Lambert Auto Tribute Murals
Introduction
Author-Uploaded Audio
Listen to a narration of this entry's description by Greg Everett.
Text-to-speech Audio
A couple of tips for for those of you that are taking this tour virtually rather than actually walking. First, you will have a much better experience by looking at the images while listening to the audio playback rather than reading the text. Second, there are two audio playbacks for each tour stop -- an Introduction and a Back Story. You need to click on them individually to get the full tour experience.
To begin, find a parking spot near 211 W. Pearl Street. There should be plenty of curbside spots as well as a large lot on the south side of the street.
We begin by walking two blocks east. On the north side of the street at 209 E. Elm, we can view murals, done by the noted muralist Pamela Bliss, that pay tribute to an early community entrepreneur, John William Lambert. John Lambert was a pioneer in the technology of what was then called the "horseless carriage" and he is credited with building the first working, gasoline-powered vehicle in America right here in Union City.
Images
To begin the tour find parking near 211 W. Pearl either curbside or in the lot on the south side of the street
Lambert Mural with horse rearing to the right
209 W. Elm John Lambert driving his new fangled horseless carriage in Union City Ohio 1891
Horse frightened by Lambert horseless carriage
In the foreground, a Union Car made in Union City. In background, the mural of Lambert and the rearing horse
John Lambert's Union Automobile Company factory
Contemporary picture of the first "Horseless Carriage"
Backstory and Context
Author-Uploaded Audio
Listen to a narration of this entry's description by Greg Everett.
Text-to-speech Audio
The main mural shows John Lambert emerging from a covered bridge driving his new invention, the country's first successful horseless buggy. He began test driving his invention around Union City in 1891 and, as you might imagine, it was pretty noisy. The mural depicts a rider clinging on for dear life as his horse rears startled by the noise. We can assume a few folks were not big fans of Lambert's new invention.
Depicted in a second mural is the Union Automobile Company factory which Lambert built in Union City in 1901. Approximately 300 Union automobiles were sold from 1901 through 1905. The company also produced trucks, farm tractors and fire engines from 1905 until World War I when the factory was converted to wartime production. After the war, John Lambert saw that the industry was consolidating, so he decided to go into the parts supply business for which he was well equipped with over 600 patents to his name. John Lambert and his factory played a key role in attracting automotive entrepreneurs and manufacturing talent to the area and the automotive industry grew to become the economic backbone of the community for over eight decades.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Automobile_Company
https://web.archive.org/web/20110707162755/http://www.armstrongswebsite.com/Trains/union_city_history.htm