If you’re from the Bellevue area, you’ve likely heard the name Kemper Freeman. But did you know that back in 1906, there was a fascinating connection between the Freeman family and the Lozier family?
Kemper Freeman Jr., a third-generation Bellevue resident, comes from a family deeply rooted in the city’s history. His grandfather, Miller Freeman, was a prominent figure in state politics and public affairs, playing a key role in advocating for the development of a bridge connecting Seattle, Mercer Island, and Bellevue.
Meanwhile, in the early 1900s, the Lozier family was making waves in the automotive industry. Their first prototype car was completed in 1904, and by 1906, they had produced 56 vehicles. By the following year, Lozier’s four-cylinder engine was generating an impressive 60 horsepower—a significant feat for the time.
It was during this era that Miller Freeman acquired a Lozier automobile in an unconventional way. In 1906, he traded a forty-foot motorboat for a Lozier Model H Touring—a “very tony car” of its time. A historic photograph captures Freeman at the wheel, accompanied by his wife, Bess Bogle, and their two young sons: Kemper, seated on his mother’s lap, and William, perched on a suspended seat on the port side.
The Lozier Model H Touring was an advanced vehicle for its time. A rear-wheel-drive automobile with a front-mounted engine, it featured a two-door tourer body, a naturally aspirated 7.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 45 horsepower, and a four-speed manual transmission.
COLORIZED MODEL H
Lozier’s reputation for luxury and performance continued to grow. By 1912, the brand was making headlines, with a Lozier automobile appearing on the cover of Motor Age magazine on March 21 of that year. Touring car models sold for an astonishing $5,000, while limousines commanded $6,500—both princely sums at the time.
This unique historical crossover between the Freeman and Lozier families serves as a fascinating glimpse into the early days of both Bellevue’s development and the evolution of the automobile.
