Clintonville in Waupaca County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Four–Wheel Drive
Photographed By Keith L, May 31, 2008
1. Four–Wheel Drive Marker
Inscription.
Four–Wheel Drive. . In this machine shop, in 1908, Otto Zachow and William Besserdich developed and built the first successful four-wheel drive automobile. Their first car, the “Battleship”, soon proved that it "could go anywhere a team of horses could go” and led to the founding, in 1909, of The Badger Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, (word “Badger” dropped in 1910 and name changed to FWD Corporation in 1958). Government interest in motor vehicles and the success of the four-wheel drive in early military tests caused the company to switch from cars to the manufacture of motor trucks. In two World Wars, U.S. and Allied armies won the battle of transport with military vehicles of four-wheel drive design. As civilization moves on to new horizons, transportation and progress are served by trucks invented and built in this community using the Zachow-Besserdich principle of applying power to all wheels of a vehicle.
In this machine shop, in 1908, Otto Zachow and William Besserdich developed and built the first successful four-wheel drive automobile. Their first car, the “Battleship”, soon proved that it "could go anywhere a team of horses could go” and led to the founding, in 1909, of The Badger Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, (word “Badger” dropped in 1910 and name changed to FWD Corporation in 1958). Government interest in motor vehicles and the success of the four-wheel drive in early military tests caused the company to switch from cars to the manufacture of motor trucks. In two World Wars, U.S. and Allied armies won the battle of transport with military vehicles of four-wheel drive design. As civilization moves on to new horizons, transportation and progress are served by trucks invented and built in this community using the Zachow-Besserdich principle of applying power to all wheels of a vehicle.
Erected 1960 by the Wisconsin Historical Society. (Marker Number 102.)
37.278′ N, 88° 45.522′ W. Marker is in Clintonville, Wisconsin, in Waupaca County. Marker is on Memorial Circle south of 11th Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is between Pioneer Park and Olen Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Clintonville WI 54929, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 14, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 1, 2008, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,652 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on June 1, 2008, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. 2, 3. submitted on June 2, 2008, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.
