1909 Huselton Model 40

Tourer

The Huselton Company produced automobiles in Butler, PA during the early 1900s. The company was started by Edgar C. Huselton, who was Butler County's first automobile dealer. His father, B.C. Huselton was the owner of the B.C. Huselton Shoe Store. Realizing the world and business practices were constantly changing and evolving, he sent his son to Mercersburg Academy for an education in modern business practices. Edgar, who was twenty-three years old at the time, came home in 1906 and began working alongside his father in the family shoe business. A very short time later, he left the shoe business in search of more interesting prospects. Soon, he was the first automobile dealer in Butler County, working as an agent for the Reliance Automobile Company. Within a few years, he began work on a vehicle that bore his own surname.

The design for his Huselton Model 40 was very similar to the Packard Thirty, with the radiator having a similar design to that of a Pierce-Arrow. As was common practice during this era, the parts for the car were sourced from several different vendors. He selected many of the highest-quality mechanical components available at the time. His first vehicle was a two-seat race-about that was propelled by a Wisconsin engine offering forty horsepower.

From 1909 through 1915, the Huselton Company (which consisted of Edgar and five employees) produced a total of 12 cars, one 'Butler' truck, and a funeral hearse for a local funeral home.

Edgar soon realized he was not able to compete with the larger automakers and their mass production methods. Even after Huselton's production ceased, Edgar remained in the automobile business, becoming the dealer of a number of makes including: Velie, Reo, Hudson, Cadillac, Pierce Arrow, GMC, and International.

Edgar's first car, his two-seater, remained with him his entire life. It was his daily driver, and in competition, for many years. After he married and had five children, he extended and re-bodied the car into the seven passenger tourer that it is today. The car remained in the family, passing from father to son to grandson. The car was donated by B.C. Huselton III (the grandson) in 1984, to the city of Butler, PA, with the instructions that the members of the Butler Old Stone House Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America would care, maintain, and store the car.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2015