In the last two articles of the series on The Railroad in Spring Valley we explored how Cassius Pence came to Spring Valley in his capacity as the railroad Depot Agent, and Rex Pence’s early years while his dad was depot agent. This article, the first in the series on The Garages of Spring Valley, provides an overview for the Ford Garage articles in The Garages of Spring Valley series.

First, I am starting the series with the Ford Garage because that is the garage I am most familiar with. The Ford dealership under Cassius Pence, his sons and son-in-law prospered between 1913 and 1942, and there were two distinct phases.

The first phase began in 1913 with Cassius’ decision to leave the railroad and go into the automobile business. He acquired the meat market building in the middle of the block on “Main Street” (McKay) in 1913 to house the business, and remodeled and expanded it to establish the Ford Agency and Garage.

The next phase, starting in1923 began as a result of the business outgrowing that location. Cassius bought property up the street (north) from the “meat market” location. It was on the corner and had been a “furniture store” (and, according to Rex, possibly a Studebaker or Chevrolet dealership). He remodeled that building and added the main garage portion on the lot just to the south. This then was the final location of the Ford Agency and Garage, as well as an associated Skelly gas station.

Second, there is an interesting evolution, which might not be evident as the tale unfolds over several articles. In the beginning, the assembly of the Ford Model-Ts was done at the “meat market” Ford Garage using parts shipped in on the railroad in Spring Valley. As time went on and the “technology” advanced, the assembly process shifted to the Ford assembly plant, first in Minneapolis, and later on at its present location on Ford Parkway in St. Paul, MN.

That’s progress, as they say. And a good thing, too. It would be pretty hard to ship the parts into Spring Valley today, what with no railroad, to say nothing of trying to assemble the modern automobile (or several models of a modern automobile) locally. They had to deal with only one model (the ‘T’) back in those days.

Third, the story is told largely by Rex Pence, my father and Cassius’ youngest son, who grew up with the business. Born in 1905, he was old enough to start participating in the family business while it was still in the “meat market” phase. Most of his participation, however, took place after the move in 1923. He was the principle Spring Valley “assembly line” for a number of years. When the assembly function shifted to the Ford Assembly plants in the Twin Cities, he took over the bookkeeping responsibility for the business. Somewhere along the line he became a full partner with his dad, older brothers Homer and Lyle, and his brother-in-law, Gus Palmer.

In 1942 he sold his share of the business and our family moved to Minneapolis where he worked in a war plant, so even though the Pence family owned the Ford Garage into the fifties, his stories concerning the Ford Garage in Spring Valley taper off at that point. Fear not, however – there are ample tales for two or three articles on the Ford Garage in Spring Valley up to that point.

In the next article in this series, 1913 to 1923 – The “Meat Market” Ford Garage, we will get into the details. Rex will tell about his dad’s acquisition of the Ford Agency and the facilities to house it in Spring Valley. He will also relate how he was the designated “Spring Valley Ford Assembly Plant” in the Ford Garage’s early years.

To be continued …

The Spring Valley Kid

Russell Pence

pence@asu.edu