Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-03-12
SPOT WHERE FIRST AUTO
RAN MARKED BY TABLET
Elwood Haynes Tested First
American Car Near Ko-
kOmo, Indiana.
DESIGNATED ny LARGE Sign
Memorial Il Erected ms RcsuIt Of
I"int Activity of IInosi~r stntc
Aufom"hflc Association md koko-
mo Chamber of Commerce.

KOkOMO. IND. March lI-As the
result OF the Joint activity Of the
Hoosicr State Automobile Association
and the kokomo Chamber of Com
ncrcc. Il memorial tablet was erect
cd on that stretch OF The Pumpkin
vine Pike, three miles southeast OF
this city. where. on July 1. 1884,.
Amcrica's first mocha nically success
ful automobile. conceived and de-
signed by ElwoOd Haynes. vas given
Its first road test
The tablet. III the form Of large
fiGn. dcsignatcs the exact spot where
MIR. Haynes and thoyc who accom-
panied him for the test FIRST set the
car that marked the beginning Of
tho automobile industry in America
In motion under It's own power. The
tablet bears a statement OF the i'm
portant event that took place there
twenty-cight years ago.
Many Witness Crrcru0ny.
The ceremony OF erecting the tab
let was witnessed by :iwood HAYNES,
president OF The Haynes Automobile
Company. Alton g Scibcrling. vice
president and general manager OF
that company: Willis IL. Dye. prcsi-
dent OF the T, j. Dye &. Son Lumber
Compary. which constructed the tab
let: W. " &rnctt. secretary OF the
hbk'0N ' manner O' commerce. ana
numb"r OF other REPRESENTATIVE
citizens ot Ko&umo. The formal
ceremony 81 dcdicntinr tho tablet
was conducted by NJ l. Soblc,. Of
Indianapolis. an official OF the IIoos-
Ter state Automobile Association.
When the table. was ia plac. and
after tho !"dicatory words had been
offered. Elwp"d Haynes made "A brief
address, ia which h. said.
1T seems only q snort while since
drove that snortiur 'horscless car
r!agc' over this road. At that time
/ thought that possibly hundreds Of
persons would eventually gee Tho adj
rhntagcs of my contraptlnu over the
horse and buggy. hut did not re-
n!izc that There ever would be more
than ten and onc-half million auto
mobiles In use, MOULDING the habits
OF the nation.
Feels Highly Hnnnr-d.
In having this table, erected In
coninemoration OF my nrst road test
IN 49,. | feel most highly huuorcd
and want Ia extend my hcartios, and
hinccrcst appreciation 20 those who
made IN" marking OF this historical
spot reality. Many have asked me-
IN the past why this was not done
before hu. aS You know, IL remained
for others TO actually do it Eoku-
mo IS riThttully entitled to rccogni-
ton throughout the world for the
succcsstnl beginning Of the auto,ur-
hil" industry. and this tablet viii hc
tho means ~ getting IL more posi-
lively than ever before"
About TWO months ago. w A. p
John. a writer 90 note on tho stan
Of Motor. tn" national magazine o.
motoring. paid visit ia kokomo TO
interview Elwood haynes for an au-
thcn'ic story 81 tn" first tcs, trim
An excellent ariiCl" appeared shortly
after In the January, 1922. is>u" OF
that publication. 1t Is believed that
81 was due 10 this story, which was
reproduced IN "a substantial part I'm
tho Tribune, that Immediate action
was started 20 mark tho historical
spot where Eiwoua Haynes startled
tho country by his "horsclcss car
riaEc" and convinced skcptics that
IL would run. kokomo's pride was
aroused and now kokoiro has what
that magazine said IL should have had
many years ago.
The tablet erected constitutes only
temporary marker for tho histnri-
cal spot 1t is the expectation that
In due season IL viii he replaced by a
permanent mcmorial--a shaft OF
granite bearing bronze tablet 1t
ncnt marker he provided and installed
In time 10 permit of its formal dedi-
cation on July I. next, which vii! he
tn" twcnty-cighth anniversary Of the
Haynes cars first trip.