1914 Apperson Jackrabbit Wells Family History

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I am always looking for any information or parts for 1914 Apperson Jackrabbit.

March 2015 I received an email from Curt Wells filling in a lot of history for the Apperson. It appears that William R. Wells purchased the car new and passed it on to his son Irol Wells who used it to run his wood working shop.

This an exert from that email
"I believe I have the original owners manual to this Apperson, which belonged to my grandfather W.R. Wells and sold to Mr. Baum by my Father Irol Wells from Woodbury, Mi. I can't believe I stumbled upon this page (my wooldridges.us website) while showing a friend what an Apperson car was."

Update

Curt was kind enough to send pictures and more history of the Wells family and the Apperson.

I have added the pictures and information about each below. I hope you enjoy reading about the Wells and Apperson history as much as I have.

More family history from Curt
"Curt's Grandpa W. R. Wells purchased the Apperson Jackrabbit new as told to him by his 76 year old 2nd cousin. My dad never wanted to get rid of this car but knew he’d never have the money to do what Lawrence Baum could do for it , I guess that’s why he never let go of the book I sent to you, that way the car had never really left him. But now through your diligence in preserving it and your great on line Internet site many more people will learn of marvelous machine – your 1914 Apperson Jackrabbit automobile."

Thank you Curt it is my honor to carry on what your Grand father started.

I can not thank the Wells family enough for the new information they have provided. It is my honor to keep the Apperson alive. If not for the Grampa Wells and Irol Wells and Lawrence Baum and now my family a rare auto would have been lost.


Wells family pictures and history

Pictures are of the wells home and general store owned by his Grandfather W. R. Wells.

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  • Wells Home Late 1800's Wells Home Late 1800's Grampa and Grandma Wells home they built somewhere around 1897-99 in Woodbury. Note the hitching post in front of the home. Seeing the pictures of the home and store it is easy to see how WR could afford a Apperson, even though they were 3 to 4 time what a model T would have cost him.
  • William and Cassie Wells est. 1897 William and Cassie Wells est. 1897 W. R. Wells 1868-1945 and Cassie M. (Rawson) Wells 1871-1946. Quit a dapper couple. They had 4 children William Jr., Bessie, Neva and Irol.
  • 50th Wedding Anniversary 50th Wedding Anniversary 1940 at their home 111 Maple Street Woodbury. Still has the mustache. Same home they built in 1897-99.
  • William Russel Wells William Russel Wells Irol's father Curt's and Jeff Grandfather. The gold pendant is still in the family. Love the handle bar mustache.
  • Wells Store Wells Store One of two stores W. R. Wells owned. One in Woodbury and one in Sebewa which was later operated by William Wells Jr. They also has a grocery delivery wagon and delivered through out the county. As with a lot of people the 1929 crash was hard on the Wells family.




Wells Apperson pictures

Pictures are of the barn the Apperson as in and as it was leaving the Wells farm in 1954 showing Curt's older brother. The last two are of Irol Wells as a child and later in life in his Doodle Bug.

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  • Barn where the Apperson was running the wood working shop Barn where the Apperson was running the wood working shop The lento on the left side of the barn was added on in the 60’s. The other end ( far right side) also had a lento which is where the Apperson was and the overhead door used to have a typical slide by door, where the wood working shop was  once housed. The barn is in fabulous shape for being built somewhere around 1897-1899 when W.R. also built their home in Woodbury.
  • Barn where the Apperson was running the wood working shop Barn where the Apperson was running the wood working shop Dad poured cement floor for the entire barn in 1938, which is stamped on the floor in left corner of the open overhead door. Irol is the reason the Apperson is still around he took the non running Apperson and turned it into the power plant for his wood working shop.
  • Apperson on trailer 1954 Apperson on trailer 1954 Irol and Lawrence Baum both worked for E.W. Bliss in Hastings, MI. Irol was a machinist, press builder and repair man. That is how Lawrence found out about the Apperson.
  • Apperson on trailer Apperson on trailer Note that the rabbit is still on the car.
  • Apperson on trailer Apperson on trailer The Rabbit was removed it so it would not get lost. Curt said his Dad was a very talented mechanic and do it all man. At 76 he took a 4 cylinder air cooled engine that had not ran in 30 years and got it running in 6 weeks.
  • Jeff Wells age 5 Jeff Wells age 5 Curt's older brother Jeff standing by the Apperson on the trailer. Jeff passed away in 2013 at age 64. I am sorry he did not get to see that the Apperson is being preserved and still running.
  • Jeff Wells Jeff Wells On trailer ready to go. Curt's Dad told him that his Grandfather was very proud of the Apperson. That may explain why he keep it for so long.
  • DOODLE BUG made from a 1927 Reo “Speed Wagon” DOODLE BUG made from a 1927 Reo “Speed Wagon” Irol Wells (Curt's father) in front of his barn in Woodbury, sitting in his DOODLE BUG he had made from a 1927 Reo “Speed Wagon” firetruck he had got from the Woodland Fire Dept. in Woodland, Mi. This was the replacement for the Apperson.
  • Irol Wells 1929 Irol Wells 1929 Back yard of W. R. Wells. Irol is in the top hat, Viviern & Iris Pierce and Kenneth Geisel in the derby hat Bessie's son and Irol's nephew who was only a couple of months younger that Irol. This is not the Apperson it has a right hand drive so it is one of the other cars WR had. This is such a neat picture just look at the kids.



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 Lasted updated: Saturday July 18, 2015 2:42 PM