Horses were used as a personal mode of transportation for hundreds of years until the automotive age dawned in the early 20th century. Up until that time, liveries in Plymouth offered an important service to residents and visitors alike. A livery was a business that rented or sold horses, carriages and drays, as well as boarded horses for travelers.
Harry Robinson owned a livery on what is now Penniman Avenue that he purchased in 1886. In addition to renting horses and buggies, the company sold carriages, cutters and sleighs as well as holding the contract for carrying the mail to the train depots from time to time.
The first automobile in Plymouth was purchased in 1902 by Clarence Hamilton, the designer of the first all-metal Daisy air rifle. It was a Haynes Apperson, manufactured in Indiana. Within a few years, several other Plymouth residents purchased cars, including a White Steamer, a Maxwell, a Ford, and a Cadillac.
In 1910, automobile sales were offered locally in two different ways: Conner Hardware offered pre-orders of the Maxwell Model AA, and Huston & Company had in-stock Fords that didn’t need to be ordered.
State licensing of automobiles started in 1905 at a cost of $2.
The rates of speed provided are not more than eight miles an hour in business districts of cities; fifteen miles in residence portions, and twenty-five miles on country roads. Automobilists, on signal from the driver of a vehicle drawn by a horse or team, must turn his machine to the right of the road and then stop, and he must halt until all danger of accident is past. Automobilists are also called on to assist the driver of badly frightened horses.1
Individual operator’s licenses weren’t required by the State of Michigan until 1919. Drivers had to be over 14 and pay 50 cents.
By 1914, Bonafide Manufacturing Company on Main Street near the railroad tracks stored and sold gasoline for use in automobiles. Myriad other businesses sprung up quickly in support of motorists’ needs, including service stations, auto parts stores and insurance companies.
The transition from horses to horseless carriages wasn’t smooth for all concerned. The new smells and sounds encountered on the road were jarring to horses, causing unforeseen circumstances. In addition, people were unaccustomed to listening for cars on the road, which resulted in a number of fatalities.
Tending to horses involved a different mindset than tending to cars. While horses needed constant food and shelter, autos didn’t need the same meticulous care. To many who enjoyed a slower pace of life, this transition was bittersweet.
The Plymouth Historical Museum will be closed for a major exhibit upgrade from July 1 to October 1. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Museum on October 2 to see both the new Victorian home, including a discussion of the transportation transition in about 1915, and our new exhibit, “First Ladies – Fashion Setters.”
1 “New Auto Law,” Plymouth Mail, June 16, 1905, p. 4.
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