Model T leaves AmericInn

Doughty 500 returns to Ladysmith

By John Terrill

The Model T Ford, the car largely responsible for putting America in the automobile age, brings the de-scendants of Herb and Ruth Doughty together every year for a family reunion unlike any others.

The Doughty family brought 18 “Tin Lizzies” to Ladysmith Monday (July 30) and drove them on the “back roads” to various destinations each day, logging over 500 miles by week’s end in the 22nd annual “Doughty 500.”

A total of 65 family members and eight friends participated in this year’s gathering, headquartered at the AmericInn on College Avenue, the same place the family assem-bled in 1997 for their last reunion in Ladysmith.

“It went very well,” said Bernard Doughty, who had the responsibil-ity of organizing this year’s event. “We didn’t have any car problems and the people here (at the motel) took good care of us.

Bernard (Excelsior, Minn.); his brothers Hal and Dan (both of Eau Claire), Paul (Haugen) and Brendan (Nekoosa); and his sister, Nathalie Doughty Swienton (Florida) repre-sent the oldest generation participat-ing. Their children now own and/or drive Model T’s. The third genera-tion was represented by a 13-month-old.

Their oldest brother Sam also was hooked on Model T’s and was in Ladysmith a decade ago. He since has passed on. Their sister Merle Doughty Daniels also is deceased.

The Doughty 500 has its own website, custom design apparel and even bottled water with “Doughty 500” labels on them.

The family’s affinity for the Model T goes back to 1912, when Herb was a mechanic at a Ford ga-rage in Durand and worked on Model T’s. The family moved to Ladysmith in about 1932 and set-tled in 1936 on a farm south of the city on what is now Doughty Road.

There always was a Model T or two on the farm, and the sons learned to drive and repair them. “I got my first Model T when I was 15 or 16,” said Hal, now 82. “I worked on it at the farm. My dad helped me.”

Hal drove the car, which he painted light blue, to high school his junior and senior years. The 1942 LHS grad, who also learned to fly in high school, enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and flew P-40 Warhawk and P-47 Thunderbolt fighter planes with the “Burma Banchees” in the Burma Theater of operations during World War II. While he still marvels at the power, speed and maneuverability of those classic fighters, he now feels more comfortable in the seat of Model T, and brought his 1924 road-ster/pickup which he restored to this year’s Doughty 500. Like his first “T,” it’s painted light blue.

Bernard was the first brother to set off on a trip in his Model T. That was in 1984, when he and his oldest son Chad went on a camping trip. They did it again in 1985, but broke down. “I didn’t want to go by myself (in one car) next year,” so his brothers Dan, Brendan and Paul, and a friend, Lowell Frost went with him in their Model T’s (with brother Sam riding with Bernard). The five Model T’s traveled from Eau Claire to Iron Mountain, Mich., and back. A couple of the cars on that trip are still in use.

The number of participants and Model Ts has grown each year. The family plans the reunion the same week every year, and one member is selected to make motel arrange-ments and plan the daily trips, which always include a noon meal at a restaurant or resort. Between 40 and 50 people make the 110-115 mile jaunts in the Model T’s each day.

While a Model T can do 45 mph, the average cruising speed is 30 mph on paved roads and 20 miles on gravel. Model T’s don’t have speedometers or odometers (although some have been updated with a digital bicycle spee-domter/trip meter). The length of a trip is measured by the buildup of dust on the fenders, especially in a dry year like this.

The 1,500 pound cars, powered by a 4-cylinder motor that generates a whopping 22 horsepower, are between 80 and 90 years old. Fif-teen million Model T’s were made between 1908 and 1927, represent-ing the highest production of any U.S. car model. That number is only exceeded worldwide by the Volkswagen Beetle.

Although engines have been re-built, the fact that T’s are on the roads 80-90 years after they rolled off the assembly line is testament to their durability and practicality. They don’t have to be “babied.” Herb Doughty drove one of his Model T’s to Montana and back many years ago. Dan and Brendan made a similar trip last summer, driving their T’s to a reunion in Boseman, Mont. Paul rode in Dan’s 1922 T pickup. “We took the back roads,” explained Dan, describ-ing trails through tall cornfields, some with grass many feet tall. “It took us five days,” he said. “I had to change one coil and one flat tire.” The round trip covered 2,700 miles.

Family members drove to La-dysmith on Monday, stopping at Chetek to eat. Tuesday’s trip was into Taylor County and Perkin-stown. On Wednesday the Model T’s traveled around the Winter area, stopping to eat at Fish Trap Lake Resort. Thursday’s trip was to Stone Lake, traveling through the Blue Hills. The climb was a test for the T’s but they all made it. Fri-day’s trip back to Eau Claire in-cluded lunch at Stanley.

“We covered 533 to 540 miles this year,” said Bernard about the 22nd Doughty 500. Among the highlights was seeing a bear along the road east of Imalone, and several deer. “We had a great time,” he added, and family members saw many old friends from Ladysmith.

This year’s Model T’s included: Bernard’s 1919 touring car; Bren-dan’s 1917 touring car; Paul’s 1922 coupe; Andy Swienton’s 1926 tour-ing car; Hal’s 1924 touring car, 1925 pickup (driven by grandson Ben), 1926 pickup (driven by daughter Terry) and 1919 touring car (driven by son Mike); Dan’s 1922 touring car (driven by son Doug of Gilroy, Calif.), a 1922 coupe (driven by son Dave of West Palm Beach, Fla.), Dan’s 1917 roadster (driven by daughter Danette Smith of Osseo) and Dan’s 1922 roadster/pickup (driven by son Donovan); 1920 and 1927 touring cars driven by Sam’s sons, Mike and Sean; a 1926 pickup/roadster driven by friend Paul Schumacher of Wisconsin Rapids; and a 1926 speedster driven by Dennis Linde-man of Wisconsin Rapids.

Ron Perkovich drove the lone Model A Ford.

Last year’s event, held in Eau Claire in conjunction with Hal and Doris’s 60th wedding anniversary, included a trip to Durand. They stopped to eat in the former Ford garage where Herb worked. It’s now owned by an adjacent tavern. As a fitting tribute, Dan drove his 1922 Model T into the garage before they sat down to eat.

Next year’s Doughty 500 is be-ing organized by Paul and Bernice Doughty of Haugen with Cumber-land as headquarters.

The Lord willing, the six surviv-ing Doughty children and their off-spring will gather again for another reunion and adventure down mem-ory lane in their Model T’s.