Freelan Oscar Stanley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Freelan Oscar Stanley
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| Born | June 1, 1849 Kingfield, Maine, US
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| Died | October 2, 1940 (aged 91) |
| Resting place | Riverside Cemetery Kingfield, Maine, US |
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| Known for | Stanley Steamer, The Stanley Hotel, Rocky Mountain National Park |
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| Spouse(s) | Flora Jane Record Tileston |
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Freelan Oscar Stanley (born June 1, 1849 – died October 2, 1940) was an amazing American inventor, business owner, and hotel builder. He became rich by making special photographic plates. But most people remember him for starting the Stanley Motor Carriage Company with his twin brother, Francis Edgar Stanley. They built cool steam-powered cars until 1920. Freelan also built and ran the famous Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.
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Early Life and Learning
Freelan Oscar Stanley and his twin brother, Francis Edgar, were born on June 1, 1849, in Kingfield, Maine. Even though their family wasn't rich, they believed that learning was very important. They encouraged their children to learn about science, poetry, and music from a young age.
When they were nine, Freelan and Francis started their first business. They made and sold maple sugar. They used the money they earned to buy school clothes and a math book. When they turned eleven, their great-uncle taught them how to make violins. By age sixteen, Freelan had made three violins. He kept making them his whole life, and some are still used by musicians today!
At age 20, the brothers went to Western State Normal School (now University of Maine, Farmington) to become teachers. Francis soon left to become an artist. Freelan continued his studies at Hebron Academy and Bowdoin College.
After college, Freelan became the headmaster of a high school in Mechanic Falls, Maine. There, he met Flora Jane Record Tileston, a teacher and talented pianist. They got married in 1876. In 1881, Freelan got sick with tuberculosis, a serious lung illness. He believed that being more active would help him get better. So, he started a factory that made drawing sets. But a fire destroyed his business a year later.
Starting the Stanley Dry Plate Company
After his factory burned down, Freelan's brother Francis suggested they work together on a new photography product. Francis had become very interested in photography. By 1885, the Stanley brothers started the Stanley Dry Plate Company in Lewiston, Maine.
Before this, photographers had to prepare their photo plates right before taking a picture. This was messy and slow. The Stanley brothers made factory-made dry plates that were much easier to use. Their company quickly became very successful. They earned a lot of money and moved their business to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1890. They also bought homes in nearby Newton.
In Newton, Freelan and Flora Stanley became part of the wealthy community. Freelan even designed and built a beautiful house for them in 1894. He also helped build the Hunnewell Club, a social place for their friends with a ballroom, billiard tables, and bowling alleys.
Building Stanley Steam Cars
The Stanley brothers were always interested in new technology. Next to their dry-plate factory was a bicycle factory. Francis became fascinated with bicycles and decided to build an automobile. He looked at cars powered by gasoline, electricity, and steam. He decided that steam was the best way to go. Both brothers strongly believed that steam power was better, even when gasoline cars became more popular later on.
By 1897, Francis had built his first car using parts from the bicycle factory. In 1898, the Stanley brothers showed their car at the Boston Auto Show. People were so impressed that Freelan joined his brother's passion for steam cars. They started making cars for people who ordered them, calling their company the Stanley Motor Carriage Company.
In 1899, a magazine editor named John Brisben Walker wanted to buy their car business. The brothers didn't really want to sell, so they asked for a very high price: $250,000 in cash. To their surprise, Walker agreed! For a few months, the Stanley brothers stayed on as advisors. During this time, Stanley cars became famous for some exciting publicity stunts.
In August 1899, Freelan and Flora Stanley were the first people to drive a car to the top of Mt. Washington, the highest mountain in New England. In November of that year, Freelan even gave the U.S. President, William McKinley, a tour of Washington DC in a Stanley car. This was the first time a sitting U.S. President had ever ridden in a car!
After a while, Walker and his business partner had disagreements and split up their car companies. Freelan and Francis were disappointed, so they decided to start their car company again. They improved their original designs and, in 1901, began making new Stanley Motor Carriages. Their cars were so good that even George Eastman, who owned Eastman Kodak, became a big fan. He said, "If the electric [automobile] is a 'peach,' then the Stanley is a 'peacherina.'"
In 1905, the Stanleys sold their dry plate company to Eastman Kodak. In 1906, their special "Rocket Racer" car, driven by Fred Marriott, broke the land speed record. It went 127.66 miles per hour in Florida! They won the Dewar Trophy for this amazing achievement. The next year, when they tried to break their own record, the Rocket Racer crashed. Luckily, Fred Marriott was not killed, but the brothers decided to stop trying to break speed records.
Building Estes Park, Colorado
In 1903, Freelan Stanley's tuberculosis came back, and it was very serious. Doctors suggested he go to a place with fresh, dry air and lots of sunlight. So, like many people with lung problems back then, he decided to try the air in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Freelan and Flora arrived in Denver in March 1903. After a doctor's advice, they decided to spend the summer in Estes Park. They rented a simple cabin, and by the end of that summer, Freelan's health was much better!
He was so impressed by the beautiful valley and grateful for his recovery that he decided to come back every summer. He bought land in Estes Park and, with the help of an architect, built a summer home called Rockside in 1904. It had four bedrooms, a modern kitchen, and even a special garage for his steam car with a turntable so he didn't have to back out!
By 1907, Freelan and Flora loved the Colorado mountains. Freelan wanted to turn Estes Park into a fancy resort town. So, in 1907, he started building the Stanley Hotel. It was designed for wealthy city people like his friends in Newton. The hotel was built with a strong steel frame and had many modern features.
To power the hotel, Stanley built the Fall River Hydro-Plant, which brought electricity to Estes Park for the first time. The hotel had an electric kitchen, steam laundry, an elevator, electric lights, and telephones. It had 48 guest rooms, with two rooms sharing a bathroom. Freelan also built a concert hall with a grand piano as a gift for Flora. Guests at the hotel could enjoy golf, bowling, horseback riding, and car trips. At night, there were fancy dinners and concerts.
The steam car was very important for the hotel. Stanley created a 12-seat steam car model to transport visitors to and from the hotel. This car was later called the "Mountain Wagon" and became popular at other resorts too.
Freelan Stanley's work greatly helped the town of Estes Park grow. He helped pave roads, became president of the Estes Park Bank, and donated a lot of land to the town. This land is now home to Lake Estes, fairgrounds, schools, and the Estes Park Museum.
F.O. Stanley also played a big part in creating Rocky Mountain National Park. He knew that the beauty and wildlife of the Estes Valley were very special. To protect them, he helped start a fish hatchery and brought elk from Yellowstone National Park to the area. Most importantly, he became friends with a naturalist named Enos Mills. With Stanley's help and money, Mills traveled the country to campaign for protecting the Rockies. In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed the order to create Rocky Mountain National Park. It was the tenth national park in the U.S. and is now one of the most visited!
In 1926, Freelan sold the hotel to a company he owned. But the company soon went bankrupt. Freelan bought the hotel back at a low price and then sold it in 1930 to another hotel owner, Roe Emery. The Stanleys continued to spend their summers at their home near the hotel.
Later Life and Legacy
After making Estes Park his summer home, Freelan Stanley focused more on managing his hotel and giving back to the community. In 1903, he paid for a new high school to be built in his hometown of Kingfield, Maine. Today, that building is a museum about his life.
In 1917, at age 68, Freelan and Francis stepped down from running the Stanley Motor Carriage Company. The next year, Francis was sadly killed in a car accident while driving a Stanley automobile. Freelan then sold his share of the car company to his nephew-in-law, who continued making steam cars until the company closed in 1926.
Stanley was involved in many important groups. He was a trustee of Hebron Academy and its president for many years. In 1926, he gave money to the school to build the Stanley Arena, the first indoor high school hockey rink in the country!
In 1933, Freelan Stanley visited Henry Ford, who was then the biggest name in the car industry. Ford bought several of Stanley's violins during their visit.
In 1939, Flora Stanley died after having a stroke. Freelan returned to Estes Park the next summer but kept a low profile. On October 2, 1940, shortly after returning to Newton, Freelan Stanley died of heart failure at the age of 91.
F.O. Stanley was recognized for his contributions in 2016 when he was inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame. Also in 2016, a sculpture of F.O. Stanley holding one of his violins was placed in front of the Stanley Hotel to honor him.
Architectural Designs
- 1894, F.O. Stanley House, Newton, MA
- 1897-1998, The Hunnewell Club, Newton, MA
- 1900-1904, "Hillholm" (Amos G. Winter House), Kingfield, ME
- 1903-1905, "Rockside" (F.O. Stanley House), Estes Park, CO (with Henry Rogers)
- 1907-1908, The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, CO (with Henry Rogers & Theilman Robert Weiger)
See also
People
- Francis Edgar Stanley
- Chansonetta Stanley Emmons
- Fred Marriott
- John Brisben Walker
- George Eastman
Places
- Kingfield, ME
- Newton, MA
- Estes Park, CO
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Maine
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Larimer County, Colorado
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Newton, Massachusetts
Institutions
- Stanley Motor Carriage Company
- Mobile Company of America
- Locomobile Company of America
- Stanley Hotel
- Rocky Mountain National Park
