You may recall the photograph above from our feature on the West Hotel Fire of 1906 last month.
In the photograph is shown the horse-drawn patrol wagons which were in use by our precincts in the early 1900s.
In 1905, there were a number of horses at the First Precinct who were worn out from their years of service and needed to be retired and replaced. At the same time, two new horses were needed at the Central Station.
Across Minneapolis, there was a growing realization that none of the police horse teams on hand had the speed required for good ambulance service. There was also concern that the rough ride these horse-drawn vehicles provided could cause further harm to accident victims.
And then there was something else…
The first automobile patrol wagon had rolled along the streets of Akron, Ohio six years earlier in 1899 causing great excitement across the nation.
The first automobile patrol wagon ran on electricity. Its first operator was Akron Police Officer Louis Mueller, Sr. The patrol wagon could reach a speed of 16 mph and travel 30 miles before its battery needed to be recharged. It was built by Akron city mechanical engineer Frank Loomis. The patrol wagon cost $2400 ($74,543 in 2020 dollars) to build and it was equipped with electric lights, gongs, and a stretcher.
At an exciting meeting of the Minneapolis Council Committee on Police on March 30, 1905, enthusiastic agreement was reached that an automobile patrol wagon would be purchased for the First Precinct if money could be found for it.
As we begin to take a look at the automobiles of the Minneapolis Police Department, we are wondering what your favorite vehicle was? Which did you enjoy driving most? Which vehicle do you wish you could have had the chance to drive? Which was the fastest? Was there a lemon in the bunch?
We invite you to share your thoughts by replying below or by writing to us at info@mplspolicemuseum.org
We would also love to see your photographs!
Thank you!
Source: The Minneapolis Journal of March 30, 1905
Photograph of the West Hotel Fire courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society
Photograph of the Akron Patrol Wagon from Unknown Source, Public Domain