A historical ride

If you visit Lane Southern Orchards inGeorgia, you may recognize the new tour vehicle: It’s a custom-built replica of the famed Blue Bird No. 1 school bus.

Like Blue Bird, Lane Southern Orchards is located in Fort Valley. The school bus OEM, which built its first bus more than 80 years ago, presented the replica to the orchard in a ceremony in early May. It is specially crafted to accommodate tour groups. A second replica of Blue Bird No. 1 for the orchard is currently under construction.

Previously, visitors to Lane Southern Orchards took tours in a specialized cart pulled by a truck. The farm also has a long history — it has been growing peaches and pecans for more than 100 years.

In addition to their historical significance, Blue Bird and Lane Southern Orchards are both major employers in the Central Georgia region.

Blue Bird No. 1 was built by Albert Luce Sr., who owned Ford dealerships in Fort Valley and Perry, Ga. In 1927, one of Luce's customers requested a vehicle to transport workers to a cement plant. Luce bought a wood-bodied bus and sold it to the customer, but the wood deteriorated before the customer could finish paying for it.

Luce researched other bus-building techniques and constructed a body using steel angles and channels, steel sheets, wood and canvas. He then mounted it to a Ford Model T chassis. The new bus was sold to Frank Slade of Marshallville, Ga.

In 2008, Luce’s son Albert “Buddy” Luce Jr. donated the original Blue Bird No. 1 to The Henry Ford, a group of historical sites in Dearborn, Mich.

— Thomas McMahon, Executive Editor