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Although being exciting and getting one to their destination faster, owning one of the new rubber tire automobiles in the 1920's could definitely prove to be a challenge. Many perils awaited most of the owners, and also proved a danger for the traditional travel of the horse and buggy.
From the archives of The Crittenden Press we can read many of these adventures of our fellow citizens of yesteryear. Looks like the reporter for the paper was kept pretty busy keeping up with all the automobile news.
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Oct. 19, 1911 - Narrow escape. Sunday afternoon the horse driven by R. A. Rodgers, to this runabout became frightened at a passing automobile and was soon unmanageable. After rearing and plunging he fell and broke the shafts and otherwise damaged the vehicle which was a new and handsome one. Mr. Rodgers was accompanied by his wife and son. None of the occupants were hurt, as they escaped by jumping out, and were only badly frightened by their experience.
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Nov. 12, 1920 - Three automobiles have been destroyed by fire in this county, all within the past week.
A Ford belonging to Fred Crayne was burned Saturday night. Mr. Crayne was driving the car when the machine caught fire from a short circuit.
C. M. Dillard, of Marion, lost a Inland truck by fire Saturday while on is way to Rosiclare, Ill. The fire originated as above while he was driving near Sheridan. The flames fro m the burning machine ignited the dry leaves and the woods caught fire resulting in the burning of a fence.
A Ford car belonging to Frank Butler caught from back fire in the carburetor while being driven near Frances Sunday and was destroyed. All these machines were insured.
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Loses Foot In Automobile Accident. Thursday morning of last week an automobile accident occurred on South Main Street, in which Hally Wilcox, colored of this city was seriously but not fatally injured.
Wilcox was riding on the fender of T. C. Bennett's car, driven by Walter Fritts who was driving close behind the car of Carl Henderson. As they neared the top of the hill on South Main, the cars met Fonnie Belmear in his “Lizzie.” The dust was so dense that the second car and Mr. Belmear's crashed in which the Negro was injured. He was taken to the hospital at Paducah where his foot was amputated.
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Aug. 5, 1921 - Car Runs Away
Thursday morning about 9:30 Elzie Moore who works at Cochran's Garage cranked a Chevrolet car that belonged to Cochran and Co., after he had filled it was gas and oil. The car was in gear and before Mr. Moore could get in the car started backward down the street. It ran into a buggy belonging to Mr. George Conditt and threw him out.
The horse became frightened and ran away, doing considerable damage to the buggy. The car backed into Mrs. Mary Cameron's front porch and stopped. No one was injured.
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Sept. 1, 1922 - Injured In Auto Accident
Wednesday morning while Mr. J. Hicklin was motoring near the Cave-in-Rock landing he met with a rather painful though not serious accident. The roads in that section are nothing to brag about and while he was going along the car ran against a stump.
When the car wheel hit the stump Mr. Hicklin struck the windshield of his car bruising and cutting his face in a number of places. He drove home and had the wounds dressed and it is reported is doing well. The car was uninjured.
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July 28, 1923 - Automobiles Collide
A Star automobile, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Willie George of Salem, and Mr. and Mrs. Press Guess, while being driven on Bellville Street opposite the residence of Mrs. Clara Carnahan Sunday afternoon, collided with a Ford car driven by Sig Hopson, slightly injuring Mrs. George and badly damaging both machines.
A buggy being to the right of the approaching car, Hopson in trying to pass, collided with the other car as it met the buggy.
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Buggy's Beware - On last Sunday as H. B. Hamby was driving in a buggy in the vicinity of Haffaw Mines near Mexico, he was run into by an automobile and the buggy wrecked. Mr. Hamby escaped with slight injuries, as also did the horse.
The driver of the machine was not reported.
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May 23, 1924 - Auto Overruns Cow.
Sat. afternoon as Squire Charles LaRue was driving a cow along the Salem Rd. near J. E. Sullengers place, the animal was overrun by an automobile driven by George Dowell of Tolu, dislocating the lower joint of the cow's leg. The collision is reported to have been purely accidental or unavoidable, the cow delaying or refusing to give the necessary right of way until it was too late for the driver to stop his machine. Dr. Slayden was called to set the injured limb.
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Three persons were painfuly injured Sunday when an auto driven by Mrs. Earl Stephens was over-turned near the R. H. Enoch place on the Morganfield Road. The car was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Earl Stephens, Misses Ada Barnes, Jewell Dean Glore, Nellie Belt, Gladys Barnes and Messrs. J. D. Glore and Arnold Travis. The following persons were injured in the accident: Jewell Dean Glore - gash behind ear and bruises, Ada Barnes, gash on right cheek, Gladys Barnes - cut across nose. Dr. Cook dressed the wounds.
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June 20, 1924 - Two Injured
Lonnie James and Cecil Sigler, young men of near Marion, were seriously injured Sunday afternoon on the Marion and Princeton road when their automobile was struck and run over by another car.
Sigler who was driving and his companion were going south and overtook another car driven by a Mr. Gilland. Sigler in passing Gilland's car swerved too quickly in front of it and was struck and turned over.
James suffered two broken ribs, a cut on the chin, besides several minor cuts and bruises. Siglers ankle was dislocated, his left arm and small bones in his hand were broken.
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While Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Caps, who reside near Mexico, were returning home from Princeton one day last week the automobile in which they were traveling went over a culvert, turned turtle and threw the occupants out resulting in a broken rib for Mrs. Capps. Dr. Cook dressed the wounds of the injured woman and she is reported to be improving.
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July 1924 - More Accidents
Mr. A. C. Babb, while driving on N. College St. was painfully, but not seriously hurt in an automobile accident. The rear axle of the machine struck some high stepping stones and Mr. Babb was thrown forward on the windshield, resulting in the loss of one tooth and being considerably bruised and shaken up. His car was also considerably damaged.
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Last Sunday as P. P. Paris, of near town was driving on the Marion and Princeton road near Crider, his car, a new Chevrolet, was struck by another car and badly damaged. Mr. Paris while going South and while passing some buggies was met by a Ford car, which is stated, was going at a high rate of speed, which collided with his car. Mr. Paris was slightly injured by bits of broken glass. None of the occupants of the other care was reported injured. Both cars were damaged.
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