360 Oak Park Presentation--New! | Philander W Barclay

On the Move in the Horse & Buggy Days: Transportation in the Historical Photos of Philander Barclay

A 360 Oak Park “Pecha Kucha” Presentation by Anna-Maria Manuel

Published March 30, 2025.

Some weeks ago, I was invited to speak about Philander Barclay at the 360 Oak Park event hosted by Preservation Oak Park on February 18. The event’s “Pecha Kucha” format—“less talk, more show”—constrained each speaker to display 12 slides (images) and talk for 30 seconds per slide, 360 seconds total—thus, the name “360 Oak Park.”

The theme for the evening was “On the Move.” Each presentation was expected to cover motion or movement in Oak Park (or surrounding areas). I wished to convey as much biographical information about Barclay as I could. However, how could I best incorporate the motion theme?

Barclay routinely traveled around Oak Park and the neighboring towns by bicycle. He likely rode his bike to many locations he photographed. He probably just walked to places near his residence. How did he determine whether he walked or biked? “How do I read a dead man’s mind?” [1] Unless he mentioned his transportation in a description of a photo or in an article, it seemed too risky to speculate how he reached any given location—via bicycle, public transportation, or, as Barclay once wrote, “on shank’s mare” (by foot).

I soon recalled that many of Barclay’s photos depict classic means of transportation, either featured as the main subject or included among the details in a scene. For my presentation, I decided to select examples of late-19th and early-20th century transport captured in Barclay’s photos.

Most of the photos in my six-minute presentation are well-documented by information or stories Barclay attached to them. A good example is the photo of Wright Elsom Jr.’s Oak Park Cycle and Automobile Depot in Slide 10. Barclay described the image in detail—giving the make of each automobile, naming the owners, and noting who was at the wheel (or tiller, in the case of the Locomobile Steamer). [2] Further, Elsom Jr. used the photo in at least seven Oak Leaves ads published from June to September, 1903. [3] So much detail! I had to tailor my narrative to fit the allotted time.

Thankfully, it all worked out. I didn’t exceed 30 seconds for any slide. At times, I had several seconds of “dead air” before the host’s computer automatically advanced to the next slide. (All speakers’ presentation slides were loaded on one computer.)

What follows are the slides and my presentation script for 360 Oak Park, held at One Lake Brewing (1 Lake Street, Oak Park) on February 18, 2025.

1. “Vienna Blood”; Season 4; Episode 1; PBS; spoken by (character) Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt.

2. Philander Barclay; “Oak Park’s First Horseless Carriage”; The Oakparker; Jubilee Number; November 29, 1935; pg. 113.

3. Advertising for Wright Elsom Jr.’s Oak Park Cycle and Automobile Garage (Depot); Oak Leaves; June 26, 1903, pg. 4; July 17, 1903, pg. 9; August 7, 1903, pg. 9; August 14, 1903, pg. 9; August 21, 1903, pg. 9; August 28, 1903, pg. 9; September 4, 1903, pg. 9.

Tonight, I’ll show you examples of late-19th and early-20th century transportation, pictured in a few of Philander Barclay’s photographs. So, who was Philander Barclay? Barclay was a bicycle merchant and mechanic. He became widely known as The Village Historian. He was also a community-minded Oak Park resident.

Barclay documented the history of Oak Park and River Forest during an era he often termed “The Horse and Buggy Days.” He skillfully curated photos, oral history sound recordings on wax cylinders, data from 1890s city directories, and stories & recollections.

"In the good old horse and buggy days when old Dobbins was king of the road.” That wording formed part of Barclay’s description for this photo. This horse and buggy, outside of the Oak Park Livery and Boarding Stable, was a rather fancy example. However, not all were like this one.

Here’s a more modest example––a simple, unenclosed buggy for two passengers. According to Barclay, this horse and buggy belonged to L. E. Bailey, President of the Cicero and Proviso Ice Company.

For local travel in snow, some Oak Parkers used sleighs. In this picture, can you see the sleigh on the left? According to a 1938 Oak Leaves article by Barclay, sleighing parties were popular in the winter. Some groups dined at the Plaza Hotel, then on Wisconsin Ave., now South Marion St. Barclay recalled that during those times, Wisconsin Ave. was lined with sleighs.

Barclay began learning how to sell and repair bicycles during the 1890s Bicycle Craze. He started working at Wright Elsom Jr.’s bicycle shop in 1898. According to Barclay, the shop “took in every sort of work that came along”: repairing bicycles, automobiles, motorcycles, racing sulkies, wheelchairs, baby buggies, and rubber shoes.

Even after the 1890s craze, bicycles remained a popular, affordable means of transportation. In March 1906, Barclay opened his own bicycle shop. With all the bikes in Oak Park, business was good. To accommodate his many customers, Barclay moved to a larger location four months later.

Barclay captured this photo of an eastbound trolley on Madison Street, while he stood on the roof of the M.E. Wood Building. A higher-resolution version of this image allows one to discern a Forest Park saloon and public hall in the hazy distance. In a 1935 Oakparker article, Barclay explained that the trolley was exposed to the elements on all sides. Canvas curtains provided the only protection from the weather.

As a boy, Barclay loved railroads. As an adult, he was an outspoken critic of dangerous train crossings.

Barclay’s collection features wonderful images of trains and railroads. Around 1904, this excursion train took members of the Oak Park Business Men’s Association to Zion and West Chicago.

Barclay was still working for Wright Elsom, Jr. when Elsom opened this new bicycle and automobile depot in 1903. At the time, Elsom was slowly transitioning to auto sales and repairs.

Barclay sits in the left-most automobile, a Locomobile Steamer from circa 1899. According to Barclay, it was the first “horseless carriage” in Oak Park.

Prompted by the dangers of automobiles and other high-speed vehicles, Barclay formed The How to Cross the Street Club in 1911. The club taught street safety to children. That’s Barclay’s car in the photo. Known for riding his bicycle around the area, in the 1910s, he owned a Flanders 20 and, later, a Ford Model T. Because the pictured children were his friends, Barclay prized this photo more than any other.

I am grateful to the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest for granting me access to the Philander Barclay Collection and for supporting my ongoing research into Barclay’s life. The Barclay Collection, consisting of photos, papers, sound recordings, and the Village Historian’s well-traveled bicycle, resides in the historical society.