1955 LTH , The adventurous sister .

[harrybarbon]

20 hours ago, 1961H67 said:

I really knew nothing of the Tennessee Walking Horse until I started researching this truck but it looks like they have a pretty big following. But that’s what the LTH was transformed from a work truck to a show truck to haul the Millers Show Horses , they had a trailer all dolled up that the LTH pulled. Unfortunately I haven’t found any pictures of them hooked together the only picture of the trailer is in a Walking Horse magazine from back in the 70s, and haven’t found any clue about it’s whereabouts. Here’s a picture of a flyer from the early 70s , it even has the Millers names still listed from Fairbanks Alaska , Later it was listed they were from Lewisburg Tennessee. In the picture of the magazine you can only see the rear tire of the truck hooked to the trailer. I would love to find a picture of it all together, and that annual Celebration in Shelbyville TN is a very big event,, I’m sure it was there many times throughout the 70s . Maybe one day a picture will pop up. 

H67, try contacting the race horse clubs or the race courses where their horse ran. Most often these clubs have a big history of material going back many decades. You could be surprised what treasures you might find. Good luck with your research. 

[1961H67]

Great idea, I have often thought about finding someone that attends the Walking Horse championships regularly over in Tennessee,,, I’ll keep looking for more information, there are a few people locally who have Tennessee Walkers, they have been to the National events, I mentioned 10Tucky and the Millers to them and they knew exactly who I was talking about, so they were a big deal back in the day, Kinda like Mentioning Petty Enterprise and Richard Petty around here , A big deal back in the day . 

[Mark T]

You can easily spend over an hour if you Google Tennessee Walking Horse, and not scratch the surface. At least that's what I found out last evening (lol)   Interesting story, from so many angles. 

[1961H67]

Yes you can, It’s big Money also! The way I understood John C Millers nephew, Joe Jaines continued to work in Alaska for a while and Mr Miller eventually sold his company ( Frontier Companies of Alaska Inc) in the late 70s . I think they relocated to Lewisburg Tennessee. Alan Abe’s father worked for 10Tucky as their Farrier  and Blacksmith, and also hauled the horses. There was a Lady, famous in the Walking Horse World named Billie Nipper, she was a artist, she did this painting of John C “ Tennessee “ Miller , if you look closely there’s horses, mules , some construction images. Miller gave Mr Abee a copy, his son Alan sent me this picture of it . 

Edited Thursday at 01:00 AM by 1961H67
Miss spelled

[mowerman]

wow,,,thats some beautiful work...and i always appreciate artists that throw stuff in there they dont really need excellent hand thanks for that,,,bob

[Brocky]

At a first glance he has a John Wayne look ?? And probably just as tough!!!

[mrsmackpaul]

 The lady I mentioned who had the Tennesse Walking Horses was Annie Wilkins 

A tough old lady amd the horse was called Rex

You probably need to read the book to learn more 

Here's a link to the lady and here riding adventures

Mesannie Wilkins - Wikipedia https://share.google/s1CH6dfTHyK29oapT

Oh yeah, John Wayne is a pretty interesting bloke, the more I learn about him the more interesting he was

 

Paul

[Mark T]

20 hours ago, mowerman said:

wow,,,thats some beautiful work...and i always appreciate artists that throw stuff in there they dont really need excellent hand thanks for that,,,bob

See Bob. One of those horses and almost looks like a walking dragline in the background.

[1961H67]

I found out a few more things about the Millers , mostly from his nephew and some from the Abees that worked for them. Evidently 10Tucky Stables & Farms was one of the most successful in the Walking Horse community in the 70s and early 80s . John C “ Tennessee “ Miller passed away in 1984 , His wife in the early 90s , they had no children. They left most of their fortune to Middle Tennessee University, Over 20 Million Dollars. The 154 acre complex was built with the money . They had an auction at 10Tucky Stables, Joe Jaines said he didn’t inherit the LTH , he was the highest bidder ( he never told me what he paid) . He brought it to White Pine , Tennessee . A few pictures, some staff at 10Tucky in 1978, The John C “ Tennessee “ Miller Colosseum. And a write up on his induction into the Walking Horse Hall of Fame.And 10Tucky as it looks today, privately owned. 

[FarNorth]

Interesting articles, thanks for posting. The yellow trucks with a red stripe, of Frontier Transportation Co. were a common sight in Alaska in the 70's and 80's. They did  quite abit  of the oversize/heavy haul/oil field related and other, during those years. Also were early users of long doubles in the early 80's (don't recall exact year) when the combination began being allowed in AK on certain routes. Trucks I recall seeing seemed to be all conventionals with a lift axle and also later some trucks adapted to  also attach a tag axle behind the rear rear drive axle. I don't recall seeing this Mack , seemed that most of the fleet were KWs with sleepers, (8v92 powered iirc) and in early 80's KW and Peterbilts, some w/ Cat 3406 also as I recall.

Edited Sunday at 01:59 AM by FarNorth

[1961H67]

I’m unsure if Frontier Transportation was one of his companies or perhaps it was the company he sold his business to, I think he sold out in the late 70s . But that may have been where he got the idea to paint it Yellow with a Red stripe, frame was also painted Red . I’ve found a lot of interesting information about this truck, but I’m sure there is some more information and hopefully pictures out there. I’ll continue to ask questions about it. Thank you for your help. 

 

[Brocky]

Here is a picture, from 2013, of one of the long doubles Far North mentioned above. The second picture is of a truck trailer combo I played hopscotch with on the approximately 250 miles from Tok AK to Dawson YK, 120 miles of which was dirt road.

 

 

[1961H67]

I looked up a old picture of Frontier Transportation in Alaska, this is from the 80s and does sort of have the  same paint scheme as the LTH , I know one of those articles says John C Miller was founder of the  “ Frontier Companies of Alaska “ so I don’t know what that includes,, if I get a chance in the next few days I’ll try to call Alan Abee who’s Dad worked for him, I haven’t talked to his nephew in a couple years but I’ll do some more research, clues like FarNorth posted is how I found a lot of history on this truck. I’ll dig up some pictures of how I decided to try to persevere the paint scheme. 

[Brocky]

The LTH looks great just as it is!!!!!! Presently it is in its historically relevant retired horse van operating colors. I would not paint it or change anything unless I found its true colors from Alaska???

[FarNorth]

Good photo of the FTC truck/lowboy with what looks like a large Terex loader, could be another FTC truck/lowboy next to it also. 

Iirc FTC was part of the group of companies, also Frontier Equipment Co, think there was also Pioneer Rock and Sand? and a couple? others I can't remember at this time. Also seem to recall Frontier had one of the Camps on the Slope. Will have to look and see if I have any info somewhere. Long time ago and working from memory at this point. FTC was also active in the 90's and as I recall was later purchased by a Lynden co.(Alaska West) don't recall what year.

Frontier Transportation had a large yard in Fairbanks and as I recall Frontier Equipment was also there next to it.

 

[1961H67]

According to Joe Jaines, Mr Millers nephew they had a top notch maintenance facility I think in Anchorage ( maybe Fairbanks also) . Some of the engine mounts, fan shroud, firewall modifications for the air compressor looks amazing being it was done in the middle 60s , and Joe also worked for the company on the North Slope ( that’s where he said he got frostbite) . He said they kept new Detroit engines waiting for retrofitting in the shop. And also liked Terex equipment because of the 2 stroke. Thanks for the information. Here’s a few pictures of the Detroit retrofit. 

[harrybarbon]

On 11/10/2025 at 10:44 AM, 1961H67 said:

According to Joe Jaines, Mr Millers nephew they had a top notch maintenance facility I think in Anchorage ( maybe Fairbanks also) . Some of the engine mounts, fan shroud, firewall modifications for the air compressor looks amazing being it was done in the middle 60s , and Joe also worked for the company on the North Slope ( that’s where he said he got frostbite) . He said they kept new Detroit engines waiting for retrofitting in the shop. And also liked Terex equipment because of the 2 stroke. Thanks for the information. Here’s a few pictures of the Detroit retrofit. 

H67, the cross member under the front pulley looks like a adapted railway line, or does it happen to look a railway line? 

[1961H67]

It’s heavy flat stock, cut , welded, finished smooth. All the fabrication is smooth and professional. 

[mrsmackpaul]

The shroud is huge, as in very long

The Detroit's are very odd shaped but trucks soon fitted the motors 

 

Paul

[Brocky]

3 hours ago, mrsmackpaul said:

The shroud is huge, as in very long

The truck definitely looks like they could have fitted a 12V71 instead of the 8V71??