Peter Clarence “P. C.” Redman

1886 - 1952

 

P. C Redman was born December 27, 1886 at Wilson, Kansas.  He was the seventh of nine children born to William Franklin Redman (1842-1928) and his wife, Marion Cunningham (Richardson) Redman (1855-1938).  P. C. Redman was married to his first wife, Sylvia Tressie Kirk (1888-1935), on October 17, 1906 in Abilene, Kansas and they moved to Greeley, Colorado where both P. C. and Sylvia had jobs as bookkeepers waiting for them in a sugar beet plant.  They moved from Greeley, Colorado to Wilson, Kansas in February of 1907.  The Redmans had two daughters: Marion (Mrs. LaVerne) Richardson (1907-?) and Maxine Virginia (Mrs. Nathan Ernest) Tyrell (1913-1998).  Sylvia Redman is buried in the Abilene Cemetery.

 

The Redmans sold what they owned in a public auction at Wilson, Kansas in February of 1911 and moved their family back to Abilene, Kansas where P. C. purchased Emerson E. Coulson’s Buick Garage west of the opera house in Abilene.  He changed the name to Redman’s Garage and opened his own automobile dealership selling both new and used Overland-Pontiacs and Maxwells.  He also rented space back to Coulson so he could continue to sell his Buicks.

 

The following is P. C. Redman’s incomplete racing record:

 

October 1, 1911 – ½ mile dirt oval – Central Kansas Fairgrounds at Abilene, Kansas

Car:  His own Model 10 Buick that Redman used every day in a hack (or taxi) service that he owned in Abilene.

Attendance:  1,000

Finish:  Won the 2nd heat race over a Chandlers racing car from Denver, Colorado.

Feature race winner:  Glenn Breed of Bushton, Kansas who was driving his own 1909 Model 17 Buick.

 

August 28, 1913 – ½ mile dirt oval – Central Kansas Fairgrounds at Abilene, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Finish:  Won the 10-mile Free-for-All race by default when a 1910 Flanders 20 driven by John F. “J. F.” Jersezy of Chanute, Kansas broke a hub at the start leaving Redman’s Maxwell as the only car running in the race.

Feature race winner:  Peter C. “P.C.” Redman of Abilene, Kansas who was driving his own Maxwell 25.

 

August 29, 1913 – ½ mile dirt oval – Central Kansas Fairgrounds at Abilene, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

         Redman won the 1st 15-mile, 30-H.P. race in 6:43.5 over Walt Matthews of Abilene who was driving a Regal.

         Redman won the 2nd 15-mile, 30-H.P. race in 7:39.0 over Walt Matthews of Abilene who was driving a Regal.

Finish:  Redman finished 2nd in the 10-mile “Free for All” race behind  Glenn Breed of Bushton, Kansas who was driving his own 1909 Model 17 Buick..

Feature race winner:   Glenn Breed of Bushton, Kansas who was driving his own 1909 Model 17 Buick.

 

July 4, 1914 – ½ mile dirt oval – North Central Kansas Fairgrounds at Belleville, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Finish:  Won $100 by placing second in the Free-for-All race behind W. W. Brown of Kansas City, Missouri who was driving his own Buick.

Feature race winner:  W. W. Brown of Kansas City, Missouri who was driving his own Buick.

 

August 28, 1914 – ½ mile dirt oval – North Central Kansas Fairgrounds at Belleville, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Finish:  Redman’s name does not appear in the published results of this race which was won by Albert Striegel of Kansas City, Missouri who was driving a 90-H.P. Stafford.

Feature race winner:  Albert Striegel of Kansas City, Missouri who was driving a 90-H.P. Stafford.

 

September 1, 1914 – ½ mile dirt oval – Cloud County Fairgrounds at Concordia, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Finish:  Redman finished 2nd to Glenn Breed of Chanute, Kansas in a heat race.

              Redman finished 4th in the feature race behind Glenn Breed of Chanute, Kansas who was driving his own 1909 Model 17 Buick; W. W. Brown of Kansas City, Missouri who was driving his own Buick and Paul Gee of Omaha, Nebraska who was driving a 90-H.P. Stafford Stafford owned by Albert Striegel of Kansas City, Missouri.

Feature race winner:   Glenn Breed of Chanute, Kansas who was driving his own 1909 Model 17 Buick.

 

On the morning of September 2, 1914, P. C. Redman was driving his Maxwell 25 racing car home to Abilene, Kansas from the races at Concordia, Kansas when he crashed head-on into an Overland driven by Walter Watt ¼ mile north of Talmage, Kansas.  Walter Matthews, a passenger in Redman’s car, was thrown from the vehicle and received several bruises.  His were the only injuries in the accident although both automobiles were “somewhat damaged”. 

 

September 8, 1914 – ½ mile dirt oval – Ottawa County Fairgrounds at Minneapolis, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Total Purse:  $350

Finish:  Redman entered these races but apparently did not get his Maxwell 25 race car repaired in time to compete in them.

 

September 9, 1914 – ½ mile dirt oval – Seneca Fairgrounds at Seneca, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Finish:  Redman finished in 3rd place in the 1st 2-car, 5-mile heat race behind Paul Gee of Omaha, Nebraska, who was driving a 90-H.P. Stafford owned by Albert Striegel of Kansas City, Missouri and Grover Cleveland. “Cleve” Willis of Hiawatha, Kansas who was driving his own Maxwell 25.

             Redman finished in 3rd place in the 2nd 2-car, 5-mile heat race behind Paul Gee of Omaha, Nebraska, who was driving a 90-H.P. Stafford owned by Albert Striegel of Kansas City, Missouri and Grover Cleveland. “Cleve” Willis of Hiawatha, Kansas who was driving his own Maxwell 25.

Feature race winner:  Paul Gee of Omaha, Nebraska who was driving a 90-H.P. Stafford owned by Albert Striegel of Kansas City, Missouri.

 

September 11, 1914 – ½ mile dirt oval – Seneca Fairgrounds at Seneca, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Finish:  Redman won the 1st 5-mile heat race over Grover Cleveland. G. “Cleve” Willis of Hiawatha, Kansas who was driving a Maxwell 25.

              Redman finished 2nd to Grover Cleveland. G. “Cleve” Willis of Hiawatha, Kansas in the 2nd 5-mile heat race.

Feature race winner: “P. C.” Redman and Grover Cleveland. G. “Cleve” Willis of Hiawatha, Kansas of Hiawatha, Kansas, both driving Maxwell 25s, each won $10 from the purse when they were named co-winners of this event behind Paul Gee of Omaha, Nebraska who was driving a 90-H.P. Stafford owned by Albert Striegel of Kansas City, Missouri.  Gee was named the “overall” winner of the races on this day.

 

September 22, 1914 – ½ mile dirt oval – Central Kansas Fairgrounds at Abilene, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Finish:  These races were postponed until September 26, 1914 due to rain.

 

September 26, 1914 – ½ mile dirt oval – Central Kansas Fairgrounds at Abilene, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Attendance:  2,500

Total purse:  $300

Finish:  Redman finished 2nd in the 1st heat race of the “county race” behind Nels Blondefield of New Cambria, Kansas.

               Redman’s Maxwell suffered engine trouble in the 1st heat race of the “county race” and finished in last place.

             Redman won the 2nd heat race of the “county race”.

              Redman won the 3rd heat race of the “county race”.

              Redman also entered the professional races but his name does not appear in the results for those races.  He did win $50 for his overall victory in the “county race”.

Feature race winner:  Paul Gee of Omaha, Nebraska who was driving a 90-H.P. Stafford owned by Albert Striegel of Kansas City, Missouri.

 

October, 1914 – ½ mile dirt oval – Wilson Fairgrounds at Wilson, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Finish:  Results of these races have yet to be located.

 

May 19, 1915 – ½ mile dirt oval – Salina Fairgrounds at Salina, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Finish:  These races were postponed until June 17, 1915.

 

June 17, 1915 – ½ mile dirt oval – Salina Fairgrounds at Salina, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Finish:  These races were canceled for an undetermined reason.

 

September 25, 1915 – ½ mile dirt oval – Central Kansas Fairgrounds at Abilene, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Finish:  These races were postponed until October 2, 1915 due to rain.

 

October 1, 1915 – ½ mile dirt oval – Clay County Fairgrounds at Clay Center, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Finish:  Redman finished 2nd in the 1st heat race behind Lee D. Hester of Iola, Kansas who was driving a Model T Ford “Bug” owned by Basil T. Barber who was also from Iola.

             Redman finished 2nd in the 2nd heat race behind Lee D. Hester of Iola, Kansas who was driving a Model T Ford “Bug” owned by Basil T. Barber who was also from Iola.

              Redman finished 2nd in the Free-for-All race behind Lee D. Hester of Iola, Kansas who was driving a Model T Ford “Bug” owned by Basil T. Barber who was also from Iola.

Feature race winner:  Lee D. Hester of Iola, Kansas who was driving a Model T Ford “Bug” owned by Basil T. Barber who was also from Iola.

 

October 2, 1915 – ½ mile dirt oval – Central Kansas Fairgrounds at Abilene, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Attendance:  Estimates ran from 1,500 to 6,000 but most agreed that 2,500 would be a more accurate estimate.

Total Purse:  $630

Finish:  Redman finished 3rd in the feature race behind Glenn Breed of Chanute, Kansas who was driving his own 1909 Model 17 Buick and Lee D. Hestor of Iola, Kansas who was driving a Model T Ford “Bug” owned by B. T. Barton, who was also from Iola.

              Redman won the “county race” finishing in front of O. L. Gribble of Marion, Kansas who was driving a National.

Feature race winner:   Glenn Breed of Chanute, Kansas who was driving his own 1909 Model 17 Buick.

 

September 5, 1916 – ½ mile dirt oval – Ottawa County Fairgrounds at Minneapolis, Kansas

Car:  Redman’s own Maxwell 25

Finish:  Redman finished 3rd in the special stripped car final behind Rex Kent of Concordia, Kansas who was driving his own Studebaker “Six” and Leslie C. Dahlberg of Minneapolis, Kansas who was driving another Maxwell.  Redman stripped his high gear at the start and had to run the entire race in 2nd gear.

Feature race winner:  Rex Kent of Concordia, Kansas who was driving his own Studebaker “Six”.

  

By 1919, Redman had been appointed both a director of the Dickinson County Fair in Abilene, Kansas and the superintendent of the auto races run there.  By 1922, he was also named the official starter of the auto races run at the Central Kansas Fairgrounds and was universally acclaimed for the good job he did keeping the races organized.

 

Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen appointed Redman as one of three delegates to represent Dickinson County at the National Farm Congress held in Columbus, Ohio in October of 1920.

 

Redman had moved his family to Manhattan, Kansas in 1927 where he purchased a Pontiac automobile dealership.  Both of his daughters were stenographers and were employed at the Redman garage.  In 1933, Redman purchased a Ford dealership in Manhattan but then sold that business in August of 1944.

 

P. C. Redman was married to his second wife, a school teacher named Mrs. Cornelia M. (Weaver) Hashbarger (1903-1991) on May 29, 1937.  Their honeymoon included a trip to see the 1937 running of the Indianapolis “500” automobile race.

 

Redman and his wife moved to Estes Park, Colorado in January of 1945 where they purchased the 11-cottage Dicks Harbor tourist camp in Big Thompson Canyon.  Besides the cottages, the camp included a filling station and a general store.  After retiring from that venture, they moved back to make their home again in Manhattan.

 

Peter Clarence “P. C.” Redman passed away on October 26, 1952 in a hospital in Smith Center, Kansas after having suffered a stroke while visiting his wife’s parents at Esbon, Kansas a week earlier.  He is buried in Highland Cemetery, ten miles north of Esbon in Jewell County, Kansas.  Besides his wife and two daughters, Redman was survived by two grandchildren.  His wife, Cornelia, has since passed away in Manhattan, Kansas and is buried beside him.

 

If you know anything more about Peter Clarence “P. C.” Redman, please contact Bob Lawrence at: sprintguy @ cox.net

 

 

 

 

Autograph signed in 1917

 

Autograph signed in 1942

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to:

Joann Layton