Packard Cache & University Motors, Lawrence, Kansas

Posted by 58L8134 On 2010/7/25 9:47:15

Hi

The following information was forwarded to me about a cache of Packard in Lawrence, Kansas and subsequently information from Mr, Nick Schmiedeler recently.

My name's Nick, and I live in Lawrence, KS. Found your website online
>here - just curious if anyone has ever tipped you onto the
>"urban-Lawrence Packard graveyard"*
>**
>*.........there is a home in the middle of downtown, at 1100 Rhode
>Island, across from the Lawrence Police Station, and it was abandoned
>long ago.......far as I could guess, I'd say at least 25 or 30 years,
>maybe more. I'm probably not the best contact on this information, but
>I've heard varied accounts as to why this beautiful double-lot in the
>middle of a primo-real-estate neighborhood has not been cleaned up or
>bought. One account says an old man used to run an automotive shop
>there, (there's still a sign on one of the buildings that says
>"University Motors" or something, way up high), and when he died, there
>was a tift with the rest of the family and the city, and they just
>refuse to have it developed. *
>**
>*Anyway, the backyard area has a 6' fence that surrounds everything, and
>if you peak in, you can make out, parked bumper to bumper, about 3 or 4
>rows of 3 to 4 Packards each, so that'd be what...........9 to 16 or so
>Packards? Best as I can tell, they are ALL Packards, and with some
>research, look like Clippers, at least most of them. Varied models of
>Clippers, but all in all, average to good shape I'm guessing - some
>rust, flat tires, etc. But also a very tall pile of bumpers right by
>the fence - Packard bumpers? I would guess. Very hard to see inside
>there really.*
>**
>*This may not be news to you at all, but if you're interested, and you
>know there are people that would be interested in these cars, I could do
>a little research in the city offices and see who exactly owns the lot,
>and connections might be made. I don't know how cooperative these
>people may be, but there it is - a tip on some Packards sitting idle for
>what looks like a long, long time.*
>**
>*Please let me know one way or another if you might be interested in
>this - I do like researching the history of our fair city, and I'm sure
>I could pass on some new discovered info if anyone is interested. *
>**
>*Take care, Nick S. in Lawrence, KS.*

The University Motors information:

- University Motors (and their repair shop) - the Packard dealer - was only ever located at 707 New Hampshire. First phone book listing for University Motors at their one and only location ever - May, 1949. Last listing, December, 1963. So, University Motors, only ever listed as a Packard dealer with no other car maker sales, ran at 707 New Hampshire from 1949 to 1963, according to the city directories and phone books. So my guess about them re-locating or having some other arm of their company operations at the site we visited - 1106 Rhode Island, is incorrect. That's simply the location that all unsold/broke-down or other Packards ended up after the '63 closing probably - and have been ever since I'm guessing - 47 years now.

- Interesting side-notes about the 707 New Hampshire dealership location (currently a downtown parking lot) - phone book listings for that address -
* 1945 - Bodin Nash Automobile Sales (one year only)
* 1946 - 1948 - Lawrence Willys Automobile Sales (3 years only)

Now some more BIG NEWS - previous to May, 1949 with the introduction of University Motors Packard sales, there had been at least 2 OTHER PACKARD DEALERS !!!! Again, all this taken from city directories and phone books -

* Kraft and Starr Co. Packard Sales - 1818 Massachusetts, in 1947 (one year only) - that space is now a liquor store. In 1946, Kraft and Starr is listed as a Agricultural Implements supplier company, and in 1948, it's not listed at all.

The Lawrence Library has no directories prior to 1930 and the city directories get pretty sketchy for all the 1930's - several years are missing, but the 1933 and 1936 directories both list : * Reusch Motor Co. Packard Sales at 737 New Hampshire - now a restaurant space, used to be called "Red Hot Garage" in the 1980's - it has a garage door on it and old cement floors - obviously an old mechanics/showroom garage.

If anyone would like to contact Nick Schmiedeler directly, I can forward this email address.

Someone in the area familiar with this cache?

Steve