The 1925 Model T Ford originally purchased by Albert Rich of Cambridge, New York was a specialty vehicle made by C. Cretor that used a white gas powered engine that had a steam driven powerhouse for cooking up tasty popcorn, hot dogs and other treats. Another was made that went to the West coast, and it's lost to history
The unique vehicle was driven by Rich, and then his daughter Dorothy, and became a mainstay for creating summertime memories along the Eastern Seaboard.
A 1967 write-up in the Knickerbocker News of Albany mentioned Rich’s death at age 83 and his contributions to Cambridge. “The ‘Popcorn Man’ and his old Ford were a landmark in this village, drawing customers from a wide area. Usually parked just off the main street in the town, the car would also be in sight at local fairs and one time ventured all the way to Florida,” the article stated.
“Dorothy was 93 when she came to the museum for lunch and told us all about the machine,” Her family had traveled the fair circuit, working in Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut as well as much of eastern New York. Her father also drove the Model T to Florida for a number of years to work fairs in the winter.
After her father’s death, Dottie began selling popcorn herself on the weekends and later expanded to the Saratoga thoroughbred track, working through her vacation from her “regular” job. In her later years, she stayed in downtown Cambridge and people came to her, stoking fond memories for many generations of New Yorkers. “There were three of us in tight quarters at the Saratoga Race Course, plus my brother worked in the back, keeping us in supplies,” said Kim Klopstock, local restaurateur, “We went literally non-stop, looking out at a sea of people. Most of the customers were from far away and were just attracted by the novelty of the machine.
http://www.saratogaautomuseum.org/wheels-at-work
https://poststar.com/news/local/museum-files-automotive-appetite/article_6babc552-bf54-11e3-94bd-001a4bcf887a.html
https://shunpikingwithray.com/2016/07/03/two-night-experiment-saratoga-springs-28-30-june-2016/
Thanks for posting this. I've had a couple of these horse drawn Cretors machine and it is interesting to study the adaptation of the body to the motor vehicle. I' ve always wanted to put one together like the Hemmings Motor News machine. Nice pics, thanks again.
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