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1924 REO T-6: A Secret "Spirit" Transporter for All Hallows Eve

  • Story By
    John McCabe

Halloween, 1929

Darkness settled on the town of Chicago, Illinois. Children hid in basements as the sound of the 6 cylinder, 50 hp engine drew closer. Fathers, armed with rifles at their side, peered through the gap between the curtains at the otherwise-empty streets and mothers shook with nervous energy in their kitchens. They tried to go about their business as usual, but they all knew the danger that lurked ahead. They knew the sound of that 1924 REO Model T-6, unmistakable even at this distance - it made everyone a little jumpy, as they had heard it numerous times before. 005 Front Quarter LR As the hearse pulled up to the Miller Funeral Home, Harry Miller greeted the driver and his assistant. With a doff of his cap toward Miller, the driver and his young apprentice exited the exquisitely appointed T-6 and walked past its full glass windows that revealed the casket inside and to the back of the hearse. 001 Interior LR Grabbing and twisting the metal handle, the driver unbolted the casket from its latches while Miller kept watch. Still, the driver looked nervously over his shoulder numerous times, for he knew the dangers that lurked on this foggy evening. 010 Open Rear LR It was not just the many handmade wood carvings that distinguished this hearse from any other, nor was it the ominous, yet beautiful, lamps that glowed eerily in the thick, foggy night air, nor the smell of the cherry wood from which both the casket and the hearse’s interior were made. No, there was something about this hearse that made it far different from its brethren. It was the spirits that lingered inside, for they were distilled. 003 Wood Carving Detail LR 002 Exterior Light LR The ghouls were out and about on this chilly night, but the spirits that resided in this hearse were not the ones that the people feared. It was the evil revenuers, led by gumshoes like Elliot Ness, out to enforce the 18th Amendment, that spooked the daylights out of townsfolk during the Prohibition Era (1920 – 1933). And though it was legal to consume alcohol during this dark time of history (the Great Depression began during the Prohibition Era and the hatred in Europe that would commence WWII was beginning, too), it was not legal to make, transport or sell adult beverages; so average Americans lived in constant fear of the law. 004 Liquor LR Like his other legacies, Oldsmobile and the town of Oldsmar, Florida, the REO name is still known today. After selling his car company, The Olds Motor Works in 1904 (which would eventually become Oldsmobile), Ransom Eli Olds was barred from using his name (but not his initials) on a competing automotive company, hence the REO name. More than a decade after Olds handed over the reins of REO to younger men, REO moved exclusively to the manufacture of trucks in 1936 - that kept the company solvent through the latter half of the Great Depression and World War II, as a truck supplier to the Allies. However, in the 1960s, White Motor Company took over REO, later aligning it with Diamond T Trucks, forming the Diamond T Reo line. The companies went bankrupt and were purchased by Volvo, now running under the Volvo-White-GMC brand. 009 Left Side Rear LR This particular REO probably began its life in 1924 as a five passenger Model T-6 sedan before making its living as a faux funeral hearse. It is currently owned by the AACA Museum in Hershey, PA and was a gift from James and Elizabeth Homan of Cutchogue, NY. It has also leant its services to Hollywood, having been used in HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.” 007 Right Side and Rear LR 006 Right Side Front LR In 1933, after winning his initial presidential election, Franklin Roosevelt signed the 21st Amendment into law, effectively repealing Hoover’s 18th Amendment, making it safe for funeral-goers and all citizens to enjoy their favorite alcoholic beverage without fearing reprisal for themselves or their now-legal suppliers. He is alleged to have celebrated the end of Prohibition by downing his favorite alcoholic beverage, a dirty martini. While the "secret" of this hearse was no longer needed, it sure is fun to see it and imagine the days that it roamed the streets hiding and transporting something that so many wanted. 008 Rear LR If you are an aficionado of well-bespoke hearses and other eerie motor vehicles, you should head to the AACA Museum, because even though this pseudo-hearse is on permanent display, the Halloween exhibit, featuring another hearse, a coffin car and the Haunted Harley only runs through next week.
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