12-03-2015, 12:16 AM
BACKGROUND
Theodore James Brewer, known as Ted to his closest friends and associates, was born on a farm near present day Oak Park, Illinois on August 6, 1858. As a child, he divided his time between working on his father's sprawling farm and experimenting with machinery. A favorite hobby of his was taking apart his father's old pocket watch, which his father barely used, and putting it back together again. He got so good at it that the other local farmers who came to help during harvest season would ask Ted to fix their watches. Because of this, his father encouraged him to tinker with anything he could find around the farm. Many say it was this that planted the seed in his mind for what he would do a few decades later. Although he was a reliable helper on the farm, he was inwardly bored with farm life.
After graduating from school, with his parent's blessing, he went to seek his fortune in Chicago. Evidence shows that Ted landed a job at the Chicago Marine Machine Works in the summer of 1877. After a few years, he worked his way up to become a shift manager. In the meantime, in 1883, he married Elaine Hodge, whom he'd met at a company sponsored dance. Ted's absence during the day took an early toll on their marriage. However, the events of the next decade would help turn things around.
After German inventor Karl Benz invented what is now known as the automobile in 1886, many small automakers began popping up around the country in an effort to capitalize on this new technology. Seeing an opportunity for both him and his family (his son Robert had been born in 1885, and his daughter Margaret later in 1890), Ted quit his job as shift manager at the machine shop and became a "horseless-carriage" salesman working in the Chicago area. Ted made enough over the next several years, that he was eventually able to move his family from the somewhat cramped 7th-story apartment they were living in, and into an affluent neighborhood on the north side of Chicago.
Although he enjoyed this line of work, his real interest was in starting his very own company. In 1896, he and a group of other car salesmen, whose identities remain a mystery, formed the Brewer Motor Company. This company seems to have lasted for only two years and produced only one automobile, the Overtowner, which was patterned after Henry Ford's Quadricycle and sold abysmally. Records show that in the 10 months the Overtowner was on the market, it sold only 56 units. Today, it is highly sought after by car collectors. Needless to say, this drove the Brewer Motor Company right into the ground and the company declared bankruptcy in the fall of 1898.
Not one to be easily discouraged, in the summer of 1899, he brought together another group of car salesmen together to form another company. In order to distance themselves from the failure that Brewer Motor Company was, and for the fact Chicago was located on Lake Michigan, they named this new company Great Lakes Motor Company. By the fall of 1899 they had bought a former textile factory downtown to serve as the company's first factory. Corporate offices would also be housed there.
![[Image: dorisbldglarge.jpg]](http://www.landmarks-stl.org/images/uploads/architects/Wees/dorisbldglarge.jpg)
In late December of 1899, the state legislature of Illinois granted the Great Lakes Motor Company a license to begin operations on January 1, 1900.
INTRODUCTION AND GOALS
Hello folks, and welcome to my first ever GearCity AAR! I've always had a slight interest in cars. In fact, for many years I collected die cast models of various cars. I discovered this game just recently, and I am quite impressed with it as it is. I feel this game has lots of potential to be something great.
I'll make this AAR a history book/narrative style, because that is my favorite style of AAR anywhere. It helps the creative juices flow, so to speak.
My goals for the Great Lakes Motor Company (referred to in-game as Great Lakes Motors) are to make it the biggest car company in North America and possibly the world. I also want to make it all the way to 2020.
In addition, I want this to be a learning experience both for me and others in the GearCity community. Any advice you can give me would be extremely welcome.
Lastly, I'll play this game on Normal difficulty with no additional advanced options selected. Of course I'll be starting in 1900.
I probably won't be able to start playing until tomorrow or so. Until then I leave you with 2 questions:
1) Which vehicle should I build first, and
2) How do I make money while my first chassis, engine, gearbox, and eventually vehicle are being developed?
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the ride!
Theodore James Brewer, known as Ted to his closest friends and associates, was born on a farm near present day Oak Park, Illinois on August 6, 1858. As a child, he divided his time between working on his father's sprawling farm and experimenting with machinery. A favorite hobby of his was taking apart his father's old pocket watch, which his father barely used, and putting it back together again. He got so good at it that the other local farmers who came to help during harvest season would ask Ted to fix their watches. Because of this, his father encouraged him to tinker with anything he could find around the farm. Many say it was this that planted the seed in his mind for what he would do a few decades later. Although he was a reliable helper on the farm, he was inwardly bored with farm life.
After graduating from school, with his parent's blessing, he went to seek his fortune in Chicago. Evidence shows that Ted landed a job at the Chicago Marine Machine Works in the summer of 1877. After a few years, he worked his way up to become a shift manager. In the meantime, in 1883, he married Elaine Hodge, whom he'd met at a company sponsored dance. Ted's absence during the day took an early toll on their marriage. However, the events of the next decade would help turn things around.
After German inventor Karl Benz invented what is now known as the automobile in 1886, many small automakers began popping up around the country in an effort to capitalize on this new technology. Seeing an opportunity for both him and his family (his son Robert had been born in 1885, and his daughter Margaret later in 1890), Ted quit his job as shift manager at the machine shop and became a "horseless-carriage" salesman working in the Chicago area. Ted made enough over the next several years, that he was eventually able to move his family from the somewhat cramped 7th-story apartment they were living in, and into an affluent neighborhood on the north side of Chicago.
Although he enjoyed this line of work, his real interest was in starting his very own company. In 1896, he and a group of other car salesmen, whose identities remain a mystery, formed the Brewer Motor Company. This company seems to have lasted for only two years and produced only one automobile, the Overtowner, which was patterned after Henry Ford's Quadricycle and sold abysmally. Records show that in the 10 months the Overtowner was on the market, it sold only 56 units. Today, it is highly sought after by car collectors. Needless to say, this drove the Brewer Motor Company right into the ground and the company declared bankruptcy in the fall of 1898.
Not one to be easily discouraged, in the summer of 1899, he brought together another group of car salesmen together to form another company. In order to distance themselves from the failure that Brewer Motor Company was, and for the fact Chicago was located on Lake Michigan, they named this new company Great Lakes Motor Company. By the fall of 1899 they had bought a former textile factory downtown to serve as the company's first factory. Corporate offices would also be housed there.
The company's first factory as it appeared in 1919
In late December of 1899, the state legislature of Illinois granted the Great Lakes Motor Company a license to begin operations on January 1, 1900.
INTRODUCTION AND GOALS
Hello folks, and welcome to my first ever GearCity AAR! I've always had a slight interest in cars. In fact, for many years I collected die cast models of various cars. I discovered this game just recently, and I am quite impressed with it as it is. I feel this game has lots of potential to be something great.
I'll make this AAR a history book/narrative style, because that is my favorite style of AAR anywhere. It helps the creative juices flow, so to speak.
My goals for the Great Lakes Motor Company (referred to in-game as Great Lakes Motors) are to make it the biggest car company in North America and possibly the world. I also want to make it all the way to 2020.
In addition, I want this to be a learning experience both for me and others in the GearCity community. Any advice you can give me would be extremely welcome.
Lastly, I'll play this game on Normal difficulty with no additional advanced options selected. Of course I'll be starting in 1900.
I probably won't be able to start playing until tomorrow or so. Until then I leave you with 2 questions:
1) Which vehicle should I build first, and
2) How do I make money while my first chassis, engine, gearbox, and eventually vehicle are being developed?
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the ride!