Nita Thurman

The first automobiles seen in Denton probably were two Oldsmobiles driven by men from Dallas who came to Denton by way of Plano and McKinney and were headed west, according to historian C.A. Bridges’ History of Denton, Texas.

Nevertheless, horse-drawn car­riages were still the most common form of transportation in Denton, rather than walking and horseback, of course, for several years.

By 1908, Dr. Bridges said, there were several automobiles about town, and by the summer of 1909, new cars were appearing at the rate of one or two a week.

Those first autos were called horseless carriages because that is exactly what they looked like. Their bodies were designed like carriages, but their horsepower came from a combustion engine rather than a horse or horses harnessed to a shaft that pulled the carriage.

Even the same names were sometimes used. A Phaeton was a light four-wheeled carriage with open sides in front of the seat, generally drawn by one horse, and with some type of top to shelter the driver.

Phaeton also was the name for a body-style of early automobile, one with four wheels, of course, and often open all the way around from the top of their doors to a covering on top.

Denton County began registering cars in 1907, Dr. Bridges wrote; by January of 1920, there were 2,700 motor-powered vehicles in Denton County, including 2,421 automobiles and several hundred more vehicles such as cabs, hearses, fire trucks, motorcycles and ambulances. Some of the cars were electric.

An advertisement in a 1924 Denton Record-Chronicle was definitely a sign of the times. Bert Fowler of Alamo Storage was offering for sale Goodyear balloon tires and a pony, saddle, bridle and blanket. Anyone interested could call Mr. Fowler at Phone No. 28.

Balloon tires were one of the improvements automobile manufacturers were making as their product became so popular. Tires with air-filled tubes were replacing the old hard-rubber tires.

In 1925, Evans Bros. advertised five new styles of Stude­bakers including Phaetons, roadsters, coupes and sedans. The 50-horsepower Standard Six was built on a 113-inch wheelbase.

The Special Six boasted 65 horsepower and was on a 120-inch wheelbase. The biggest Studebaker was a Big Six on a 120-inch wheelbase with 75 horsepower. The Big Six would carry seven passengers.

“Genuine and full-size balloon tires are on all models,” according to the September 1925 advertisement, and the car’s gears and everything else were designed for the “real” balloon tire. Hydraulic, four-wheel brakes were optional.

The Standard Six roadster, with a pricetag of $125, was the lowest priced of the Studebakers.

Along with the automobile, of course, came all the support businesses.

Bert Fowler at the Alamo Garage opened the first drive-in filling station (that’s what service stations were first called) followed closely by E.J. Headlee at the Triangle Station, according to Dr. Bridges. Gasoline was selling at 10 cents a gallon.

On July 24, 1924, the Crescent Filling Station advertised “The Best Gasoline, Best lubricating oil, Best service; We do vulcanizing, handle tires and tubes and look after your car as it should be done.”

The demand for fuel apparently was so great that filling station managers rebelled.

A news item in that September 1924 newspaper reported that the mayor of Denton was leading a move to close all filling stations in Denton on Sundays.

“Station owners requested the day of closing so they might have a day of rest,” said the article.

Gasoline would be available on Sundays to doctors, for ambulances and other emergency vehicles, city officials pledged, when the Sunday closing became official.

Another advertisement offered Buicks. A carload — presumably a railroad car — of 1925 Buicks had just arrived at Smith Ham­ilton Motor Co.  “Call 268 for a demonstration,” the company offered. 

Smith-Hamilton also sold Good­year and Diamond tires and was willing to take in used tires, either regular tire or balloon tires, as trade-ins.

Another improvement was the self-starter, which did not be­come common until after 1920. Until then, motorists had to hand-crank the motors to get the cars started. Crank kickbacks often led to broken arms.

The newfangled balloon tires also had their problems. They may have made the rides much more comfortable, but they also made punctures and blowouts so common that every automobile had a tool kit containing tire repair materials, a jack and a hand pump. Even so, the automobile obviously was here to stay.

NITA THURMAN can be reached at nitathur@aol.com