The sleek black cab contrasts the rest of the truck’s bright red coloring with lettering that reads “Hotel Del Laundry” etched in gold.
This pristine image is a 1923 Ford Model T laundry truck that is very near and dear to the hearts of Coronado residents.
Her name is Isabella, and the Coronado Historical Association is celebrating her 100th birthday on Dec. 9.
More than a hunk of tin
This specific Model T came off of the Ford assembly line in 1923 and served as a laundry truck for the Hotel del Coronado until 1930.
It wasn’t until years later, after leaving the island, switching through many different owners and eventually coming back to Coronado, that the historic laundry truck was given its name.
Vickie Stone, the curator of collections at the Coronado Historical Association, said that the name “Isabella” is a play on the iconic Ford Model T nickname, “Tin Lizzie.”
Stone said that at one point, someone in town called the truck “Tin Izzie” after the street next door (Isabella Avenue) and the wife of one of the original owners of the Hotel Del (Isabella Babcock).
The name stuck.
But while a “Tin Lizzie” typically refers to an automobile that’s just a hunk of old tin, Coronado’s laundry truck, Isabella, is much more than that.
The Del’s only remaining laundry truck
She has a deep history in the community and has been refurbished repeatedly over the years.
After coming off of the assembly line, Model Ts could be augmented to fit different needs, and for the Hotel del Coronado, that need was a laundry truck.
Well actually, five laundry trucks.
In small gold letters on the side of Isabella’s red cab reads a No. 5, denoting the four other trucks that were previously commissioned to serve Coronado.
It remains a mystery what happened to the others, said Stone, but No. 5 was gifted to the original driver, Tom Wearden, upon his retirement from the Hotel Del in 1930.
Serving the community
Wearden drove the truck for seven years before retiring, and for those years, visited the houses of Coronado’s small population to pick up and deliver laundry.
During that time, the laundry at the Hotel Del not only serviced the guests, but also serviced the entire community.
“The trucks were really used for that community portion to deliver between the community and the hotel,” Stone said. “Often with the hotel, you just think of the guests there, but it shows how they had a huge connection to everybody who lived here and how much importance that relationship between the resort and the community has.”
Wearden drove the truck for personal use until he got in a fender bender in 1942. He let her rest until his death, and then his grandson, Captain Herb Underwood, restored the truck to a spotless condition in 1978.
Due to another change in ownership, the truck slipped through Coronado’s fingers from there.
Years passed, and she was forgotten.
Returning home
Flash forward to 2004 when the classic silhouette of a Model T—the Del’s Model T— was rediscovered in a barn in Paso Robles, about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles in one of the state’s premier wine regions.
Bruce and Alana Coons, members of the Historical Association, bought the truck, and then Coronado local Richard Kenney purchased the truck for the explicit purpose of CHA’s museum collection and educational uses in 2007.
The Laundry Truck now sits inside the entrance of the Coronado Historical Association Museum, but passed through many different hands before arriving safely through those doors.
Literally.
The truck fits through the double doors to the entrance of CHA’s Museum of History and Art, and is driven out for special occasions—like the Fourth of July Parade, Holiday Parade, MotorCars on MainStreet and her 100th birthday party on Dec. 9, of course.
100th birthday party on Dec. 9
From 4 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 9, attendees of the Laundry Truck’s 100th Birthday Party will take a step back in time to celebrate the history of the truck.
Along the block party on Park Place, there will be live music from the Coronado Community Band, a photo booth, a birthday cake, old-timey games and prizes for those who dress up in their best 1920s apparel.
“The Historical Association is so excited to be able to celebrate this birthday with the community.”
-Christine Stokes, Executive Director of the Coronado Historical Association.
“The Historical Association is so excited to be able to celebrate this birthday with the community,” Executive Director of the Coronado Historical Association Christine Stokes said. “It’s an opportunity for people to get a glimpse into some of the history that we maybe don’t think about every day.”
To keep Isabella healthy in her old age, and to help her make it to her 100th birthday party, it has taken the work of a group of dedicated volunteers with a mechanical knack for Ford Model Ts.
“The Laundry Truck crew”
Stokes said these volunteers are known as the “laundry truck crew” and they have continually restored the truck over the years.
Stone specifically mentioned Jeff Tyler’s work rebuilding the engine and his expertise on all things mechanical.
Doug Clarke, Rick Tugend, Bob Moses, Jim Ray, Bear Thorkelson, Bill Gise, Dave Landon and John Landon are also members of the crew who work to keep the Laundry Truck ready for events.
“We have a team of volunteers, and we could not take care of the truck without them.”
-Vickie Stone, the curator of collections at CHA.
“We have a team of volunteers, and we could not take care of the truck without them,” Stone said. “They’re so knowledgeable; they all have historic cars themselves, so they’re real big enthusiasts and we’re just so grateful for all of their help.”
To attend the 100th birthday party and see Isabella in all her pristine glory, purchase tickets on the Coronado Historical Association’s website. Tickets are selling fast and VIP tickets are sold out.
