Three Ancient Vehicles from Lucas Livery are Being Delivered Today.
This story was published in the Sarnia Observer: April 26, 1929 and researched by Katie Braet, co-op student in 2016.
Henry Ford has at last focused the sunshine for his patronage on Sarnia. For some time the motor king has been very busily engaged in collecting suitable articles which at some time or other in their history would “run” on wheels for his museum of antique vehicles which he is establishing in his home town of Dearborn, Mich. [The] upshot of the matter is that Mr. Ford came to Sarnia to procure a share of them.
This afternoon the local ferry dock was the scene of the departure of three hacks which were covering, for the last time, the sail that for 25 years had been crushed under their busy wheels. But that was in the days before the advent of Ford cars.
The three old hacks were from the livery stable of James Lucas, Victoria street, which had been their headquarters for the last 45 years. It was 15 years, however, since they had been used on the streets of Sarnia.
The carriages will first al off be shown in a monster parade of antique vehicles which is shortly to be held under the sponsorship of Mr. Ford, in Dearborn.
In conversation with a reporter for the Canadian Observer today, Mr. Lucas, city livery proprietor, stated that the hacks had but(?) manufactured at the carriage works of John Campbell and Sons of London, Ont., in 1882, and had been in his ownership continuously since that date. With the incoming of the automobile, [however], they has been “laid on the shelf,” displayed only on a few occasions for parades and similar demonstrations.
“Yes, Mr. Ford paid a handsome price for them. I wouldn’t like to tell you how much because that would only be exposing which a mistake he made, and I wouldn’t like to do that with such a good customer,” their late owner said.
