Thursday, January 08, 2026
It's unreal that there is no info online about the Kellogg's Greencoats. For a cereal that sucked so bad, it didn't last as long as corn flakes, and those really suck. Pep cereal. I've never heard of it
The small print over the car, says 1st prize Miss Personality contest at the Pantages
June 1926
There are "9 BIG Features" in the stage show including the Cyclone Revue and Mahon & Cholet. We can't see it in this shot but the feature film was "Bride of the Storm."
UNDER the marque is a arrow sign about the Miss Personality contest
Interesting mix of hub caps on the front tires and deep dish rear rims, white roof seems out of place too, but it probably made the car cooler
Norwich, Connecticut ,1942 The Elks Lodge bought this B-25 through War Bond Campaign.
This has me wondering, how many other cool "fraternal orders" similarly paid for / raised the money to pay for / a bomber. I wonder if anyone did all the research to discover this stat. No, I'm not going to spend that kind of time.
I do recall several bombers getting paid for by corporations, and by employee unions, and I remember that I've posted dozens. But I don't recall any that were from a Mooses lodge, or Lions, or Freemasons
There were a lot of animal lodges, most I'm guessing, none of us have ever heard of https://fezmuseum.com/animal-lodges/
And because I've never been a part of that world (other than posting about the women's auxiliary) I don't know jack about it, and just learned that there are a separate class of lodges/groups, that are service organizations, business leaders who wanted to make a bigger impact on their local community.
Lions, Rotarians, Kiwanis, and the Optimists https://fezmuseum.com/animal-lodges/
Wednesday, January 07, 2026
wow, this is nearly Norman Rockwell level Americana. I love this diner, which is connected to a mom n pop gas station
No, I don't see gas pump evidence, but the gas station sign is there... so it must be off camera
1910-1930 the first generation electric trams that ran from Venice to Santa Monica, open-air vehicles called “electric trams,” “Venice trams,” “electric promenade trams,” or simply “boardwalk trams.” The Venice Electric Tram operated along the concrete walkway between Venice and Santa Monica.
When Abbot Kinney opened his Venice of America in 1905, he had a small steam train running around the canals.
On the Venice Ocean Front there were wicker basket trams that were pushed from behind by people power.
By 1920 the trams were electric battery powered. They ran from Venice Pier, to the Ocean Park Pier, and then to the Santa Monica Pier, and back.
In 1923, the Venice Tram Company was formed. By the 1930s, the trams had 4 cylinder, Ford model A engines and canopy tops. There were also similar 4 cylinder, Chevy engines.
in 1908, Santa Cruz had some rich guy who went for a gravity rollercoaster of unexceptional design by todays standards, but it probably blew minds when Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet went on a world tour.
The ride’s 25-mph was fast compared to autos that traveled just 10-mph back then, speed and thrills were secondary to the overall ride experience.
In the 60s, on the East coast, in Ocean City MD, they did something similar but with a sperate engine unit
a moment to appreciate the very subtle moment of this photo... a car stopped for a steam locomotive that's passing through a residential area
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1383907806630407&set=a.181986760155857
There on the left side of the street is some kind of sign, Hell, I don't know how to describe it... but just a little higher and to the right, and looks like a circle with a street light between the telephone poles
to stand out from all the competition, ya gotta have a gimmick, if you have nothing else to offer (read PT Barnum's bio) And someone running a used tire store, caught the eye of every potential customer with a record-breaking stack of tires with a dummy perched on top
I love the wood spoke wrecker, photo circa 1933
Today's banner is the last of the snowy scene banners I have, but it's also a rare political reward license plate, and thanks to CoSC, I learned about those
State senators would also get low numbers, the state’s senior U.S. Senator, the junior U.S. Senator, and the Congressman is issued a plate also in the single digits.
anything coveted and derived from official governmental action was leveraged into a reward for political support. So in the early part of the 20th century, that low-number license plates became a way for politicians to say “thank you” by conveying favored status to the holders of such single digit plates Law enforcement was aware a motorist displaying a low-numbered plate was due preferential treatment.
I just remembered that I posted an inherited Ohio single digit plate, https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2023/03/passed-down-in-family-since-1935.html
a Wisconsin Democrat, Gov Nelson was elected in 1958 thanks largely to donations from a wealthy Republican. On Inauguration Day the new Governor met with his rich benefactor, whom he asked if there was “anything” he wanted as payback.
Massachusetts drivers have had a strange obsession with low-number license plates from the very beginning, nearly 120 years ago, as a point of pride and to highlight their Bay State family lineage.
Governor Michael Dukakis continued the trend of handing out low-number combinations to political supporters – until a week before he decided to run for President.
“Well, there is one thing, Governor,” the man is quoted as saying. “Do you think I could get one of those low-numbered license plates?”
clever design for a truck and trailer matched set, the truck slides into and out from the trailer, by Citroen
This particular variant of the H-van does have some attempts made to be stylish, as it was designed by Heuliez, a French coachbuilder that made a number of H-van-based (and other Citroëns, too) special editions like ambulances and other sorts of vehicles.
https://www.theautopian.com/this-slide-in-citroen-pickup-to-some-other-kind-of-truck-is-deeply-cool/
Yes, there have been a lot of posts lately about the Wood Lite headlights, and no, I'm not trying to collect the whole set, but, I couldn't pass on these (Thank you Robert M!)(Thank you Bob!)
At the time, the Elks membership numbered thousands and included L.A.'s wealthy and powerful. The building contained 169 hotel rooms but was mainly designed for the Elk's activities and events, with lavish interiors, including an impressive spacious foyer, a huge ballroom that could be used as an auditorium, numerous dining rooms, a gymnasium, pool, and a bowling alley.
Designed as a memorial to World War I soldiers, the exterior features stylized Assyrian friezes, sculpted figures in military uniform, and massive cast stone warrior angels guarding the plinth and tower at every corner.
The lavish interior features an arched ceiling painted by famed muralist Anthony Heinsbergen, who purposely undercut the competition bidding for the job and toiled on his back while painting, like Michelangelo.
Heinsbergen later claimed that he rarely bothered with self-promotion again.
By the 1960s, following decades of declining membership and substantial losses at its Los Angeles lodge, the Elks could no longer maintain the building. It fell into general disrepair, and the Elks put it up for auction in 1966.
There have been dozens of movies and music videos, and concerts... you can read about the riots and punks etc at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Plaza_Hotel_(Los_Angeles)
But a Kenworth made for hauling cargo, that's a really strange vehicle to find Wood lites on
Marshfield is now known as Coos Bay, OR. The Portland-Roseburg-Marshfield route would have involved 180 miles down the Willamette Valley through farm country along Hwy 99 (later superceded by I-5), then 80 miles over the Coast Range along windy narrow Hwy 42. A full day's drive, and in the winter, usually rainy weather.
