Dale County AlArchives News.....Ozark's First  Automobile February 18 1987
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Christine Thacker http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00033.html#0008100 April 24, 2004, 4:00 pm

Southern Star
The History Corner  (Southern Star February 18, 1987 )

    OZARK'S FIRST AUTOMOBILE
    By Creel Richardson

  In July and August 1938 three members of the Dowling family- Y.D.
Dowling, Mrs. C.W. Dowling, and B.C. Dowling- recounted their memories of 
Ozark's first automobile. Their accounts were published by the Editor of The 
Southern Star. Y.D. Dowling and Mrs. C.W. Dowling's recollections are included 
in this issue of The Corner. B.C. Dowling's version will be presented in the 
next issue of The Corner.
                    Y.D. Dowling
  The question has often been asked "when was the first automobile received in 
Ozark? And by whom? Thanks to Mr. Y.D. Dowling a brief history of the arrival 
of Ozark's first automobile has been obtained and it is interesting to relate 
Young's description of the "contraption" and the incidents connected with its 
operation. 
  Ozark's first automobile was purchased by Marvin McDonald in 1906,
the car, a 1904 model, was purchased second-hand and shipped from Chicago. The 
story, as related by Mr. Dowling, is that the auto arrived in Ozark in June, 
1906 and was unloaded at the freight depot by Mr. McDonald and Fete Ross, 
assisted by a large crowd of young boys who were anxious to see and ride in 
their first automobile.                       
  The "contraption" was a 1904 Stern, then a popular make car. Marvin McDonald 
was superintendent of the city's light and water plant and Fete Ross was his 
fireman. Both had a fair knowledge of Machinery but not enough to make the 
automobile run after it was unloaded. 
  Eager youngsters volunteered to push the auto to assist Mr. McDonald and Fete 
to "make the thing run."The auto was pushed to the top of Union Avenue through 
the sand, to the front of the H.A. W. Martin residence. Then with great effort 
the youngsters would push the '04 Stern back to the power plant, but start, the 
car would not. Repeated attempts, up and down the hill failed to get results, 
and Young Dowling tells us that for days the only person who got a ride was 
Marvin McDonald who was in the drivers seat "keeping the contraption in the 
road...
  Finally, in desperation, Mr. McDonald had the auto pushed up to the power 
plant where he and his fireman began to "tinker" with the engine, checking the 
wiring, the many pipes and gadgets and this was the
beginning of Fete Ross' career as an automobile mechanic.
  After awhile the engine showed signs of life and at brief intervals
would "cough and puff" up and down Union Avenue giving the boys of the
town just enough "ride" to compensate for all the "pushing" that was
necessary when it would "stall" in the heavy sand bed or refuse to climb the 
hill to Mr. Henry Martin's house.
  Mr. McDonald was never able to get the auto in good running condition except 
for short periods of time when it's two rear seats were filled with youngsters 
who furnished-most of the power for the joy rides.

                    Mrs. C.W. Dowling
  When this car was purchased, in Chicago it was a touring model used
for sight-seeing and entrance was from the center rear,later Mr. McDonald
built a different body on present day models, but minus a top. Sedans were not 
made then. However, he built a second body, and at this time he changed the 
gear to left side as first gear operated on right side. This required a lot of 
money as well as time, and the last figures recorded, show the expenditure for 
rebuilding to be over a thousand dollars. Mr. McDonald's ability to change the 
gear was marvelous as facility and equipment were lacking at that time.
  The first trip over town created excitement and every one came out to get 
their first view of an automobile. The car was equipped with an exhaust whistle 
and on the first trip up Troy highway on a Sunday afternoon Mr. McDonald blew 
the whistle in front of a negro church while services were being conducted. The 
negroes came out of the church at the most convenient exit and were alarmed to 
the extent that services were discontinued for the time being.
  While driving up Broad Street, Mr. Grady Corbitt, then a small boy, saw
the car coming and placed a log across the street. It was impossible to stop 
the car in time to avoid an accident and being near a ditch there wasn't room 
to pass. Mr. McDonald used his better judgement and kept to the street. The 
road was of sand and the log buried deep enough to permit the car to pass over. 
These events caused a lot of innocent mirth but no fear of accidents as the 
speed couldn't exceed fifteen miles per hour.
  The car was finally stored in the rear of Valentine's shop and if I am not 
mistaken it burned when the city truck and other supplies were destroyed by 
fire last year. 

   From the Newspaper Files of Harold Stephens.
   Scanned and submitted by Christine G. Thacker.   
   Permission to post any Southern Star article or pictures given            by 
Mr Joseph Adams, Owner, April.23, 2004.

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