As the automobile marketplace began to spread its roots in the earliest element of 20th century The united states, Troup County, like a lot of smaller sized communities, was slow to acknowledge this latest creation of the situations. On the other hand, Troup County ultimately started to trade in the horse and buggy for the Model-Ts and other cars that became readily available to the spot.
The background on Troup County’s really like/loathe relationship with vehicles is documented in the Legacy Museum on Main newest exhibit: Hitting the Highway – Shifting By way of Neighborhood Car Record. This exhibit, which stretches via the the vast majority of the museum’s 1st-ground exhibit region, offers a watch of the automotive background nationally and in Troup County, which include and some of the area’s oldest automobile institutions.
According to data from the show, documented by the Troup County Archives, the leading automobile dealership in LaGrange was the LaGrange Car Organization, recognized somewhere around in 1907 on Wide Road. The firm supplied a then-preferred support identified as “cars for retain the services of,” which allowed citizens to retain the services of a chauffeur to push them all around city.
Notable auto dealerships like Ford and Dodge before long located themselves conducting small business in the humble city. In 1913, LaGrange’s Bagwell Ford Dealership experienced offered 65 automobiles that calendar year. By 1928, there were nine dealerships like CV Truitt Dodge, Gincher-Traylor Ford, Ivey’s Chevrolet and Dodd-Brewer Motor Firm. Early Hogansville dealerships provided Hogansville Motors and Hines Chevrolet.
Bill Johnson Motors was a further icon in community auto dealerships. The auto seller is thought of LaGrange’s oldest working dealership in operation, in accordance to the show. Currently, they are situated on Commerce Avenue. Lukken Chevrolet as well was a well known dealership on Key Road in 1965. The dealership relocated to New Franklin Road in 1966 where it proceeds to operate now.
The introduction of these dealerships also gave way to service stations where staff would thoroughly clean and fill up a customer’s motor vehicle. The show takes particular be aware to Woody’s Company Center, operated by the Woody spouse and children, which managed to survive the bulk of the switching industry for 50 a long time ahead of closing its doorways for good in 2019.
However the auto field available new and exciting changes and financial pros domestically, it also developed significantly problems in its wake. Automobile incidents have been incredibly popular through the automobile’s introduction. A universal problem involved the cohabitation of vehicles and horses, which would become conveniently spooked by previously models’ loud engines. Area posts on display in the exhibit showcase some of the most obvious incidents that transpired in the space, like early fender-benders on Whitesville Road in the 1930s and even the death of a Lanett gentleman on I-85 and the death of two motorists in Hogansville in the early 1900s. With these tragedies also arrived remedies. For case in point, Hogansville obtained its first targeted traffic light-weight on Principal St. and Hwy 29 to reduce “traffic hazards” brought on by new targeted traffic.
These days Troup County is property to various distinguished car distributors, which includes KIA Ga, which opened in West Point in 2009, Toyota and Honda.
Shannon Johnson, govt director of the Troup County Archives, moreover noted it is not currently recognised who owned the initially car or truck in Troup County.
Hitting the Road – Shifting By way of Area Automobile History. will be on show at the Legacy Museum on Main until finally June 2023.