidge Foundation is pleased to be part of the Vermont History Expo, as our mission is to inspire the public to appreciate and study the legacy of Calvin Coolidge," the Foundation said.