Ambulance Driver History - Studebaker Ambulet

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The other day, I spoke with Mr. Max Venolken, from Nashwauk, MN. He called me and left a message that he was “the guy that drove that Studebaker ambulance into the city of Nashwauk the day it was brought home.” My Studebaker Ambulet is, of course, from Nashwauk.

Max said someone had shown him a photo of my Studebaker Ambulet in a magazine (apparently, Old Cars Weekly), and he found my number on the internet.

Max told me that he was the wrecker owner in Nashwauk, he owned two wreckers. Mr. Frank Blair was a police officer. One night, Max and Frank were at an auto accident, and watched a friend of theirs die on the side of the road due to there not being an ambulance. Mr. Blair then decided to start an ambulance service for Nashwauk. This was the first ambulance in the city. Max said he was “about 17” when he started working for Blair (but he is 75 now, so he was probably 20).

They bought a Studebaker ambulance because “there was not much else to choose from, other than hearses.” Max said the ambulance was very fast with the V-8 motor, which was what they needed. He acknowledged that the Studebaker was pretty small, but OK for most patients. He said that “the big guys could bend their knees a little, then they’d fit OK.” He said Mr. Blair had some trouble driving the ambulance as he was a big fellow, so he had to sit bent over a bit. Max didn’t have a problem, as he’s “not but 5 feet tall”.

Max said they did not carry much equipment, just a small first aid kit. They did not carry oxygen or a resuscitator. He didn’t remember if they had a second stretcher. He said he didn’t remember them putting a second stretcher patient where the jump seat was, “then you wouldn’t have an attendant.”

Max said that Mr. Blair was concerned that the ambulance “didn’t attract enough attention”, so he soon added a “big, chrome, Federal siren” without a light (presumably a Q2B) to the right front fender. With that siren and the siren on the roof, now it attracted enough attention for Mr. Blair. (When the shop was restoring my Ambulet, they found holes in the front fender they couldn't identify, which prompted my question to him about it).

Max said that what was painted on the car behind the front door was probably the phone number. He said he didn’t remember the number, but that Mr. Blair’s daughter was still around, he would ask her if she remembered.

Max said they kept the car for a few years and were very happy with it. They bought a ’61 Chevy wagon ambulance to replace it, and they sold the Studebaker at a local car auction. A guy and his two sons bought it, he thinks the sons probably added the extra chrome trim to it that was on it when I bought it. He didn’t know what happened to it after that.

This is the wonderful thing about this hobby. It's not just a car like thousands manufactured just like it. A professional car is specific and is part of someone's or some town's history. And occasionally, one can luck out and talk to someone that knows and cares about that history.
 
that's always nice to know the Hx behind the car. there service started like most of them out of people seeing a need and only having a string budget. but to get the questions answered of what was were and how they did it that is priceless. the swoop and scoop days of ambulance might not have been much but they sure beat watching people die in front of you.
 
Good story Steve. I'm trying to get some history behind my car. It has one nameplate bearing the name S&S Ambulance Service. I did some research, and there is an ambulance company in New York named S&S, which is an abbreviation for the two towns they serve. I e-mailed the Chief, he got back to me, and said he believes this was their first ambulance, and that they purchased it used in 1970 when they were formed. I am waiting for more info.
 
That is a great story Steve! And I have often thought that the rarity of professional cars definately makes them easier to trace histories, or as in this instance, have someone tell you the history of your car.
 
Good story Steve. I'm trying to get some history behind my car. It has one nameplate bearing the name S&S Ambulance Service. I did some research, and there is an ambulance company in New York named S&S, which is an abbreviation for the two towns they serve. I e-mailed the Chief, he got back to me, and said he believes this was their first ambulance, and that they purchased it used in 1970 when they were formed. I am waiting for more info.

Brendan, that is Dave Sabonjian's former ambulance, isn't it? My wife and I gave very serious consideration to buying that car. In spite of it's flaws, it is a very worthwhile project. Best of luck with it!
 
the personal touch of history

I like the stories people can tell about our cars. It is part of what makes our cars a bit more unique. Our cars have plenty of stories, if we could just find them all.
At one of the Miller-Meteor Reunions I saw a guy looking at my coach. I told him the doors were unlocked if he wanted to get in and get a better look. He opened the rear side door and sat on one of the attendant seats. Then he rubbed the headliner and asked when it had been replaced. When I told him it had not been replaced he smiled from ear to ear. Then he rubbed the liner one more time and said, "this is as tight today as when I put it in here". I had him sign my coach's diary.
This kind of thing never happened when I was driving a 'regular' old car.
Mike
61MM
 
Not only a great story, returns us to a bit of normality here amongst much unrest...
Yeah, I'm tryin'.

As I said, the restoration shop sanded the front fender of the Ambulet and found a bunch of filled holes which looked like the base of a Federal Q siren. This is what prompted me to ask Max about the fender siren. Here's the photo of the fender right after they sanded it.
 

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Great Story!

I am especially happy to read Steve's story because (a) this car is from my home state, and (b) my son and I had a great time accompanying Steve up north when he took delivery of the Ambulet.

Ok, there's also a (c): I, too, enjoy researching professional car history. I've said this before, but it never ceases to amaze me how, eventually, the "right" person (like Steve's Mr. Venolken and Mike's headliner guy), comes out of the woodwork. Sometimes it takes awhile, but there are still people out there who can (and are very eager) to provide us with information about our cars. This is one of the main reasons the Miller-Meteor Reunions are so special; it's not everyday you can visit with the very people who built your car...
 
Here's the photo of the fender right after they sanded it.

That is, indeed, the mounting pattern of a pre-1982 "Q" (the position of the cable hole gives it away).

I envy you, Steve. For 34 years I've wondered about the origin of my car. I was never able to find any markings, or any other clues for that matter. How many of us would have loved to have your good fortune.....
 
A New Adventure!

Well, it’s time for a new adventure!

As mentioned in my earlier post, a few months ago, I spoke with Max, the guy who was the first driver of my ’54 Studebaker Ambulet when it was purchased new for the Nashwauk Ambulance Service in Nashwauk, Minnesota. When we talked, he mentioned how nice it would be if we could bring the Studebaker back to Nashwauk for their town’s biggest celebration, the Fourth of July Parade.

Well, here it is, almost the Fourth of July, and we are loadin’ up the Ambulet and headin’ for northern Minnesota! According to Max, the whole town is excited that we are coming! I’ve never had a whole town excited about me before! :eek: OK, maybe they could care less about me, but I’ve never had a whole town excited about one of my cars, either. ;)

Dad, Pate the puppy, and I will be leaving Wednesday morning, with the Ambulet on the trailer, to go to Nashwauk. This should be quite an adventure. According to MapQuest, it’s 1200 miles from Maryland to Nashwauk, about 20 hours of driving. :eek: It’s our plan to stop halfway, which seems to be South Bend, IN, each way.

I am very excited about this trip. I will get to meet the man who drove my ambulance when it was new 55 years ago, and hopefully meet the daughter of the original owner of the service. I hope to learn a lot about the city and about the ambulance service there in the early days. And who knows what else?

(In fact, I’m so excited to go that I am skipping my normal Fourth of July assignment. I have been working in a first aid tent on the National Mall in Washington, DC for the 4th every year since I was a teenager – this is the first time in 30 years I will miss it.)

Needless to say, I will take lots of pictures and lots of notes.

On the way home, we plan to stop again in South Bend and to visit the Studebaker National Museum there, then head home.

Anyone along the way, we can try to meet up with any PCS members and say hello! In fact, if you are near Nashwauk (and who isn’t;)), come to the parade there! Isn’t the Indiana Chapter doing something in South Bend on Sunday? If we can find it, maybe we can jump in!

Wish us luck!
 
Don't forget the tape recorder, because a recorded voice is a lot better than hand written notes. Have a safe trip..
 
glad your coming out this way. sorry but I have a birthday party to attend on the 4Th. I'll be close to you thought as it's in the badlands. we'll only be about 8 hr away.
 
We had company!

Had the pleasure of meeting up with Steve and Gene Lichtman (and Pate the puppy) today on their return trip from taking the '54 Studebaker Ambulet back to her "hometown" of Nashwauk, MN. We had a mini-meet of sorts at the Village Inn Restaurant just off I-35 at the Wyoming (MN) exit, where we enjoyed breakfast while hearing all about the Lichtmans' exciting adventure to Nashwauk, where the Ambulet was the hit of the Fourth of July celebrations!

Us Northlanders are pleased to have been a small part of this great journey
(story to be told later by Steve Lichtman), which truly represnts what PCS is all about. For now, here are a couple photos from our get-together today. As you can see, joining the "traveling Ambulet" were Jon Wurm's '72 Cotington 54 and my '73 Crown combination.

Our thanks to Steve and Gene for taking time to stop and visit with us!
 

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Yeah, I'm tryin'.

As I said, the restoration shop sanded the front fender of the Ambulet and found a bunch of filled holes which looked like the base of a Federal Q siren. This is what prompted me to ask Max about the fender siren. Here's the photo of the fender right after they sanded it.

The Federal Q would be bigger than the entire car! I'm sure it would also add a but of velocity too (when running!):D
 
Hey, we are still on the road returning from our adventure in Minnesota, I'm updating this from a hotel computer. We had a great time there.

It was wonderful to be there and to be able to bring their car home to them. The folks were very appreciative. Most appreciative was Max Benolken (the correct spelling), the guy who first drove the Ambulet when it was new. He couldn't believe it. I also met two of the daughters of Frank "Bingo" Blair, the founder/owner of the ambulance service in Nashwauk. I met many other men who had run on the ambulance over the years, as well as the daughters and sons of other men who had run ambulance in it. Even met some former patients! Everyone remembered the car quite fondly. In a short post, I can't describe how happy everyone was to see the ambulance and to welcome Dad and I to their little city.

Below is a photo from the Nashwauk 4th of July parade. I'm driving, Max is in the passenger seat, and his grandson, Mark, is in back. (By the way, my father rode on a 1929 Ford fire engine a few units back in the parade.)

The common goal of people preserving the history of ambulances, funeral vehicles, and the ambulance and funeral service, is what we are (supposed to be) all about.
 

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The one digit phone number on the side of that Stude brought back memories for me too: Our Family's Funeral home number was 2151...and direct dial??? Nobody knew what that was...It was pick up the handset and say Sarah get me...

And before anyone tries to guess my age I'm a Fifties brat. :p
 
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