The Gilmore Car Museum

[19&41]

A national treasure, located near Kalamazoo, Michigan. Hordes of collector cars and wonderful displays.

An Overview of the museum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXZBqeI ... DetailEnvy

The Ford Dealership Exhibit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKcNXVq ... ScottieDTV

The Cadillac Dealership Exhibit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ7X5kT ... ScottieDTV

The Lincoln Dealership Exhibit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XHBv30 ... ScottieDTV

Shell Station Exhibit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy6h5k- ... uCostabile

[TC Chris]

Irving Gilmore, heir to a local department store, married into the Upjohn family (pharmaceuticals; the K'zoo plant is now Pfizer, who made my Covid vax). His offspring put their money to good use: the car museum and a famous piano festival and pianist award. The festival is every two years and the prize for a young pianist is given without audition or notice every four years. Because of legit drug money, K'zoo is a solid community and they have the Kalamazoo Promise: the city's high school grads can get free tuition at state universities.

I'm not big fan of concentrated wealth but sometimes it gets put to very good use. Think Andrew Carnegie and his libraries in towns all over our country. Or look up W.W. Cook and see what he gave the University of Michigan:

https://michigan.law.umich.edu/quick-li ... chitecture

Or William L. Clements, who built railroad cranes in my home town and spent almost all his fortune buying historic manuscripts related to the Revolutionary War and built a library for them at U-M:

https://clements.umich.edu/about/history/

Those guys didn't spend all their money on vast yachts and such. They viewed their money as a public responsibility. William W. Cook never saw the astonishing building that his money created. I used to sit in that law library and feel elevated by its elegance and majesty. It and the classroom buildings show how surroundings can affect performance. It was such a privilege to be there.

Chris Campbell

[William]

I have been to the Gilmore Car Museum, and there is lots to see and do. Anyone that is in the area, it's well worth the visit.

Bill