Edgar Apperson
S31
1928-1955
1 folder

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 Revised by: Jennifer Duplaga, November 2004

Biographical Note:

Edgar Apperson was born on October 3, 1870 in Howard County, Indiana, the son of Elbert and Anne Apperson. At the age of 24, he and his brother Elmer, along with Elwood Haynes, put a gasoline powered marine engine onto a buggy and created one of the world’s first “horseless carriages.” On May 24, 1898, after deciding they would be able to sell these cars to the public, the Haynes-Apperson Company was created. The first year the small company sold nearly a dozen automobiles. In 1901, the Apperson brothers decided to move in a new direction and created their own company, the Apperson Brothers Automobile Company. The most successful model was the “Jack Rabbit” cars, developed in 1908. Apperson sold the company in 1920, after the death of his brother Elmer. He moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he died on May 12, 1959.

Scope and Content Note:

This collection contains items regarding the life and work of Edgar Apperson. Items include a newspaper article (photocopy) from the South Bend Tribune about the formation of the Apperson Brothers Automobile Company, a magazine article (photocopy) from True Magazine about the life and career of Edgar Apperson, and a promotional card for the Apperson Brothers “Jack Rabbit” cars.

Folder Listing :

Folder 1. 

24 June 1928	Newspaper article (photocopy) “Guides a Gasoline Automobile on the Streets of Kokomo” from the South Bend Tribune
Mar. 1952	Magazine article (photocopy) “Ed Apperson and the Horseless Carriage” from True Magazine 
20-22 Oct. 1955	Promotional card for the Apperson Way dedication in Kokomo, IN

Collection Information:

Photocopying Policy:

Manuscript materials CANNOT be photocopied or digitized in their entirety. Photocopies and/or digital images cannot exceed 25% of a collection or a folder within a collection. In some cases, photocopying may not be permitted due to the condition of the item. Check with a Manuscript Librarian for other options.