Plus eBay Collectors Corner

The oldest, newest, and one in between:

Senator Steelman has submitted the earliest known ad (in the New York World) for the Moxie Horsemobile, circa 1916:

AND...Senator Markey has built a new one to replace the one he sold in auction last year! Pix on left depict progress as of January '08, and pix on right showcase Wil's (almost) completed product at the Moxie Festival in July '08. Wil says a few minor finishing touches are needed (like how turn left when it has a mind to go straight!).

Moxie Horsemobiles in the Moxie Festival Parade

Lisbon Falls, Maine

            Moxie Horsemobiles were the invention of Frank Archer Sr. and first appeared in early 1916. The Horsemobiles were last used by the Moxie Company in the 1950s. The last remaining original Moxie Horsemobile was restored in 1971 by the Monarch Company, owner of Moxie during that time. This 1929 LaSalle appeared in the 1978 annual Frontier Days Parade in Lisbon Falls, Maine. This event may have later morphed into the present Moxie Festival thanks to Frank Anicetti and Frank Potter.  The 1929 LaSalle was the first Horsemobile to appear in the Moxie Festival in the early 1980s. Q. David Bowers and Eddie Clark purchased this vehicle on December 20, 1984. The original Moxie Horsemobile has been seen sporadically in the Moxie Festival Parade with its last appearances in 2001 and 2005.

             Jack Algeo’s 1931 LaSalle Horsemobile was built by Wil Markey in 1993 and started showing up in the Moxie Festival Parade in 1994. Jack became the new owner of Wil’s LaSalle in 2000. Thanks to Jack, this vehicle has been a regular participant in the parade in recent years and he has kept it in great condition too!

             Wil Markey’s Rolls Royce Moxie Horsemobile first appeared in the 2000 Moxie Festival. Wil sold the Rolls Royce in 2007. Jack’s LaSalle was the only Horsemobile in the parade in 2007. Wil’s latest Horsemobile is a 1929 LaSalle that he built in 2008 and it first appeared in the 2008 parade. Wil was still ironing out the bugs because the vehicle never finished the parade that year. Wil has fixed it up and he did fine in the 2009 and 2010 parades.

             In 2009, John Wissink came all the way from Michigan with his 1923 Buick Moxie Horsemobile. Like the job Wil Markey did on his vehicles, John did a great restoration job on this vehicle. Also from Michigan that year was Robert and Constance Boudeman who were driving a 1904 Stanley Steamer Moxie car with the Moxie foxtail logos on the vehicle. The vehicle made the entire parade on its own power - steam of course! Wow! Constance is the great granddaughter of F.E. Stanley, one of the builders of the original Stanley Steamer! 

            Honorable mention should go to the many people who enter their antique cars and trucks in the parade each year. Again, a Wil Markey 1907 Autocar with the Moxie foxtail logo on the rear box is another stand out! Even some modern vehicles like Russ Bilodeau’s orange VW Beatles add great interest to the parade each year. You will never know what you are going to see at the next Moxie Festival Parade. Bring your camera!

 Submitted by James Jansson

July 20, 2010