Some believe Henry Ford invented the first automobile in America. Others might think it was the Duryea brothers, also early pioneers of the automotive industry.
But Steve Lambert and his family know that the person who actually changed American history is Steve’s great-grandfather, John William Lambert, who produced the first practical gas-powered automobile in 1891 in a small town in Ohio.
“It’s part of American history,” Steve Lambert’s daughter, Jen Lambert Saxton, said recently.
Saxton spoke after the August 2 event that brought the 1908 model Red Lambert Roadster to Steve Lambert’s residence at Harvester Place Anthem Memory Care in Burr Ridge.
The event drew almost all of the facility’s residents and included Jen Saxton and her daughter Eden Lambert Saxton, 10, who can be seen standing next to her grandfather in pictures of the event.
While Ford and the Duryeas obviously made large contributions to the auto industry, Lambert’s creation beat the Duryeas by a full year.
Information on Lambert can be found online at several websites, including britannica.com, ohiohistorycentral.org, and caroljeanlambertbooks.com
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. Carol Jean Lambert is another descendant of John Lambert.Other sources with information are articles from the Toledo Blade (1996) and the Urbana Citizen (2016).
Born on a farm near Mechanicsburg, Ohio, Lambert’s family moved to Ohio City when he was 16. He earned a patent for a corn planter at that age and would eventually be credited with patents for about 600 inventions, many related to the automotive industry and other mechanical devices.
John Lambert also operated a farm equipment business, lumber yard, and a grain elevator business.
His first automotive effort was a single cylinder vehicle that could reach speeds up to 15 miles per hour and has the unique distinction of being involved in the first automobile accident in America.
Riding with a friend in the “Buckeye gasoline buggy,” as it was known by some, or by others, the “Lambert gasoline buggy,” the three-wheeled vehicle struck a tree root and the car and its passengers were thrown into a nearby horse hitching post. Thankfully, no injuries resulted from the mishap.
At first not thinking there was much of a market for the vehicle, Lambert didn’t start manufacturing it for sale until 1902, when he formed the Union Automobile Company.
The firm produced roughly 7,000 Lamberts a year until 1915, when the First World War prompted its switch to munitions production and other war-related needs.
The idea for bringing the antique vehicle to Harvester Place grew out of Steve Lambert’s initial move into the memory care facility.
“Jen had shared with us that this was part of his history,” Danyanique Hughes, life engagement director for Harvester Place, said. “This is really unique and a part of their history.”
She noted that there was a practice at Harvester Place to form a connection with residents and be familiar with their history.
Hughes said the other residents, many car enthusiasts, were “amazed at the vehicle,” especially in light of the fact that it was 114 years-old.
John Lambert’s hometown of Ohio City celebrates their most famous resident every year with a “Lambert Day” celebration, now in its 55th year. The event was curtailed in 2020-21 due to COVID-19, but back in full this year.
Jen Saxton actually owns the 1908 vehicle, which is on display at Bill Kay Corvettes and Classics, 2100 W. Ogden Ave., in Downers Grove.
“He’s very proud of the fact that his great grandfather had over 600 patents and changed American lifestyles and American history,” she said of her father’s feelings on the subject of his great grandfather.
Saxton described the day as “bittersweet,” noting that her dad really would have wanted to drive, but had to settle for being helped into the vehicle by Harvester attendants, where she could see him with a big smile on his face next to his granddaughter.
Hughes also said that when Steve Lambert sat in the vehicle, he looked like he belonged in it.
“This was something he was used to,” she said.
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.