Colonel Albert Pope

This artifact image of Colonel Albert Pope is derived from a photo originally published in the August 11, 1909, Indianapolis News. The original photo supported an article that day reporting on the death of the great industrialist and visionary. Pope was a hard worker from his teens when he left school in the Boston area to assist his family after his father suffered severe financial setbacks. 
 
He had a brilliant military career during the Civil War, mustering out of the service as a lieutenant colonel. He returned to business, eventually recognizing an opportunity in the realm of the nascent bicycle industry, which was burgeoning in Europe. He formed the Pope Manufacturing Company and progressing with transportation technology he later entered the automobile industry. He launched the Pope Motor Company, a subsidiary of the manufacturing firm. Good roads advocate Pope introduced automobiles that were presented under several brands, including Pope-Hartford and Pope-Toledo.
 
The financial panic of 1907 produced hardship for Pope and some sources have suggested the stress involved ate away at his health, leading to his death in 1909.