Ormond Beach has an interesting automotive history connection. eariest cars, Locomobile there flat sand for racing earliest speed contexts Very widely watched and widely reported. Stanley history of racing here is well known and cducmnebted Widely covered in the press. Magazines survive, probably in newspapers as well. See Foster and Merrick. Buy books here!

This page claims to present no new information or insights, but rather a look at the Steam car side of racing on Ormond baeach through postcards.

Postcard Craxe

Divided into sereral categories. Locomobiles on Ormond beach, racing, Fred Marriott and the Rocket, other views.

Quick dating informatino

Locomobiles on Ormond Beach

Before there were automobiles on Ormond Beach, there were horses. The undivided back dates this card prior to 1907.

This undivided back postcard captures a race between a horse named Red Pointer and an early Stanley. Note the engine attached directly to the rear end. It is unknown if Red Pointer kept his lead to the finish line, but in the large race for transportation dominance, the automobile won. Who are the two men in the stanley?

Soon it was Locomobiles and bicycles on Ormond Beach. The bicycles with sails advertise the Ormond Hotel which appears in the background at the right. This card is dated October 21, 1904.

This same image was later used in a generic format. Here the hotel and the hotel's name on the bicycle sails are missing.

This undivided back, rppc is postmarked November 1, 1906. It shows a number of wheeled vehicles on Ormond Beach, including bicycles, a wind carriage, and perhaps as many as five Locomobiles or Stanleys.

This divided back postcard utilizes the same image as its undivided back rppc, but it is now colorized. It is quite common to see postcards with the same negative image used in different formats by different publishers.

Promoting the Ormond Hotel and the races and automobiles on the beach were all combined in some cards such as this undivided back.

This undivided back postcard shows the Ormond Hotel and eleven automobiles, including a White and a Locomobile.

This undivided back postcard shows an unidentified car on Ormond Beach. It appears to have a radiator on the front.

This divided back postcard, after 1907, shows eight or nine cars on Ormond Beach.

This undivided back postcard is postmarked December 29, 1905. There appear to bet at least two White Steam Cars, but the image resolution makes this difficult to determine.

This undivided back postcard is a variation on the card above it. It shows about 25 cars at The Line Up on Ormond Beach. This card is postmarked March 5, 1908, indicating that this card was sold for three or four years.

This divided back postcard shows spectators watching the Ormond Beach races sometime after 1907.

This undivided back postcard shows Ormond Beach filled with spectators, perhaps watching a race. Note the automobile at the lower left corner and what appears to be a fenced off area in the center as well as the reviewing stand. It is postmarked March 4, 1908.

This stereoview card shows a Stanley at the left. Note the engine connected to the rear axel.

This later, but undated, stereoview card shows Ormond Beach perhaps in the late teens.

This undivided back postcard, was mained on March 8, 1908. Even this photo of the waves includes an

This postcard illustrates the Motor Speedway and Bathing and promotes the The Finest Beach in the State.

This postcard is postmarked May 18, 1938.

This line postcard probably dates from the late 1930s or early 1940s.

No first class resort is complete without a golf course and of course, Ormand Beach had a golf course.

There are no automobiles in this image, only some hikers and a horse-drawn carriage. However the message heralds a new era. Took an Auto Ride for Two Hours This AM. Everything is Fine . . . The card was maile don January 29, 1907. Perhaps the writer was on Ormond Beach to see the automobile races.

The automobiles in this image appears to be a curved dash Oldsmobile and not a steam automobile, but the image clearly captures the wave of change in transportation technology. The image also reflects an outdated attitude.

Whilst staying at the Ormond Hotel, one received a daily menu. This menu is dated October 26, 1910, but shows the Stanley Steam Car on its Climb to the Clouds on July 18, 1905.

Louis Ross on Ormond Beach 1905

This undivided back, rppc was shows Louis Ross in his 1905 Doodlebug. It was mailed to Mr. Lauris S rendmay?? in Hanover, NH [the handwriting is difficult to decipher]. The note on the fron reads 3/17/05 - Dad's doings.

Motor Racing at the Seashore with Louis Ross in the lead in his Stanley Doodlebug.

This oversized postcard commenorates the Ormond Garage where many famous race cars were housed and worked upon. It burned in 1976.

Fred Marriott and The Rocket

Fred Marriott was one of the race car drivers featured on Mecca Cigarette cards. Here he is described as a gentleman driver and sportsman and a man of iron nerve. That is certain!

This image shows Fred Marriott in The Rocket. Stanford White is also pictured, second from the right with hat.

Autographed Compliments of Fred Marriott., this image shows Fred Marriott in the Rocket on Ormond Beach.

Below the image of the Rocket's engine, Fred Marriott not only signed his name but listed his 1906 Worlds Records.

This undivided back post card shows Fred Marriott in The Rocket. The postcard is dated January 30, 1906, four days after Martiott's record setting run. The message reads Jany 30 - This is a picture of a Stanley racer, as we see them at the auto races at Ormond Sea-Breeze Beach. Reegards to all. Lura F. Alexander.

This undivided back post card shows Fred Marriott in The Rocket shortly after his January 26, 1906 record setting run. The card is postmarked February 27, 1906, just a month later.

These two rppc undivided back post cards were mailed on January 29th, 1907 to the same person, Miss Alice Hutton in Philadelphai, PA. This first card shows The Rocket about five minutes before the start.

These two rppc undivided back post cards were mailed on January 29th, 1907 to the same person, Miss Alice Hutton in Philadelphai, PA. This second card shows the wreckage of The Rocket a little whie after.

This rppc undivided back post cards carries a 1905 date on the front, but it is clearly later. The handwriting of the date and the description are different. The inscription reads 1905 Ormond Beach Florida. Fred Marriott's Stanley Steamer after making World's record 16 1/5 sed. and Bill Wrays 14 H.P. Peuguet motorcycle, weighing 110 lbs.

During the 1907 season, Fred Marriott's world record setting car was featured on an undivided back postcard taken from the photographic image from the year before. These cards were widely bought and mailed, based on the large quantity that have surivived. This first card was postmarked December 1, 1906.

This second card was postmarked January 8, 1907.

This third card was postmarked February 2, 1907.

This fourth card was postmarked February 19, 1907 in Gainsville, FL, and subsequently on Februayr 21, 1907 in Hagerstown, MD.

Fred Marriott capitalized on his fame by endorsing Oilzum oil, which was apparently used in The Rocket. The divided back of this post card dates it after 1907.

This 1956 Adventure Card features The Rocket in 1907 as it became airborn in the process of crashing. Gum Products, Inc,, Card No. 47.

Fred Marriott's famous reace car, The Rocket, was reproduced by Morris Frost and is now on exhibit at the Birthplace of Speed Museum in Ormond Beach.

This Frency comic card is supposed to represent Fred Marriott's famous reace car, The Rocket.

Other Cars on Ormond Beach

This unmailed card is dated 1940 by an unknown writer who references automobile races and the quality of the sand surface

This chrome postcard dates from the 1960s or early 1970s. Surprisingly, the information on the back fails to mention Fred Marriott and the Rocket.

If you do not own H. James Merrick's book, Bravo, Stanley!, you should order a copy immediately from the Stanley Museum in Kingfield, Maine.