The Elston

Robert W. Elston was an inventor who was born in England and worked in the wagon industry at a young age. He was one of the early builders of a "horseless carriage" completing it in 1895 and had plans to enter the vehicle in the first recognized automobile race in the United States which took place in Chicago in November of that year. He first tried electric power and later a gasoline engine but could never get the vehicle to travel further than a block or two. Although he did not make the race deadline, he did exhibit the vehicle in town at a local Blacksmith and implement shop. Elston also had a patent for a self-propelling vehicle but seemed to have given up the automobile business for the hotel business which he was involved in both before and after his stint with automobiles. The fate of Elston's vehicle is unknown, but one can learn about Elston and the history of this community at the Charlevoix Historical Society.

Robert W. Elston was born in England in 1839 and moved to North America around the age of 16 finding work in the wagon industry. It is thought that his interest in designing a self-propelled wagon started to take shape during this time.

The first recognized automobile in the world was built by Carl Benz and patented in 1886 but the first vehicle in Michigan was invented between 1884 and 1885 in the town of Memphis. Thomas Clegg would drive his one-cylinder “Thing” on local roads and eventually dismantle the vehicle a few years later. Henry Ford saw Clegg’s invention as so significant that he offered to buy the workshop and move it to Greenfield Village but it had already been torn down. These inventors and many others would prompt Elston to produce his own machine.

In 1893 Elston started working on the “Elston Electric Road Wagon” in the upper part of his residence in Charlevoix, MI and by 1895 it was nearing completion. An announcement came that same year of the first recognized race in the United States which would take place in Chicago. Originally the race was to be held on July 4th but only one vehicle was ready to participate causing the start date to be pushed back to Labor Day. This gave Elston time to refine his vehicle as problems arose from the electric power plant. He promptly traveled to Wisconsin to secure a gasoline engine but continued to have reliability issues. Again the race was delayed until November and now consisted of around 100 entries including others from Michigan.

As November approached, Elston continued to have problems with his vehicle and never could get them resolved to drive any further than around the block. The race was to be held on November 2nd but weather once again played a factor and it was pushed back to Thanksgiving Day. To appease the already gathered crowd and entrants, an unofficial race was held and won by Oscar Mueller. The Mueller family would make several contributions to the automotive industry including an early example of the spark plug and numerous vehicle improvements. They also have a Michigan connection opening a brass factory in Port Huron helping manufacture munitions for World War I which is still in business today. The main race on Thanksgiving Day would be won by Charles E. and J. Frank Duryea. Duryea is credited with being the first organized American company to manufacture gasoline automobiles and the first to attempt to build and sell automobiles for a profit.

Although he did not make the contest, Elston decided to display his vehicle at J.S. Baker & Company’s store in Charlevoix at the end of November. His contributions to the automotive industry include patents for a self-propelled vehicle and a driving gear. In 1898 he and his wife opened the Hotel Elston and operated the business until his passing in 1917. Louise Elston continued to operate a separate hotel in Charlevoix until around 1939.

Accessed May 23rd 2022. www.wheelswaterengines.com.