42. The "Hoosier" Automobile, Built In Winchester By Glenn Davis

The Randolph County Enterprise, April, 1951.
By Paul Deming.

  Except to some of the oldtimers in this day and age of massed produced automobiles and engineering complexity, it's hard to realize that the automobile pictured, an early 1900's version of the "Hoosier," was manufactured in Winchester.
  Sitting proudly in the driver's seat of the "Hoosier" is Glenn Davis of Winchester, who now operates the Hoosier Auto Company garage at 234 Carl street.
  Glenn says the "Hoosier" and a number of like automobiles were built by himself, his father, Oliver E. Davis, now deceased, Rufus (Snort) Hanscom, pictured left and formerly of Losantville, and Jack Hanscom, who recently died at Indianapolis. The other gentleman in the picture, seated beside him Glenn says, is Harry Pierce, noted Winchester photographer who died about a year ago.
  Manufacture of the early autos in Winchester, built in a smaller building located where the Chevrolet garage now stands on South Main street, was financed, according to Glenn, by his father at the son's instigation.
  Glenn says he had an early inclination to the "new fangled machines" and even at the time of the picture, which he estimated to have been taken in 1905, "anyway at the time they were laying the first bricks on Main street," Glenn was only about 15 or 16 years old.
  He said his first interest in automobiles came very early when as a child he used to follow behind an old steam-powered vehicle, owned by "Enos Hiatt of Winchester and a jeweler in Farmland by the name of Davison," and wait for the chance to "pour some more water into the rumbling contraption."
  Later, when gasoline model automobiles were introduced, Glenn said that his fondness for the new revolutionary means of transportation was so great he often missed days and days of school to be around them and to tinker with them and that finally he persuaded his father to make his auto manufacturing investment.
  From then, Glenn stated, he and his co-workers got together and began filling special orders for motor vehicles. He said they would take four-cycle air-cooled motors ordered from a Reeve's Pulley and Manufacturing Company at Columbus, Indiana (the present Cummins Diesel Company) add them to rear-axel built transmissions ordered out of Indianapolis, "the kind that had pins instead of the now conventional gear teeth," throw on wheels and tires from Richmond and then build a body of their own around those parts.
  Their special production continued, Glenn reminisced, until centrally located mass produced auto companys made it impossible to continue to build special order cars and that, consequently, they changed over to auto repair and new car sales.
  About that time, automan Davis said, the racing bug was hitting the country and, that naturally, his automobile fervor carried him along with it. By 1909, he stated, he was the youngest regular race driver in the world with AAA sanctions although he had to lie about his age for the distinction.
  In 1910 his greatest triumph came at the just started Indianapolis speedway at a "Harvest Home" meet. Glenn said it was the first paved surface race ever held and consisted of a series of 20, 50 and 100 mile heats. His triumph came when he made second place in the 100 mile event.
  From the Capitol speedway Glenn said he went south and raced in Savannah, Georgia until his father's concern ordered him to "come home."
  After that, back in Winchester, Glenn both raced in the vicinity and built race cars. One of the most outstanding racers which he built, described by him as "a souped-up Essex," was piloted by Wilbur Shaw in his first money-winning race held at the Decatur county annual fair in "about 1925."
  But it's been years now, Glenn added, since he's been active in racing and his only comment on "then and now" is that there are different types of drivers today and somewhat different kinds of cars and races.
  Glenn's automotive inclinations are now almost totally turned to the operation of his very successful garage and automotive repair shop on Carl street. And, just as a special plug for his utmost friendly cooperation in telling his story, it would be fair to say that the Hoosier Auto Company in Winchester is still a leader in automobile mechanics where any car will receive bumper to bumper, horn to brake service with a guaranteed assurance of perfection.