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German Automobiles (a series) LbNA #31077

Owner:CPAScott
Plant date:May 19, 2007
Location:
City:Greenfield
County:Franklin
State:Massachusetts
Boxes:6
Found by: Nairon (3)
Last found:Nov 12, 2017
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:May 19, 2007
This is a letterbox driving series that will take you along a portion of the Mohawk Trail, an old Native American trade route that follows a series of rivers and brooks through the Hoosac Range and the Berkshire foothills. In Massachusetts, much of the trail is State Route 2, one of America's first scenic highways.

Your tour starts in the town of Greenfield, MA at Poets Seat Tower. From the Massachusetts Turnpike, take Exit 4 and follow I-91 North for 31 miles while enjoying the scenery of the Pioneer Valley. Take Exit 26 (Greenfield Center) and enter the rotary. Further directions are included within the clues to the first box, "Audi".


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Audi

Established by August Horch in 1909, Audi Automobilwerke GmbH originally manufactured elite luxury automobiles. Horch had originally worked for Carl Benz as a manager of motor construction but left the company in 1899 to form his own, August Horch and Cie. In 1900, he turned out his first car.

Nine years later he formed Audi after a dispute with the supervisory board at August Horch and Cie prompted his exit from that company. He named the new company after himself as well, but used the Latin translation of his name to distinguish his new company from his first. The first car bearing the Audi name was the Audi Type A, first built in 1910, which included a 2.6L four-cylinder engine capable of 26 horsepower.

In 1932, Audi, Horch, and two other automobile manufacturers, DKW and Wanderer, amalgamated to become Auto Union AG. The symbol chosen for the new company was four interlocking rings each symbolizing one of the four original companies. Auto Union maintained each of the four names as brands, each brand marketed to a specific segment of the population. Audi was positioned in the upper-mid range above DKW and Wanderer but below Horch, the brand reserved for the finest luxury automobiles manufactured by Auto Union.

Dismantled by the Soviet army after World War II, Auto Union reformed as Auto Union GmbH and focused solely on the production of DKW delivery vans and motorcycles. Automobile production restarted in 1950.

From 1958 through 1964, Auto Union operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Daimler Group. In December 1964, Volkswagen purchased a majority of shares in the company from Daimler. By late 1966, Auto Union was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen. The company went through some additional mergers and renaming, eventually becoming Audi AG in 1985. The company remains a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group.


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From the Greenfield rotary at the interchange of I-91 and State Routes 2 and 2A, head east on Route 2A through the downtown Greenfield. At the end of Main Street, follow Route 2A to the left and onto High Street. A series of small blue signs will help direct you to the Tower. From High Street, turn right onto Maple Street, follow to the end, and turn right onto Parkway South. The entrance to the tower will appear shortly on your left.

If the yellow gate is open, drive up the road and park at next to the tower. If the gate is closed, you'll have to park in the lower parking area and walk up the road (4/10ths of a mile). Feel free to climb the tower, or simply gaze at the spectacular views to the west from the upper parking area.

Situated at the top of Greenfield's Rocky Mountain, Poet's Seat Tower commemorates the life and works of American poet Frederick Goddard Tuckerman (1821-1873). The tower offers 360° views of the Pioneer Valley and Connecticut River, as well as the the Hoosac Range to the west.
To find the letterbox, from the tower continue along the road to where it makes a "U" turn. At that point, a trail heads north into the woods. Fifteen steps past the boulders that mark the trail is a "No Vehicles" sign. A few steps past this sign, spot a dead tree lying on the ground in a north-south direction to the right of the trail. The letterbox is hidden behind this tree near the northern end.

To continue your tour, return to your car, exit the park, and retrace your path back to the Greenfield rotary (right out of the park, left onto Maple Street, left onto High Street, Route 2A, right onto Main Street). Further directions are included with the clues to the second box, "Opel".


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Opel

Founded in 1863 by Adam Opel, the Opel factory originally made sewing machines and bicycles. Near the turn of the century the company entered the new automobile market and produced its first motorcar, the Patent Motorcar, System Lutzmann, in 1899. Opel's first fully developed and produced auto was the 10/12, which was introduced in 1902. This car had a two-cylinder engine with a built in water pump capable of 12-horsepower and a top speed of 28 miles per hour.

By 1914, Opel was Germany's largest automobile manufacturer thanks in large part to its focus on affordable vehicles rather than the top end luxury models. In 1924 the company introduced the Germany's first assembly line production plant for the manufacturing of automobiles.

In 1929, General Motors Corporation purchased an 80% interest in Opel; the remaining 20% was acquired 2 years later. By 1936 Opel was Europe's largest automobile manufacturer, turning out more than 120,000 vehicles.

Despite being owned by a U.S. company, production of Opel vehicles was halted during World War II and the company's factories were not spared from Allied bombing raids. Production resumes in 1946 as the first Lightning trucks roll off the production line. Passenger car production restarts a year later with an updated version of the Olympia, a vehicle originally introduced in 1935.

Today Opel, still a fully-owned subsidiary of General Motors, continues to produce affordable cars for the average consumer.


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From the Greenfield rotary, head west on State Route 2 (Mohawk Trail) for 5 miles. Turn left onto Shelburne Center Road (on the left, just after the Anchorage Nursing Home). Follow Shelburne Center Road and look for the Shelburne Free Public Library on the left. Park along the roadway near the building.

To find the letterbox, walk to the right side of the building and head toward the stream. Find a grouping of flat rocks in front of a tree along the stream's edge. The letterbox is hidden in a niche within this group of rocks.

To continue your tour, from the library continue to head west on Shelburne Center Road until it reconnects with Route 2. Turn left and head west for 1.9 miles. Turn left onto Route 2A West (South Maple Street). Follow Route 2A West into the village of Shelburne Falls.

Shelburne Falls is a picturesque village best known for the "Bridge of Flowers", an old trolley bridge that now serves as a garden walkway featuring a vast expanse of flowers that bloom from spring until fall. Other noteworthy sites in the village include the glacier-carved "potholes", the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum, and the Shelburne Falls Historical Society and Museum.

Once you have enjoyed the sites of Shelburne Falls, follow Route 2A West up State Street until it reconnects with Route 2. Further directions are included with the clues to the third box, "Mercedes-Benz".


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Mercedes-Benz

Some of the earliest automobiles ever constructed were made by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in the late 19th century. In 1886, Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach developed a 1.1-horsepower, 1-cylinder engine and attached it to a carriage. The resulting vehicle had a top speed of 10 miles per hour. In 1890, Daimler founded the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG).

Meanwhile, Benz's company, Benz & Cie (formed in 1883) was also working on developing motorized vehicles. In 1893, the "Viktoria", a 1.1-horsepower, 1-cylinder vehicle similar to Daimler's, was built.

Two cars, named "Phoenix" were built by Daimler in 1898 and were the world's first four-cylinder automobiles. In 1890 Daimler built a special-order auto for an Austrian businessman, Emil Jellinek. In 1900 Daimler and Jellinek entered an agreement to develop a new engine bearing the name "Daimler-Mercedes", Mercedes being the name of Jellinek's ten-year-old daughter. In December of that year, a 35-horsepower "Mercedes", developed by DMG by chief engineer William Maybach, was delivered to Jellinek. The car, which featured a low center of gravity, a long wheelbase, and a lightweight engine, was capable of speeds up to 55 miles per hour.

Suffering through the economic downturn that hit Germany in the years after World War I, Benz and Cie sought to find another company to partner with. The only viable option was DMG and a merger was proposed in 1919. However, it never transpired and the idea was abandoned later that year.

Continuing economic hardship eventually led the two companies to sign an "Agreement of Mutual Interest" in 1924. Benz and Cie and DMG officially merged two years later. The symbol for the new company was chosen to be a three-point star, one of the symbols used by DMG designed to symbolize the company's ambition of universal motorization "on land, on water and in the air".

The first cars to bear the Mercedes-Benz name were the 1926 8/38 and Model K. A supercharged 6-cylinder sports coupe followed the next year.

As with most German automobile manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz's production facility were destroyed during World War II. Some production of trucks had restarted by 1946, but it wasn't until 1947 that automobiles began to once again be manufactured by the company. The 1947 170V was the first post-war Mercedes-Benz.

Daimler-Benz AG continued to operate as an independent company until it merged with Chrysler Corporation in 1998 to former DaimlerChrysler. In 2007, DaimlerChrysler divested itself of the Chrysler division and renamed itself simply Daimler AG.


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* UPDATE Summer 2009 - this box is likely missing *

From the intersection of Routes 2A (State Street) and Route 2, turn left on Route 2 and head west for 1.7 miles. Look for a picnic grove on the left along the Deerfield River, just after "Crabapple White Water Rafting" (also on the left). Pull in here and park.

The Deerfield River runs 73 miles from southern Vermont to the Connecticut River. Once of great importance to the early settlement of the area, the river now provides a great source of hydroelectric power thanks to 10 strategically-placed dams along the river's route. Recreation activities along the river and its tributaries include whitewater kayaking and rafting as rapids range from Class II to Class V.

To find the letterbox, head to the eastern-most picnic table. With your back to both the picnic table and the Deerfield River, note two three-trunked trees in front of you. The letterbox is hidden on the eastern side of the tree to the right, at its base, behind a well-placed rock covering a natural hiding spot within the tree. Please be careful not to disturb the rock "foundation" placed to keep the letterbox from falling through the hole in the bottom of the tree.

To continue your tour, return to your car. Further directions are located with the clues to the fourth box, "Porsche".


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Porsche
(stamp carved by Kirbert)

Ferdinand Porsche was involved in the automobile industry in its infancy, developing models as early as 1900. Hired as the chief designer for the Austrian licensee of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) in 1906, Porsche helped design some of the company's most prestigious and luxurious automobiles.

In 1933 Porsche was commissioned by Adolph Hitler to build a new automobile, the "people's car", or Volkswagen.


Although not interested in politics it was hard for Porsche to avoid the fall-out of World War II and he and his son were briefly arrested and held as a war criminal by the Allies. Released without being charged, the Porsches returned to automobile design and produced the first car to carry the Porsche name, a sports car known as Type 356. It was first produced in 1948. The car included a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine and an aluminum body.

Porsche died in 1952. His son, who lived to be 88 and died in 1998, continued on the traditions his father had started.

Porsche introduced the highly successful Speedster in 1954 and the 911 in 1963. The Porsche 911, still in production, holds the distinction of having the longest production run of any sports car in the world.


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From the picnic grove, continue to head west on Route 2 for 10.6 miles. You'll pass the entrance to the Mohawk Trail State Forest on your right. Shortly after the forest entrance, notice a picnic area on the right side of the road. Pull in to the entrance of this now closed area. Although a gate will block your way, there is room for cars to park in front of it.

The Mohawk Trail State Forest is a rustic, 6,000+ acre forest noted especially for its trees. Over 500 acres of the forest is old-growth, with many trees between 200 and 500 years old. In addition to extremely old trees, the forest is also home to some of the tallest trees in Massachusetts, New England, and the Eastern United States. Notable among these are the Jake Swamp Tree and the Tecumseh Tree, two Eastern White Pines, each of which stand nearly 165 feet tall. Dozens of other trees, including White Pine, Ash, Hickory, Red Oak, Beech, and Maple are over 120 feet tall.

To find the letterbox, follow the paved driveway past the gate while looking across Route 2 to your right for a large stone marker with a plaque embedded in it. This marks the trail head of the Totem Trail. Carefully cross Route 2 and proceed to the trail head.

Proceed up the trail, crossing two stream beds. After the second, the trail quickly starts to ascend the hill. As you start to climb, look for the second blue trail marker on your left. Just before it, on the right, spot a fallen tree. The letterbox is hidden in the hole where the base of the tree once stood. If you wish, you may continue up the 1.5-mile long Totem Trail to a scenic lookout offering views across the Mohawk Trail and Savoy Mountain State Forests.

To continue your tour, return to your car. Further directions are included with the clues to the fifth box, "BMW".


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BMW

In 1913, Karl Rapp founded Rapp Motorenwerke and began building aircraft engines. Just down the road from Rapp's factory, Otto-Werke, owned by Gustav Otto was in the business of manufacturing small aircraft. In 1916, Rapp and Otto formed Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG (BFW) and merged Otto-Werke into the new company. Six years later BFW acquired Rapp Motorenwerke (renamed Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH (BMW) in 1917). The company's logo is inspired by rotating airplane propellers.

Thanks in large part to World War I demand for aircraft engines in Germany increased rapidly and the little company grew quickly. BMW's first significant success was the 6-cylinder Type IIIa engine. A year later, in 1919, a plane with a Type IV engine set a world altitude record.

The end of World War I came with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 which prohibited Germany from producing aircraft. BMW switched operations from aircraft engines to railway brakes.

In 1920 BMW began production of motorcycle engines. BMW's first automobile, the Dixi 3/15 PS, was manufactured in 1928. Built under license from Austin, the Dixi 3/15 PS was nearly identical in design to other Austin-licensed automobiles manufactured in Japan and the United States.

The first "true" BMW automobile, the Ausfuhrung Munchen 4 Gange (AM4), also known as the 3/20 PS, was built in 1932 and housed a 782cc 4-cylinder engine capable of 20 horsepower and a top speed of 50 miles per hour. One of BMW's most popular pre-war sports cars, the 328, was developed three years later.

As with many manufacturers in Germany, World War II wreaked havoc with the company. BMW's factories were in ruins and a moratorium on production imposed by the Allies threatened the survival of the company. In 1949, BMW returned to building motorcycles. In 1951 the first post-war automobile, the 501 (nicknamed the "Baroque Angel"), debuted. Sales of automobiles remained sluggish however, and BMW did not experience any reasonable commercial success with its automobiles until the introduction of the Mini Isetta 250 in 1955. A merger with Daimler-Benz was planned in 1957, but never completed.

In 1972 the first 5-series car is introduced. The 3-, 6-, and 7-series follow in 1975, 1976 and 1977, respectively.


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From the picnic area, continue to head west on Route 2 for 13 miles. Along the way enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the Mohawk Trail and Savoy Mountain State Forests. You'll pass close to the eastern entrance of the Hoosac Tunnel*, and find even more spectacular views from the Eastern and Whitcomb Summits of Hoosac Mountain. A stop at the famous Hairpin Turn will afford you yet another amazing view, this time of the Hoosac Valley and Berkshire hills. As you descend into North Adams, look for where Route 8 connects with Route 2. At the intersection, turn right onto Route 8 North, follow for 1/2 mile, and turn left into Natural Bridge State Park. Proceed into the park to the parking area. Please note that there is a $2 parking charge during the season.

If the lower yellow gate is closed (or if you wish to avoid the parking charge), you'll have to park before the gate (without blocking it) and walk along the park road.

North America's only natural white marble arch and man-made marble dam are the highlights of the 48-acre Natural Bridge State Park. Once an active marble quarry, the park offers visitors a great opportunity to see a unique natural feature and view the effects of glaciation.

To find the letterbox, walk along the road between the quarry and the parking area and find a trail marked by three boulders and a pine tree (on your left if coming from the parking area, or on your right is coming from the quarry). Twenty to twenty-five steps from the boulders the trail splits. Note a three-trunked tree directly in front of you (at approximately 140°) a few steps off the trail. The letterbox is hidden in the base of the tree behind a rock door.

To continue your tour, return to your car and exit the park. Turn right on Route 8 South and follow back to the intersection with Route 2. Further directions are included with the sixth box, "Volkswagen".


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Volkswagen

In 1933 Adolph Hitler met with Ferdinand Porsche to discuss the idea of a Volkswagen or, literally, people's car. Hitler proposed that the car be practical and efficient, carry 5 people, obtain speeds up to 62 miles per hour, return 33 miles to the gallon and be affordable to the average citizens of Germany. In 1937, Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH was incorporated (the company was renamed Volkswagenwerke GmbH the following year). A number of prototypes were developed but a full production vehicle was not developed until after World War II. Instead the factory, under government control and not yet an independent company, focused on building military vehicles.

As such, the factory was a prime target for Allied bombing raids and by the war's end, most of it lay in ruins. In 1945 Volkswagen, now under control of the British Military Government, turned out some 2000 Volkswagen Beetles. In 1950, the company introduced the first VW bus, the Transporter. The one millionth Beetle rolled off the production lines in 1955.

In 1972 Volkswagen finally broke the record held by the Ford Motor Company for the most vehicles assembled when the 15,007,034th Beetle was completed (Ford had previously held the record with it's Model T produced from 1908 through 1927). The Passat, introduced in 1973, began Volkswagen's next generation of vehicles.

Finally, in 1977 Volkswagen officially stopped production of its most successful car, the Beetle sedan (production of the Beetle cabriolet was halted in 1979) in its German plants. Manufacturing facilities in Mexico and South America still produced the car until the final Beetle rolled off the production line in a Mexico facility in June 2003. By this time, however, a new generation of Beetles, dubbed simply the "New Beetle" had already been developed and placed in production.

Today Volkswagen is Germany's largest automobile company.


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From the intersection of Routes 2 and 8, head west on Route 2 through the center of North Adams. If time permits, a number of attractions are worthwhile in the town, including the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), one of the largest museums of contemporary art in the U.S., and the Western Gateway Heritage Park, which chronicles the story of the building of the Hoosac Tunnel.

From North Adams, continue on Route 2 West into Williamstown (6.2 miles from the intersection of Routes 2 and 8). Following the signs for the Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute (The Clark), proceed past Williams College and onto a small rotary at the village green. Follow the rotary all the way around until facing eastbound, past both the Williams Inn and the public library. Turn right onto South Street. The Clark will be on the right about 1/2 mile down South Street. Park in the parking lot in the rear of the building.

Chartered in 1950 to house the private collection of Robert Sterling and Francine Clark, The Clark houses, in addition, to the original collection, a worthwhile collection of French Impressionist paintings as well as a fine collection of British and American silver.

To find the letterbox, head to the southwest corner of the gravel bus parking lot. Look southwest for two gates in the stockade fence. Although unmarked, the pedestrian gate allows access to the two trails at The Clark. Proceed across the lawn and through the pedestrian gate into the first pasture. Follow the trail across the first pasture and into the second. As the trail heads uphill through this pasture, note a large "island" of trees on the right side. Head to the northwest corner of this "island" where the remnants of a white paper birch lay. From the birch, take 10-15 steps southwestward to where a white maple seems to hug a pine tree at its base. The letterbox is hidden in the crook of the "arm" of the white maple.

From here, you may continue along either of the trails as they loop back to the parking lot, or you can retrace your steps to return to your car.

While in Williamstown, also consider a visit to the Williams College Museum of Art, often considered one of the finest collegiate art museums in the nation.


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CONGRATULATIONS! You have completed the German Automobiles series and your tour of the Mohawk Trail. I hope you enjoyed your drive and your experience in this beautiful section of Massachusetts. To return to the Massachusetts Turnpike, head back up South Street and again proceed around the rotary on Route 2 West. This time, instead of passing the library, stay on Route 2 / U.S. Route 7. Continue on U.S. Route 7 South for 28 miles through Pittsfield, where U.S. Route 20 joins Route 7, and into Lenox. Stay on U.S. Route 20 to the entrance of the Turnpike at Exit 2.