Mystery Foto #3 Stumper: A Kings Point Callister Brothers Bus Built in Queens Village (Circa 1930s)
My favorite co-author Al Velocci stumped everyone with this photo of a bus built in Queens.
Al Velocci's answers to the Mystery Foto questions:
- Identify the Queens company which manufactured this bus.
The bus was manufactured by the Callister Brothers of Queens Village in the 1930’s.
- When was this company founded and what was its primary product before buses?
The company was originally called the Thomas Callister Carriage & Wagon Manufacturers founded in 1868 by Thomas Callistor.. The company's major product was wagons and carriages.
- Where was the location of the factory?
The company was located on the north side of Hempstead Turnpike just south of Jamaica Avenue. The triangular shaped parcel was bound by the LIRR on the north, Hempstead Turnpike on the south and 217th St. on the east. The name change occurred when they switched over to manufacturing motorized vehicles. Shortly after the bus was built the factory was completely destroyed by fire. The Callister family chose not to rebuild but instead opened an automobile showroom right around the corner on Jamaica Avenue selling at various times Huppmobile, Durant and Peerless automobiles.
- Identify the model of the bus and its approximate year
Monarch Model TT20
- Kudos question: What was the chassis over which it was built?
The company was unique in that they built both the chassis and body, In most cases the chassis is built by one party and another builds the body.
Kudos to Al Velocci for stumping everyone!
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Another View of the Bus
The Callister Factory in Queens Village
The Callister factory with farm wagons
Callister Factory in 1923. Courtesy of the New York Heritage Collections.
Close-Ups
Mystery Foto with captions
Femenias' Findings (Submitted by Frank Femenias)
Frank Femenias: My how this place has changed! This photo looks older than 1923 based on the vehicles, closer to 1900ish. The two buildings across the street still standing! Fun stuff.
Comments
This week’s subject is a bit complicated due to mergers and take overs and starts
out with Island Traction in 1926 becoming Schenck Bus Company and they purchase
Universal Auto Bus Service in 1960. They started in Great Neck, NY and moved to
Jericho Turnpike in Floral Park, NY. In 1973 MSBA came into the picture as king of public transportation. This is a chicken and egg story and is part 1 of this project.
Part 11: I have started with the MACK Bus and will work on this and more
today…......
After a bit of reference work, I am going to settle for MACK as they start out in 1903 and with the merger Sauer Motor and Hewitt Motor and in 1913 started to
make other products such as buses, fire trucks and specialized equipment. The first location was in Brooklyn then to Long island City. As a side note: Artist Peter Helck was a commissioned painter in the 1940’s.
Not sure about this but here goes:
Identify the Queens company which manufactured this bus. Mack Trucks
When was this company founded and what was its primary product before buses?
Early 1900s (not in NY however). Trucks
Where was the location of the factory? Long Island City
Identify the model of the bus and its approximate year. 1940s
Kudos question: What was the chassis over which it was built? Trolley Car
Adding some more (all predicated if my original answers are somewhat correct).
Model: Too confusing, but here’s another possibility
1939 Mack Model CW3G (ser# 1122)
Original purpose of Mack were trolley cars.
Late 30s, early 40s.
“PHONE GREAT NECK 243w”? I lived on LI almost all my life and my first phone number was CEDARHURST 8307 but I don’t remember EVER seeing a letter after the number. Some sort of Party Line or extension? Anyone? Sam, III
New hint added to the Mystery Foto.
l’m going to guess the bus is from the Steinway (piano) Hunter’s Point Railroad Company (Queens, late 1800s) which had connected various transportation routes in early LIC. Stumped again! Looking forward to the answers.
Mystery Foto #3… Lots of research, very little results. I’ll take a stab at it and call the bus a 1940’s Studebaker. Factory located Jamica, Queens.
The company had built Conestoga wagons and farm wagons before motor vehicles.
The bus was manufactured by the Callistor Bros. of Queens Village in the 1930’s.
The company was located on the north side of Hempstead Turnpike Just south of Jamaica Avenue. The company was originally called the Callistor Wagon Works founded during the 1870’s by Thomas Callistor Jr. and sat on 18 plus acres. The triangular shaped parcel was bound by the LIRR on the north, Hempstead Turnpike on the south and 217th St. on the East. The name change occurred when they switched over to manufacturing motorized vehicles. The company was unique in that they built both the chassis and body, In most cases the chassis is built by one party and another builds the body. Shortly after the bus was built the factory was completely destroyed by fire. The Callistor family chose not to rebuild but instead opened an automobile showroom right around the corner on Jamaica Avenue selling at various times Huppmobile, Durant and Peerless automobiles.
The new hint provided my guess that this was manufactured by Thomas Callister’s carriage and wagon factory, Jamaica Avenue and Hempstead Turnpike, Queens Village.
I didn’t get it completely right. The 18 plus acres was where they started. There came a time they moved to Jamaica Ave. ( (1912) ? The older location became a material storage yard and parking for finished wagons.
Update: Frank Femenias has added a Then & Now photo.