By Matthew Harwood
December 9, 2025
Matthew Harwood is an archaeologist primarily working in the Southwestern United States. Matthew graduated from the University of Arizona in 2024 and has been working in CRM since. He hopes to attend an archaeological graduate program in the future to further advance his education. Matthew is primarily interested in historical archaeology in Arizona and the interactions between settlers and Native Americans during the American migration west.
For more about Apex or the Apex, Arizona Archaeology Project, visit our website or email Dr. Emily Dale at emily.dale@nau.edu.
Numerous vehicle parts, including spark plugs, tire fragments, oil filters, brake lines, and car body parts, have been found across Apex. While there is plenty of evidence indicating the presence of heavy-duty industrial machines at Apex, a significant number of artifacts point to the presence of at least one passenger vehicle.
A 1931 Saginaw and Manistee Lumber Company assets record shows that the company owned several vehicles, including a Fort Sport Coupe, Ford Tudor, and Ford Roadster, all Model A styles produced starting in 1927.
Through analyzing the various car parts and related artifacts found at Apex, it seems likely that at least one Ford Model T or Model A was present at Apex at various times throughout the lifespan of the site. Parts were identified using the Ford Motor Company Model T Manual published in 1913. The Model T was likely scrapped on site at some point before or during when Apex was dismantled, judging by the large car parts that were scattered across the site.
The lack of significant duplicate car parts at Apex indicates that most likely, one single, small vehicle was present. A rectangular ignition switch assembly reads “Ford” under the dial, and possibly dates between 1919 and 1925.
The only major car part of which more than one was present at Apex were two Ford Model T gas tanks. The presence of two gas tanks can be reasonably assumed to be from a replacement during the car’s lifetime.
All of the car parts are either confirmed to be Ford Model T compatible parts or at least visually resemble Model T parts. None of the unconfirmed parts point towards other car brands. For example, the broken frame of a Crysta Lites glass, rear-curtain light at the site was advertised as giving “the Ford that Finished Stylish Look”.
Additionally, every identifiable Arizona license plate found at Apex was registered in Coconino County and had a unique year, including 1928, 1930, and 1933. Since license plates were reissued yearly at the time, this further indicates only a single car was present.
Interestingly, most of the license plates were broken or folded in half. While researching, I was unable to locate any sources indicating why this practice occurred. I theorize that due to license plates being reissued yearly and essentially acting as a registration, the car owners would destroy or fold their plates to indicate that they had expired and were unusable.
Finally, a significant number of oil cans were found across Apex. The brands and viscosities of the oils varied but generally fell in the range of a small car engine. Cans from Pennzoil, the Continental Oil Company, and Union Oil Company were often marked with a viscosity rating of SAE 30. A Quaker State 10W Light Cold oil was also suitable for use in Model Ts. Other types of oil indicate use of heavier machinery, such as Lubrite Light Heavy SAE 40, which was used for heavy-duty diesel engines.
There is some potential evidence for at least one additional car. Harry Matson, the oldest son of Apex’s loader man, mentioned his family’s 1928 Chevy in an interview with Al Richmond. A photo of Harry with his father, Eric, and mother, Lily, in front their Apex home seemingly includes that car. As this was likely a personal vehicle, it’s possible the Matsons took better care of the car, leaving behind few pieces. A 1929 New Mexico license plate also suggests a second car was present at Apex.
References
Belmont Lubricants & Grease 2025 Can You Use SAE 40 Instead of 15W-40? Facts for Diesel Engines. Belmontlubricants.com. https://belmontlubricants.com/can-you-use-sae-40-instead-of-15w-40/, accessed November 19, 2025.
Elliot, Steve 2023 A match made in PR heaven: Arizona and (real) copper license plates | Department of Transportation. Azdot.gov. https://azdot.gov/adot-blog/match-made-pr-heaven-arizona-and-real-copper-license-plates, accessed November 19, 2025.
Ford Motor Company 1954 [1913] Ford Model T Instruction Booklet. 6th ed. Ford Motor Company, Detroit USA.
Richmond, Al 1984 Oral history interview with Harry E. Matson, 1984. Grand Canyon Railway Oral History Project.
Richmond, Al 1988 APEX: A Vanished Arizona Logging Community. The Journal of Arizona History 29(1):75-88.
Wikipedia 2025 Ford Model A (1927-1931). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Model_A_(1927%E2%80%931931), accessed 21 November 2025.