The 1917 Milburn Light Electric

The 1917 Milburn Light Electric at Heritage Museums & Gardens preserves a chapter of motoring that can seem surprisingly familiar. More than a century ago, manufacturers were already addressing questions about battery charging, convenience, and how electric vehicles could fit into daily life.

Built by the Milburn Wagon Company of Toledo, Ohio, this automobile has a tall, enclosed passenger compartment, large windows, and the proportions of a carriage. Its appearance connects the established comforts of horse-drawn transportation with a different source of power.

A General Electric motor drew electricity from thirteen six-volt batteries. Beside the car stands its charging equipment, making the practical requirements of electric ownership part of the display.

Milburn also offered batteries mounted on rollers so that a depleted pack could be exchanged for a charged one. This reduced the waiting time associated with recharging and made the car more useful.

Advertising frequently presented electric cars as vehicles for women, reflecting manufacturers’ assumptions about their customers. Milburn’s buyers also included the United States Secret Service, which used the quiet automobiles during Woodrow Wilson’s presidency.

The surviving car brings together technological experimentation and the social expectations surrounding early motoring. Its battery system and accompanying charger show that electric transportation, and efforts to make it convenient, have a history reaching back well before today’s vehicles.