• Donated by the Williams Family

• George Williams Sr. started Williams Moving and Storage in 1929 to help new immigrant families in Vancouver.

• He started the company with a new Graham Bros Truck exactly like this one.

• The Graham Brothers, Joseph, Ray and Robert ran a successful glass factory in Evansville, Indiana before building trucks.

• Selling the glass company to what would become Libbey-Owens-Ford gave the Graham Bros. cash to explore building trucks.

• They saw a need for trucks so they developed a kit to convert Model T’s into Trucks.

• Their first actual truck was built in 1919 and had a Torbensen internal gear drive instead of chain drive.

• Trucks were gaining popularity in the 192’s and Dodge was selling engnes to the Graham Brothers.

• In 1921 the Dodge Brothers signed an agreement to use Dodge engines and have their trucks sold at Dodge Dealers.

• Dodge took over Graham Bros in 1926, but the Brothers continued working on their beloved trucks.

• By 1928 the Trucks were built in Evansville, Indiana, Stockton, California, and a new plant built in Toronto.

• Chrysler took over Dodge in 1929 and the Graham name disappeared while the Dodge Brothers became just Dodge.

• Buying the Paige Motor Company  in 1927, the Graham brothers started building Graham Paiges and then just Grahams.

• With sales of 77,000 cars in 1929, the stock market hit their new Dearborn and Florida factories hard.

• Stumbling along through the depression, the start of World War II production gave them a new lease on life with $20 Million worth of war contracts.

• A few years after the war, Graham-Paige Motors sold all their factories and became just Graham-Paige.

• The new Graham-Paige was an investment company and ended up owning major sporting teams, Roosevelt Raceway in New York and the Madison Square Gardens in New York.

Specifications: Dodge-built L-head four-cylinder engine that displaces 212 cubic-inches and produces 35 horsepower.

4-speed transmission

157″ WB

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Williams Moving and Storage was founded in 1929 by George Williams Sr. to provided a moving service for new immigrant families in the Vancouver area. The Family-owned company expanded and grew to 14 locations and became one of Western Canada’s largest moving companies. George started Williams moving with one truck, a 1928  Graham.

George’s original Graham is lost to history. Eventually regretting its loss, the Williams family sought to find another. In November, 1985 they located and then purchased this fully restored 1-1/2 ton 1928 Graham, originally bought from a dealership in Rosetown SK.

It had spent much of it’s life in a machinery shed when it was not working on the farm Herschel SK. It was restored in Saskatoon SK and was owned by Advance Moving Systems of that City.

History of Graham Bros trucks

This BC Vintage Truck Museum report on the Graham Bothers Trucks was produced from various reports found online, inluding, From an article by Terry Parkhurst,

The three Graham Brothers, Joseph, Ray and Robert ran a successful glass factory in Evansville, Indiana in the early years of the twentieth Century. The copany was sold and became Libbey-Owens-Ford. Having some working capital they saw a need for trucks to service the growing industries and decided to go into the Truck business.  Starting in 1919 manufacturing kits to modify Ford Model Ts and TTs into trucks.

The Graham Brothers brand built a “Glider” or “Truck Builder” sample in 1919, the Graham Bros Trucks got customers to decide what components they wanted to use regarding Cabs and decks and even engine, transmission choices. The “Glider” consisted of a frame, sample cab, body, and a Torbensen internal gear drive. The torbensen unit was the rewar axle using internal gears instead of chain drive.

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With some experience eventually the Graham Brothers sold complete trucks and they caught the eye of the president of Dodge Brothers. In the rapidy growing truck marhet of the 1920’s, Frederick J. Haynes saw the need for Dodge to be in the business of selling heavy duty trucks but did not want to disrupt the production of passenger vehicles.

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The Graham Brothers signed an agreement with Dodge in April of 1921 to build trucks using Dodge drivetrains, and sold at Dodge dealers. Starting with a 1.5 ton pickups and then a one ton model all powered by that same four cylinder Dodge engine.

The Dodge Brothers bought a controlling amount of Graham Brothers in1925, then completing the fullpurchase in 1926. The three brothers continued on working on their beloved trucks, now produced in Evansville, Indiana, 1922, Stockton, California, in 1925 and a new plant built in Toronto in 1928. Although they enjoyed being part of a large dealer network, the entrepreneurial spirit drew them away after 2 years.

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With the purchase of Dodge brothers by Chrysler, on January 1, 1929, all trucks were called Dodge, instead of only the Dodge 1/2 ton pickup. The graham brothers name ended for trucks and Dodge Brothers became just “Dodge”.

Perhaps seeing the coming takeover of Dodge Brothers by Chrysler, the Graham brothers left an purchased the  Paige Motor Company  in 1927. Building automobiles under the name of Graham-Paige; and eventually just Graham.  Paige remained for the company literature and commercial vehicles. Selling 77,000 cars in 1929, setting up new factories in Dearborn Michigan and Florida seemed like a good idea. The Stock market crash hit them hard as it did almost all automobile manufacturers.

In 1920 and 31, Paige commercial vehicles were built  in small amounts but eventually ceased. A few other attempts followed in the 30’s including a modified Cord 810/812 converted to rear wheel drive and a Graham Sharknose Combination Coupe

Another failing auto venture saved by the war, Graham Paige ceased auto production in September of 1940 to focus solely on military contracts. Graham was awarded with $20 million worth of contracts throughout the span of World War II.

 After the war Graham-Paige was involved with Joseph W. Frazer (formerly of Willys-Overland), to prouce the low price rear engine “Fraser”.

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To build the Fraser they had to team up with Henry J. Kaiser, but eventually selling their interests inthe Fraser and also selling their Warren Avenue, Dearborn auto plant to Chrysler.

Graham-Paige Motors, dropping the word “Motors” from their name the new “Graham-Paige” and became an investment corporation and bought the  Roosevelt Raceway in New York

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and also operated several professional  New York athletic teams and ran Madison Square Garden.

In 1962, The Graham-Paige Corporation again changed their name to the Madison Square Garden Corporation in 1962. As owners of the Madison Square Garden, they made more money than they ever did in the Automobile business..

This BC Vintage Truck Museum report on the Graham Bothers Trucks was produced from various reports found online, inluding an article by Terry Parkhurst,

https://www.allpar.com/trucks/graham-brothers.html

http://1930dodgebrothersrv.blogspot.ca/2015/04/graham-brothers-trucks-and-graham-paige.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham-Paige

https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2016/04/Last-Graham-Standing—1929-Model-BE/3749572.html