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Hi all,

I am a historical interpreter at Rutherford House Provincial Historic Site in Edmonton, Alberta, the home of Alberta's first premier Alexander Cameron Rutherford. I am looking for assistance in solving a question that has eluded us at the museum for years: the model and possible year of the Rutherford family's Packard.

Presently, we do not know the year the family purchased the car. Several people (such as Tom Monto in a post titled "A History of Automobiles in Edmonton") claim the Packard was purchased in 1906. For several reasons I do not believe this to be the case. Firstly, the photograph we have of the car does not appear to be an earlier Packard Four model (such as a Model 18 or 24), but a Model 30 Touring (produced from 1907-1912) or 1912 Packard Dominant Six, model 1-38 touring. However, given my lack of expertise with Packard vehicles, I have not been able to confirm this. Secondly, Rutherford himself did not drive the Packard (he was too scared to learn), and instead had his son Cecil and daughter Hazel chauffer him around. From 1905-1908, Rutherford's son Cecil was away in Ontario at college and would have been unable to drive him. His daughter Hazel was only 12 in 1905, so it makes unlikely that she would have been driving at such a young age. Lastly, the first notation we have of the family's car is from May 1912, when there was an unfortunate accident involving the vehicle. We have looked through many editions of local newspapers for a possible notation he purchased the vehicle prior to this date, but to no avail. Individuals in Edmonton were advertising "automobiles" (although not providing a model) for sale or trade for valuable real estate. Rutherford did have considerable land holdings, so it is entirely possible he traded real estate for the vehicle which likely would have gone unreported in the newspaper.



This photograph is of the Rutherford's Packard (it was red). The date the photograph was taken is unknown, but appears to have been taken between 1914 and 1920.

There are unfortunately few sources that comment on Rutherford's Packard. In A Gentleman of Strathcona, D. R. Babcock simply states that Rutherford was "an early automobile owner and his large red Packard was a familiar site on Edmonton streets for years" (pg. 39). E. Stewart-Richmond comments in A Firm Foundation that Hazel and Cecil were his chauffers, but does not elaborate further (pg. 38). L. G. Thomas notes in "The Rutherford House and its place in Alberta architecture" that Rutherford had a garage built at his home to house the Packard, but does not provide a date. From pictures we have of the new Rutherford family home (now the museum) shortly after its completion in 1911, there is no garage. It was added sometime between 1912 and 1915, and the family's first home did not have a garage. This gives further evidence to the fact the Packard was purchased later and was likely not an earlier model.

If anyone could possibly provide us with the potential model based on the photograph above we most be most grateful. I am happy to answer any questions that I can.

Thanks in advance!

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Welcome to PackardInfo.com.

It may be disappointing for you to hear that we rarely talk about vehicles from this period. A few days ago I put some order into the more than 12,000 photos in the photo archive and had to look at them very closely for this purpose. I agree that the vehicle could not have been purchased in 1906. The characteristic shape of the dirt deflectors at the tips of the front fenders only appeared around 1910. Details of the windshield (long windshield support arms, storm-tilt windshield) were also not in use at that time. In particular, however, the headlights, which are covered but give the impression that they were electrically operated, appeared around 1912. The previously used acetylene gas lamps had a different shape and size.
In order to be able to better classify what has been said here, I would like to emphasize again that I am not an expert on vehicles from these early years.

I don't know if the reference is significant, but the photo is also used in Wikipedia (and classified there circa 1912).

Hi Guscha,

Thanks for the information. I have been pouring through the photographs and I think the car looks most like a 1912 Packard Model 30 Touring UE. That model was only sold in 1912 and was the last of the Packard Four models sold. And yes, I noticed the difference in the fenders, the tilt storm windshield, and headlights. The headlights are covered so it is hard to tell if they are indeed electric or not, but I speculate they are based on the other characteristics.

In relation to the information on Wikipedia, I am personally skeptical of the 1912 dating of the photograph. The photo contains Cecil Rutherford (in the driver's seat), the Martin family including Helen (Cecil's future wife, back row on far right), and Hazel Rutherford (back row on left). Cecil did not start courting Helen until late 1912, whereas this photograph is clearly taken during the summer. It is probable that the photograph was taken a year or two later.

Thank you for the assistance you have provided.