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Documents

• Serial Numbers and other Identifying Information
  • Serial numbers assigned to "Milburn Light Electric" automobiles for model years 1915-1924.
  • Little tag that hung from the light switch when the Milburn Light Electric was delivered
• Factory Brochures
  • Sales Brochure for 1915 Milburn Light Electric Coupe (Model 15), Roadster (151), and Delivery (16)
• Wiring and Controller Diagrams
  • Wiring diagram for Model 15 (1915-1916)
  • Wiring diagram for Model 22 (1916)
  • Wiring and Controller diagram for Model 27 (1917-1918)
  • Wiring and Controller diagrams for Model 27L
• Instruction Manuals
  • Instruction Manual for Model 27L
  • Condensed Instructions for the Care of Philadelphia Thin Plate Batteries - No. 10
• Parts Lists
  • Parts List for Model 15
  • Parts List for Model 22
  • Parts list for Model 27L
• Milburn Chargers and Accessories
  • "Milburn Light Electric Charger" (Dec. 15, 1915 Horseless Age)
  • Milburn's Quick Battery Exchange System
    • Frank Salvat of Fashion Automobile Station demonstrating Milburn's Quick Battery Exchange system
• Milburn AMPS Newsletters - It is so far not known, but presumed that at least 18 issues of Milburn's AMPS newsletters were produced from Jan 1920 thru 1922, with at least 10 issues in volume one and presumably quarterly issues at least for the following 2 years.  Only 2 complete issues have been identified by us so far plus one issue cover:
  • 1920 Oct, v1n10 (cover only)
  • 1921 Jan, v2n1
  • 1922 Jan, v3n1
• Milburn related Patents and Designs
  • Window Mechanism Patents
    • George H. Woodfield (Milburn employee), Toledo Bending Company,  Control Means for Windows and the like, 1919Sep09, Pat#1315447 [Note that the Canadian filing for this invention (CA196401) lists Dura Mechanical Hardware and Toledo Bending Company as "owners".  It is known that Dura Mechanical Hardware was established in 1913 and owned by Milburn Wagon Works and that Woodfield was a Milburn employee---why was this filed under Toledo Bending?]
  • Milburn's Woodfield-designed seat (patented?)
  • Karl Probst Milburn Design Notes (any anywhere?  Probst was with Milburn since working on the Model 15 thru quitting in April of 1923---yet we have little but references)
  • Dura Corp. Art Deco design and other patents from the 20's/30's
• Milburn Dealerships and Dealer Ads, Articles and Info
  • Leigh Chadwick ("L. C.) Steavenson, Sandusky OH (Ads and Dealership Photo)
    • From Sandusky History Blogspot: "In 1921, L. C. Steavenson was the dealer for the Milburn Light Electric car at 1206 Decatur Street in Sandusky. In 1917, Mr. Steavenson worked at the Milburn Wagon Company in Toledo..."
  • Fitch Electric Garage, Ft.Wayne, IND
    • Fitch was one of the most active of the Milburn dealerships in terms of not only regularly promoting Milburn Electrics exclusively (1921-1923), but also writing articles for the local newspapers that described the virtues of the Milburn.  His articles and ads were the first confirmed written sources we had when we first discovered that the 1922 Models came out with a 5th speed---later this was confirmed by other sources including other ads, Automobile and AMPS v3n1.
  • W.C.Starr, Decator, ILL
    • Starr also was one of the most active in regularly posting large display ads in the local papers for Milburn.
  • Fashion Auto Station and Electric Garage, Chicago, ILL
    • The Fashion Auto Station and Electric Garage (740 E. 51st St. [also noted elsewhere as "4612 Cottage Grove St."], Chicago), with its large Milburn Light Electrics sign on its outside wall was a significant place for Milburn.  Evidence seems to indicate that the Fashion Station was the first to offer a battery lease program (1917 Electrical World, v69n2) whereby they'd sell new Milburns to customers without batteries for $1485 noting that they would have indefinite range by being able to drive in, swap out the packs in 5minutes and move on.  As early as 1908, Fashion Auto Station had been involved with electrics exclusively, including electric buses.  In 1916, Harry Salvat, owner of Fashion Auto Station wrote an extensive article in N.E.L.A. v39n4 entitled "Greater Garage Service" in which he outlines the challenges of the electric garage and even lists some 23 Chicago electric stations that had either switched to gas or gone out of business altogether.  He laid a lot of blame on lack of coordination between the manufacturers of electric cars and batteries and dealers and stations.  Mister Salvat is seen in this photo demonstrating Milburn's quick battery exchange system.
  • Ogden-Munzer Co, Minneapolis -- distributors of Milburn and Detroit Electrics