Victor Rauch was a Renaissance man long before the phrase became popular.

He built wooden carriages, "electrified the Pleasant Corner area," sold Duro water systems – the beginning of indoor plumbing, and built an early RV – a house car on a 1920 Hudson chassis.

"The turn of the century was a time of tremendous change and revolutionary way of doing things," said his son, Ray, during a 1987 presentation to the New Tripoli Lions Club.

Thanks to Victor's ledger, boxes of old photographs, yellowed newspaper clippings, advertisements and handwritten letters, Ray's children, Sarajane Rauch Williams and Stephen P. Rauch, have organized and preserved the family and community changes into an 80-page book titled "Rauch, Handwerk & Co., Builders, Jordan, PA: A Family's Contribution to Early Transportation and Commerce."

Although the Rauch story can be traced back to the 1500s in the Palatine region of Germany, the more relevant story starts with Victor's father, Joseph Rauch, who established a factory in 1864 in Lehigh County where he made and repaired wooden carriage and wagon wheels.

In 1885, Joseph moved to Pleasant Corner, originally named Holbenville.

By 1893, the business, operating under the name of the Pioneer Carriage Works, included the manufacture of farm wagons, huckster wagons and carriages.

According to the "Lehigh County History," Vol. III, the Rauch wagons were regarded as a "superior grade."

In 1903, Victor, in partnership with his-brother-in-law, Amandus Handwerk, purchased his father's business, and established Rauch, Handwerk & Co.

The factory, complete with a blacksmith shop, paint shop, and lumber shed, was a very early example of assembly line manufacturing.

By 1913, Rauch, Handwerk & Co. became a Buick automobile dealer, and, by 1925, most wagon manufacturing in the Lehigh Valley was finished.

During this time, Victor had to demonstrate and instruct prospective buyers how to operate a "machine."

A dinnertime story related by Victor was that of a customer with a thick Pennsylvania Deitsch accent.

He remarked the names of three great cars all began with the letter "P" – Packard, Pierce Arrow and his favorite, "Puick."

Rauch expanded his business ventures by becoming a dealer for Delco Light.

He sold 62 light plants to surrounding farms and businesses.

These light plants would run lights, a few small farm machines and early radios.

He also sold 50 Frigidaire washers, refrigerators and Duro (later to become Jacuzzi) electric water-pump systems.

By 1926, most everyone had a car in the garage, and the Rauch & Handwerk Co. dissolved with Rauch buying Handwerk's share of the business.

The business became an automobile agency and garage operating as V.D. Rauch Co.

Victor's daughter, Ella, also inherited the business mindset; she wanted to build a hot dog stand.

In 1928, Victor built The Jordan Inn for her instead.

The inn was sold several times and eventually, was renamed The Butternut Inn, which was destroyed by fire in 1997.

Sarajane said her father, Ray, inspired the family's love of history; before he died in 1996, he identified available family photos and relayed genealogical information.

The love of history is obvious in the book which is filled with original photos, detailed descriptions, and technical illustrations meticulously hand drawn by Stephen.

The book really was a "family affair," said Sarajane, who did much of the research and narrative, while Steve did the technical writing (with the help of his wife, Charlene) and Sarajane's husband, Ted, helping with the cover design and DVD production.

The book is available at planetharp.com.

A companion DVD of action shots from the 1930s of Rauch & Handwerk wagons and scenes from Pleasant Corner also is included.