Early autos and their drivers in our area
The arrival of the automobile in the Southwest Alabama/Northwest Florida region marked the beginning of a departure from the slower travel of the horse and buggy and heralded the beginning of the end of the dominance of train travel.
An 1896 newspaper account of the arrival of the automobile in the area noted that the "automobile was here to stay." This era is perhaps best summarized by the fictional tale of William Faulkner's town of Jefferson, Mississippi where automobiles were outlawed in the town by Mayor de Spain. While no such harsh ordinances are known to have existed in Escambia County, several local laws did seek to regulate the flow of automobile traffic according to a Pine Belt News article of June 17, 1909 which recited the following prohibitions:
1. The state speed limit was 8 miles an hour.
2. An auto must be registered with the state.
3. No auto propelled by steam, gasoline, electricity or other source of energy shall pass a person driving a horse or other domestic animal or foot passengers walking in the roadway of the highway at a greater speed than 8 miles an hour and in no instance may a motorist pass a school or church while in session at a speed greater than 8 miles per hour.
Preceding the automobile craze was the bicycle. A bicycle sold at Luttrell's Hardware in 1896 commanded the handsome price of $35. In September 1896 W.A. Norsworthy and J.C. Johnson took an extended bicycle ride from Alco to Pensacola.
The first bona fide ownership of an automobile in Escambia County is said to have involved a 1905 Pope-Toldeo brand auto which was co-owned by Dr. D.C. Burson, Morse Brooks, L.G. Brooks and Mrs. Minnie Brooks Hayes.
By 1907 Mr. Troutman and several others in Canoe, Alabama owned automobiles and proudly displayed them alongside the store fronts of Canoe long enough to pose for a photograph. The same year Mr. James A. Jernigan, B.F. Jernigan and Gordon Parker made a trip to Pensacola from Brewton in less than 6 hours.
In 1909 the first known service garage for autos was built in Brewton. The arrival of the automobile created many challenges for local governments. Streets and roadways were widened to accommodate the vehicles and the pig trails which ran through the piney woods of the area were improved. Early on some counties took matters into their own hands. Santa Rosa County Florida began a highway project and created a brick-paved roadway for several miles across the county.
Automobile accidents were a constant theme that accentuated the age and many accidents occurred around the Murder Creek Bridge area.
In the early years of the automobile many brands existed which today are only found in museums. Great Western was one such brand. Other brands such as Ford and Buick are household names. Ransom Olds of Oldsmobile fame is created with streamlining production and making cars affordable beginning around 1902. Henry Ford was able to emulate the success of Oldsmobile on a grander scale beginning in 1914.
After the arrival of the Ford Model "A" and Model "T" things would never be the same. Ford managed to produce a relatively low priced automobile that would hold up to the rigors of the American road.
Success would create challenges of its own. A new Ford car came off the assembly line every fifteen minutes. Ford's assembly line was so successful that painting the automobile became a problem. Only Japan Black would dry fast enough to allow the assembly line to keep moving at the break neck speed required by Ford and this in turn forced the company to drop the variety of colors available before 1914.
Ford made the remark that an individual "could by a Ford in any color as long as it's black." In 1914, an assembly line worker could buy a Model T with four months' pay. This in turn led to the advancement of American society over other nations of the era in that middle class advancement was within the reach of anyone willing and able to work for it. This was in sharp contrast to the socialism which was beginning to take hold in Europe at the time which propounded looking to government for relief.
As Henry Ford's Detroit began to produce more and more automobiles the quiet side roads and trails of Alabama came alive with the sound of the automobile.
The book Shadows and Dust III: Legacies is now available for purchase. The hidden history of our area is documented through ten years of All Things Southern articles. Shadows and Dust III is available online at Lulu publishing.com or by sending $35 (this includes shipping-the book cost without shipping is $30) to Kevin McKinley at PO Box 579 Atmore, AL 36054. Also available: Shadows and Dust I and II and Canoe: History of A Southern Town Shadows and Dust I and II and the Canoe book are available for $20 each
