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Lancaster, CA. September 23, 2025 -- The Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) and the Antelope Valley Rural Museum (AVRM) are thrilled to announce an exciting partnership that will see MOAH's 1902 Oldsmobile on display at AVRM, located at the AV Fair and Event Center, until May 2028. The Oldsmobile was on view during the 2025 Poppy Festival as a symbol linking the Valley's past and present. This collaboration highlights "this early marvel of the age" as a reminder of the Antelope Valley's rich history and optimism for the future.
Purchased in the 1920s by the late Glen Settle, longtime Valley resident and former owner of Rosamond's Tropico Gold Mine, this 1902 Oldsmobile Model R heralded the Valley's ongoing expansion. Also known as the Curved Dash, the Model R was the first mass-produced automobile, one of 2,500 produced that year. As a teenager, Settle found the car in an old barn in Tehachapi, and his $150 acquisition became an advertising tool for the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and a local air show, which attracted the attention of pilots Amelia Earhart and Lee Miles. Both Earhart and Miles drove Settle's Oldsmobile around the Antelope Valley.
Glen and his wife, Dorene, were avid collectors and generous donors to MOAH. The Settles left an indelible mark on the AV, and their prized car was no small part of that story. MOAH is proud to work with AVRM in honoring both their legacy and that of this vehicle. The vintage Oldsmobile may be a beacon of progress from a bygone era, but it is a reminder of the spirit of forward-looking innovation that still drives the Lancaster community today. The museums invite the public to see the Oldsmobile and many of the other local and historical objects on view at AVRM.
The Antelope Valley Rural Museum, AVRM, is a California non-profit (501c3) dedicated to preservation, exhibition, and education. The AVRM motto is From Arrowheads to Aerospace. The museum features a timeline of Valley history, early history of Native Americans, a veteran display, agricultural/rural displays, aerospace displays, and cultural displays. The museum also has vehicle displays, in which the 1902 Oldsmobile Curved Dash, on loan from MOAH, will be a centerpiece. AVRM is located at 2551 W. Ave H, at the AV Fair and Event Center, and is open from 10 AM to 2 PM on the first and third Saturdays of each month, and by appointment for small events and field trips. Learn more at avmuseum.org.
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