Dusty

2/11/2022

A few miles outside of Amery, in western Wisconsin, there was a 200 acre farm that had been purchased in 1902 by a Swedish family who were newly arrived in the States. After many years of saving, they had booked first-class passage one-way on a boat from their home in Sweden to the Boston Harbor in Massachusetts. They had a cousin in the United States who had scouted a couple farms for sale in western Wisconsin for them to inspect with intent to buy and settle in the area. After arriving in Boston on September 9, 1902, the family (which included an almost 9 year old son at the time) stayed the night in a Boston hotel before boarding a 4-day train to Chicago. They changed trains in Chicago, enroute by rail to the Great Northern Depot train station in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They were met at the depot by their cousin who took them with their belongings to his Wisconsin home by buckboard - a two day trip which included crossing the St. Croix river by ferry, as there were no bridges at that time. Two weeks later, they bought a farm which would remain in the family for many years.

The immigrants settled about 4 miles outside of Amery on their newly purchased farm, in a small community alongside other Swedish and Russian family farmers. Their 9 year old son grew up and in 1918, at 25 years old, he married. His wife unfortunately succumbed to the flu a short time later during the epidemic, an event that impacted him deeply. A few years afterwards in 1921, the 28 year old bought a brand new Ford Model T, loaded up some relatives, and took a road trip to California, via Pikes Peak and the Grand Canyon. In order to cross the Grand Canyon, they loaded the car on a platform at the edge of the canyon wall. It was let down by a team of horses to the bottom, where they crossed to the other side only to repeat the process going up. After that was a three day trip across Death Valley where they encountered stretches of soft sand that sunk the car to it's axles. They used horse blankets, which had been brought along for warmth, to lay under the skinny Model T's tires for traction as they crossed through the soft places, laying each blanket ahead of the other while the driver kept the car going. The California trip led to a chance meeting, which precipitated his second marriage. After his return to Wisconsin by a different route, he wrote a proposal letter to her. She packed up her belongings and traveled from California to Wisconsin to begin a marriage which lasted 67 years. He had been working the family farm, and tradition was that the oldest son would be offered the farm when it was time to pass it on. As second to the youngest child he was not first in line, yet eventually did take over his father's farm after the war, being the only son interested in farming. He was a businessman and ran a successful farm as well as about 13 dance halls in the area for many years. In late 1935, the then 43 year old Swedish farmer walked into a Wisconsin Dodge dealership and, for about $500, bought a brand new dark green and black 1936 Dodge Pickup Express. 

For 1936, Dodge had announced an all-new line of trucks and commercial cars. The attractive Dodge trucks featured graceful new styling that highlighted round contours and curved lines. The streamlined design of the times was on full display with skirted fenders flowing into full length running boards. The previous generation's suicide doors were replaced with traditional front-hinged doors. For smaller trucks Dodge abandoned the offering of two separate wheelbases, switching instead to a single wheelbase for both car-based and truck-based models. The car-based Dodge trucks were fitted with a slightly smaller 201.3-cid L-head six with a 5.8:1 compression ratio that produced 70 hp at 3,000 rpm, which was heavily advertised for its cost-saving fuel economy. Dodge dealerships even offered a "pre-proved" fuel economy consumption test before buying, claiming up to $95.00 of fuel saving per year over competitors. Dodge truck technology, new for 1936, included the use of springs made from Amola steel (a recent innovation at Chrysler) and the new “Fore Point” load distribution system. The Fore Point layout shifted the engine and cab slightly forward to place more load on the front axle and wheels. Dodge introduced these trucks in November of 1935 and produced 109,392 trucks in the 1936 model year, the manufacturing split between their Los Angeles and Canadian plants. This "econ-o-mizer" car-based Dodge truck, a two year only offering, continued for 1937 before a design overhaul the following model year.

As time past, the businessman farmer and his second wife had children and then grandchildren. For many years one particular grandson would come from Minnesota to stay with them on the farm for the summer months. He would help his Grandpa during threshing season and spent time riding with him in his 1936 Dodge truck. They would drive to town, the rear load bed of the Dodge stacked with bags of grain on their way to the grainary where the kernels would be ground into feed for the animals. While they waited for the mill to finish up, they would head over to the tavern in town for a beer and a root beer. Sometimes they would pick up a few groceries before loading the feed bags back into the truck for the 4 mile trip back to the farm. Occasionally, the farmer would let his 9 year old grandson drive the truck to town. In those days, seven farms would get together during threshing season, including Swedish and Russian farms from both sides of the highway, to use the shared equipment and help each other get the grain harvested. One year, after the harvest, the farmer told his grandson he could jump in the Dodge and practice driving it around in the empty fields by himself! 

The grandson spent time in the services, during which time the old farm was sold and many of the items he loved from memory were lost. But that old Dodge was his when he came back, and it always reminded him of his childhood summers with his grandfather on the farm. He and his wife enjoyed driving it for a few years in the late 1960's and early 1970's, but other than that the old Dodge sat in his garage, waiting for the day when a restoration could be undertaken. When they bought a new property and built a house, the faded and rusty green and black truck sat outside for a couple years until he was able to build a shop to store it in. In the 1980's it was moved to it's new home indoors where it was stored with continued hopes and dreams of making it new again. But time and circumstance prevailed, and at 80 years old he decided it might be time to let it go to a new home. He had received offers to buy it over the years, but it never felt like the right time and place to let the old Dodge go. There were so many good memories tied up in the truck, as it had been in his family since the beginning.

These are the first pictures I saw of the truck that were sent to me.

My phone rang and when I answered a familiar voice greeted me. It was the previous owner of Golden Boy, with whom I had kept in touch and who had been very helpful answering questions about the Bronco as I had them. His dad, who I had already met when I picked up the Bronco, had a 1936 Dodge truck that had been in the family since new, and they wondered if I might be interested in buying it. I got a little excited, never having owned something that old, and honored that they thought of me. Wondering what kind of condition it might be in, I asked him to send me pictures of his dad's truck, which he agreed to do. The truck appeared to be buried in a pile of other stored items, but I was able to get enough of an idea of the styling and shape of it to know I was definitely interested. 

There was no real rush, so a few months later I contacted his dad and drove out to see the truck in person for the first time and, more importantly to me, to hear his family stories of this dented and dusty farm truck that his grandpa had purchased new in 1935. It was a cold, winter day, but his workshop was warm and dry inside. As I examined the truck, it was such a delight to spend the time listening to him describe events that were before my time, and thus incredible sounding to my ears. I couldn't imagine leaving my country of birth to start a new life in a strange land. My own great-grandparents had also come from Sweden, so the story was familiar. But it was also very foreign to my modern ears. All the things they considered normal back then seemed to me a great hardship by today's standards. It brought me back to my own Grandfather's stories of his childhood that I used to hear growing up in northern Minnesota. My own heritage traced a similar path through Chicago and up into the Minneapolis area. I suppose a lot of Swedes followed relatives to that same area, where there would be at least some familiar faces to work alongside.

I don't know yet what the plan is for Dusty...oh, yeah, that's his name. On my way home that day, I stopped at a car wash and pressure washed 50 years of dust off him - not sparing even the interior. Even so, a few days later when my wife's little girls saw the truck in my shop, one of them exclaimed, "It's dusty!", mistaking the faded paint and rust patina for dirt. We laughed, but right away I knew that was going to be his name. Dusty. Perfect. So, I don't know what the plan is for him yet. I've got a couple ideas rolling around in my head, but, as my wife pointed out, there doesn't have to be a forever plan. I can play around and do something to get him back on the road, but can always undo it or do something completely different. That said, he will be a more permanent member of the carsarepeopletoo.com family. Mainly because whatever I do will most likely take some time. One thing I have no current intention of changing is his overall appearance. He has earned the look he has over the last 87 years, so even though I may pound out a couple dents, my attentions will be centered under the skin and in the interior. (Engine, drivetrain, suspension, brakes, upholstery, etc.) As you know by now, that could change. Or not.

When I got home that day, knowing the truck may not see daylight for a while longer, took some pictures at sunset. I absolutely adore the curves and contours of this old truck. What great styling. I wasted no time reinstalling the ram hood ornament. So cool.

Beginning in 1933, Dodge trucks abandoned the old Dodge Brothers engines and used Chrysler Corporation engines instead, modifying them for durability. The six cylinder engine was the flat-head six used in Plymouths, which continued through 1960. Most 1936 Dodge trucks carried a small 201.3-cid L-head six with a 5.8:1 compression ratio. It produced 70 hp at 3,000 rpm. 

The honeycomb radiator shows signs of repair, but is super cool. A frost plug is missing from the engine behind the starter and the spark plugs may or may not come outwithout breaking off, but it's a complete engine that was running when parked. A very long time ago. 

The undercarriage and body are less corroded than you might think, given the climate. It is a testament to the benefits of indoor storage.

The interior has some very cool features. The crank on the dash is for the air conditioning. It cranks the bottom of the windshield out. There is also a heater box. It looks like just a radiator with hot water from the engine circulating through it for heat, but behind it is a little blower fan with a rotary switch mounted under the dash. I wonder how well it worked during cold winter days... The starter button is not the key, as you might expect. Turning the key activates the 6 volt circuit, after which time you would press the starter button located above and to the right of the brake pedal. That levered an arm directly into a switch, on the starter motor itself, to start the engine. Or you could get out and crank start it by hand. Your choice.

You can see the parking brake and transmission clearly because of the open floor plan of the cab. I also love the styling of the door handles and window cranks. Very stylish.

The anti tall people sagging headliner is going to be a problem. It's already a problem, but I'm a little afraid to take it down without a respirator over my mouth and nose. And eyes. Do they make an ear respirator? I'll just do it later.

In summary, the specific future for Dusty is unclear, but he will definitely be driving down country roads again, breathing air tinted with manure and fresh mown hay, kicking up dust on gravel roads, and stopping often to talk to curious passersby who will want to hear his story. It's going to be fun for both of us.