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November 26, 1929. "Thanksgiving turkeys for the President." Two feathered and one automotive. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size.
Behind these estimable fellows is the State, War, and Navy Building (known today as the Eisenhower Executive Office Building), so they are quite near their ultimate destination, the White House.
The Viking was no turkey, though it ended up having a very short automotive life (thanks to a little economic problem in October 1929). It was made by General Motors as a more upscale companion car in the Oldsmobile line and introduced for the 1929 model year. It even had some mechanical innovation to its engine. Unfortunately, introducing a luxury car line in 1929 was really, really bad timing. GM continued making the Viking in 1930, but all new car sales were dismal that year. Though there is such a thing as a 1931 Viking, the 1931 model is said to be the leftover parts from the 1930 cars that were never made, because they didn't sell. The marque was discontinued in 1931.
In 1956 when I was in middle school, a retired neighbor couple had a Viking automobile that was still in great condition.
President Herbert Hoover's turkey that year came from the "Lake Shore Manor" farm of Mrs. August Neubauer on Lost Lake near Gilbert, Minnesota. The First Lady's turkey came from the farm of Walter Bernsten near Duluth. The Arrowhead Association's original plan was to fly in a single flightless bird for the president (with C.R. "Dusty" Rhodes as the pilot). However, after a second bird was added, the resulting shortage of "crate space" in the plane (and fear that cold temps in the air would endanger their lives) transformed the expedition into a road trip. Their escorts were Roy D. Drake, West Duluth automobile dealer, and Hiram P. McBride, correspondent of the Duluth Herald.
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