1903 Automobile Appearances

A year earlier, the automobile -- sometimes termed the "auty-mobile" -- made an appearance in the Fowlerville area, to great excitement. By 1903, horse and cars where meeting up more often. The following articles were found in The Fowlerville Review:

Ed Defendorf met an automobile while driving east of this village on Saturday last and the horse becoming frightened a general mixup occurred, but very fortunately he escaped with a few bruises.

F.G. Palmerton and wife and Mrs. W.W. Starkey of Saginaw, visited relatives here a few days since and was also giving his new autocar a work-out trip. They left here in the auto at 6:30 Friday morning, arriving at Bancroft at 7:50, Vernon 8:20 and Saginaw at 12 noon. The roads were in fair condition, except the last 20 miles, which is sandy and pretty deeply rutted. The car climbed the hills and took the sand very nicely and reached its destination in splendid condition, all bearings working easily and noiselessly and without friction. To the average American with nerve and get-there qualities, the autocar gives a delightful method of traveling.

And,

On Thursday afternoon a daughter of John Wilkers and a friend were driving into this village from the west, the horse became frightened at an automobile and throwing out the occupants of the carriage, landed the whole outfit in the ditch, the horse laying on its back. The top was torn off the carriage and the vehicle otherwise badly damaged. The autoists stopped their machine and helped right matters as far as possible.

But, back to the Palmertons,

F.G. Palmerton and wife of Saginaw, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Norris and son, were in Fowlerville part of last week. They came in Mr. Palmerton's new auto, which is one of the largest and handsomest ever seen in this vicinity.

The automobile was starting to be a bit more of a normal occurrence traveling through the village but few were owned by residents. In 1906, it made the paper when, J.C. Ellsworth has purchased a steam automobile.

And then, in 1909, C.D. Hamilton and S.T. Blackmer have each purchased new Reo automobiles, which makes ten autos now owned in the village. A week later, S.T. Blackmer, C.D. Hamilton, Deo Blackmer, E.P. Carr and G.L. Adams went to Lansing Tuesday and returned with the new Reo cars purchased by the two first named gentlemen. They certainly are fine running machines.

Also, a suggestion was in place that, Automobiles for country use ought to be equipped with cow-catchers.