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141:. Claims of the historic importance of the Schloemer automobile have diminished over time: in 1948, it was considered the first practical automobile in the United States, but by 2023, it was only regarded as the first car to operate in Milwaukee. The vehicle is currently on display at the
304:, claimed "it was the first gasoline powered vehicle known to be designed and built in Wisconsin". As of 2023, the Milwaukee Public Museum describes the car as "the first internal combustion vehicle to run on the streets of Milwaukee".
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notes that the
Schloemer automobile was built successfully in 1892, but that at least four other internal-combustion, gasoline-powered cars predate it. These were the vehicles built by Sephaniah Reese, in 1887, and Charles Black,
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was mounted beneath the seat and connected to the powered axle by a belt. Over the course of its existence, brakes were added and the steering of the vehicle was improved. Only a single
Schloemer automobile was ever built.
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blacksmith and coppersmith
Gottfried Schloemer and locksmith Frank Toepfer had built an unsuccessful vehicle resembling a bicycle. In 1890, they again collaborated to build the Schloemer automobile, utilizing a combination
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After being acquired by the museum, volunteer
Herbert Smith restored the Schloemer automobile. He came to the conclusion that the engine had been replaced, most likely while Cusick owned the car. A
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While claims to dates regarding the
Schloemer automobile vary, there is general acceptance that it was first built in 1890 and driven for the first time in 1892, meaning it predates the
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for $ 4,000 in 1930, who then donated the car to the museum. The
Milwaukee Public Museum instead claims that it purchased the car directly from Schloemer in 1920.
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mounted beneath its seat that drove its powered axle via a belt. It is noted for being possibly the first automobile to feature a
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exhibit in the
Milwaukee Public Museum. According to museum president and CEO Ellen Censky, the vehicle will be included in the
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According to the
Wisconsin Society of Automotive Historians, in 1920 Schloemer traded his car to Fay Cusick, a car dealer from
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by a year. In 1892, Schloemer sought out financial support to build an automobile factory in
Milwaukee, but failed due to the
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Wolverine Junior engine had been chosen as the replacement engine, while the original engine is believed to have been a
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Claims of the historic importance of the
Schloemer automobile have diminished over time. In 1948, writing in
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586:"SNEAK PEEK: Milwaukee Public Museum offers first look at successor to 'Streets of Old Milwaukee'"
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built in 1890 by blacksmith and coppersmith Gottfried Schloemer and locksmith Frank Toepfer of
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and fairs for a decade, Cusick then sold the Schloemer to a group of supporters of the
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186:(which used two steel points that made contact with the engine), and a wick-type
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190:(sometimes erroneously reported to be the first patented carburetor). Its
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Cromer, George G.; Foster, Christopher G.; Purdy, Ken W. (May 1, 2023).
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machine shop in 1902, where the Schloemer automobile was built in 1890
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while the car that bore his name was put into storage until 1920.
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The Schloemer automobile is currently on display in the
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exhibit in the museum's new building after it moves.
358:. Wisconsin Society of Automotive Historians. 2021.
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182:(possibly the first installed on an automobile),
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36:Fay Cusick with the Schloemer automobile in 1921
207:Gottfried Schloemer driving the car, circa 1908
219:. He then turned his attention to developing
425:"The Automobile and Its Birth in Wisconsin"
290:In 1995, Roger A. Gribble, writing for the
273:The Schloemer automobile on display at the
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467:Gribble, Roger A. (February 24, 1995).
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469:"Milwaukee auto show opens Saturday"
356:"Gottfried Schloemer's Motor Wagon"
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423:Sinclair, Frank (August 8, 1948).
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234:vehicle. After touring the car at
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596:from the original on May 14, 2023
565:from the original on May 14, 2023
524:from the original on May 14, 2023
481:from the original on May 14, 2023
437:from the original on May 14, 2023
401:from the original on May 14, 2023
362:from the original on May 14, 2023
584:Carter, Dylan (April 14, 2023).
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508:Williams, Jay (June 12, 2004).
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632:Transportation in Milwaukee
532:– via Newspapers.com
489:– via Newspapers.com
165:Prior to their automobile,
16:1890 American motor vehicle
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627:Cars of the United States
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323:Streets of Old Milwaukee
111:Wolverine Junior engine)
558:Encyclopedia Britannica
474:Wisconsin State Journal
395:Milwaukee Public Museum
310:Encyclopædia Britannica
293:Wisconsin State Journal
275:Milwaukee Public Museum
255:Sintz Machinery Company
240:Milwaukee Public Museum
143:Milwaukee Public Museum
105:Sintz Machinery Company
391:"Schloemer Automobile"
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259:Grand Rapids, Michigan
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192:single-cylinder engine
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135:single-cylinder engine
107:engine, replaced with
98:Single-cylinder engine
518:Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
510:"From Langdon's Mill"
430:The Milwaukee Journal
302:Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
284:The Milwaukee Journal
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228:West Allis, Wisconsin
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149:Background and design
123:Schloemer Motor Wagon
25:Schloemer Motor Wagon
316:John William Lambert
230:, in exchange for a
119:Schloemer automobile
80:Gottfried Schloemer
50:Schloemer automobile
100:(originally likely
327:Milwaukee Revealed
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213:Duryea Motor Wagon
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251:two-stroke engine
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19:Motor vehicle
598:. Retrieved
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567:. Retrieved
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553:"Automobile"
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526:. Retrieved
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483:. Retrieved
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445:– via
439:. Retrieved
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364:. Retrieved
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184:spark system
172:differential
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247:four-stroke
109:four-stroke
70:, Wisconsin
622:1890s cars
616:Categories
333:References
236:auto shows
188:carburetor
127:automobile
102:two-stroke
87:Powertrain
55:Production
167:Milwaukee
159:Milwaukee
131:Milwaukee
68:Milwaukee
594:Archived
563:Archived
522:Archived
479:Archived
435:Archived
399:Archived
360:Archived
174:, drive
125:) is an
76:Designer
63:Assembly
42:Overview
600:May 13,
569:May 13,
528:May 13,
485:May 13,
441:May 13,
405:May 13,
366:May 13,
277:in 2023
232:Maxwell
199:History
180:muffler
139:muffler
265:Legacy
176:pinion
93:Engine
602:2023
590:WTMJ
571:2023
530:2023
487:2023
443:2023
407:2023
368:2023
307:The
121:(or
117:The
58:1890
300:of
257:of
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415:^
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376:^
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261:.
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