Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Oregon outlasts Arizona State 61-55 in wild triple overtime game ... Snow predicted at higher elevations Sunday night ... Ashland police ready for Halloween ... Oregon outlasts Arizona State 61-55 in wild triple overtime game ... Snow predicted at higher elevations Sunday night ... Ashland police ready for Halloween ... AS IT WAS As It Was: The first automobile in Ashland Comment By Alice Mullaly DailyTidings.com By Alice Mullaly Posted Oct. 28, 2015 at 4:10 PM By Alice Mullaly Posted Oct. 28, 2015 at 4:10 PM » Social News Nowadays Southern Oregon is home to Lithia Motors, one of the largest automotive dealerships in America, ranking in Fortune Magazine's top 1,000 companies. But the first car ever seen in the area was driven into Ashland's Lithia Plaza in September 1902. Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Carmack were on a trip from their home in Seattle, Wash., to Sacramento, Calif.. Pulling into downtown Ashland in their horseless carriage dubbed "Carmack's gasoline machine," they stopped their rather large and cumbersome automobile, built especially for them by the Mobile Company of America, at the Plaza to obtain fuel. The Ashland Tidings newspaper used the occasion to explain to readers the popularity of the automobile, reporting there were some 10,000 of them in the country. The editor of the paper then surmised, "It does not seem improbable that within a few years their price will be reduced so materially that the number of persons who own them will be very much greater than it is today." In 1946, an automobile dealership was started by Walt DeBoer on the very plaza in Ashland where the Carmacks had stopped for gas 44 years earlier. And from that humble beginning, Lithia Motors got its start. The rest, as they say, is history. Sources: Ashland Tidings, Sept. 18, 1902; www.lithia.com , "Our History." As It Was is a co-production of Jefferson Public Radio and the Southern Oregon Historical Society. As It Was stories are broadcast weekdays on Jefferson Public Radio and are available online at asitwas.org . By Alice Mullaly DailyTidings.com By Alice Mullaly Posted Oct. 28, 2015 at 4:10 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501