This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Fifty Years Ago in Southern Illinois Roads and Cars
A nostalgic recollection traces the arrival of the automobile in rural southern Illinois from 1909 to 1920. The piece notes early models, horse drawn transport, and the shift from surreys to touring cars, with social changes, road conditions, and local personalities shaping the transition. It mentions venues around Nashville Hoyleton Vandalia and families like Bundy, Kissner, Perkins, and Ballance, plus the 1918 Model T and popular makes such as Hupmobile Overland and Essex.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Illinois
Nashville-Richview
Beaucoup
St. Louis
Elmer Taun
Nashville
Hoyleton
Dodge City
Kansas
Front Street
Surrey
Overland
Essex
Star
Chevrolet