In 1904, Mr. Thomas purchased what is now known as the Phillips Estate (currently under renovation at the corner of Queen and Mississagua). He was an early car manufacturer and by 1908 he and his car was world famous.

The "Thomas Flyer" was the American entry in the 1908 New York to Paris Race. The Race was sponsored by the New York Times and La Matin (a Paris newspaper). The torturous New York to Paris Race route was: New York City, Albany, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Valdez Alaska, Japan, Vladivostok, Omsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Berlin and finally Paris. The winning Thomas Flyer Team (driven by George Schuster Sr. of Buffalo) covered three continents and over 22,000 miles in 169 days. The Americans won, finishing 26 days ahead of the Germans. The Italians finished third in Paris September 17, 1908.

The race was covered extensively in the Times and more than 250,000 people were on hand at the start of the race. This was the early era of automobile transportation. Very few roads existed and many of those could be very muddy.

The 1907 Thomas Flyer, at $4,000, was a proven machine. Weighing 5,000 pounds loaded, its four-cylinder 60-horsepower engine could speed along at 60 m.p.h. Like many other early car manufacturers, Thomas started in the bicycle business. This was an era when inventors were king. Pushing the envelope to harness new technologies and introduce us to the modern era.

The success of the "Thomas Flyer" spiked sales of the car, but the company folded by 1912. The Thomas family maintained their Niagara summer residence until 1920.

The grandson of George Schuster Sr. has been travelling the US speaking about the race. He has spoken in Buffalo twice already. His next close lecture is at the Chautauqua Institution in August.

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For more about the history of Niagara-on-the-Lake, call Managing Director Clark Bernat or staff at Niagara Historical Society Museum. The Crier welcomes any feedback on this feature or ideas for future submissions. Visit the Niagara Historical Museum at 43 Castlereagh Street, or its website at www.niagarahistorical.museum