Muskogee's First Auto Ordinance
June 7th, 2009, marks the one hundredth year anniversary of Muskogee residents registering an automobile, getting a car tag and obeying speed limits.
It was a city ordinance that passed unanimously. State legislation came later. The ordinance applied to "all motor vehicles, whether electric, steam or gasoline, using the streets and avenues of the City of Muskogee." Later, motor vehicle operation in alleys fell under the same guidelines.
The City Clerk was authorized to keep records of automobile registration. Each record included the owner's name, the make of the vehicle and any other description necessary for identification. The clerk also received the fees for owner's registration. Commercial vehicles, ones hired out, paid $10. Private owners paid half as much. Registration was for one year. The city no longer has copies of the registration records.
At the time of registration, the clerk issued a tag made of sheet metal. The word "Muskogee" appeared with the tag number. Each number was printed in white figures four inches high against a black background. The city initially ordered three hundred tags.
Muskogee's ordinance required all vehicles operating on its streets to have a dependable speedometer (then considered an option on vehicles). The ordinance also required two white lights on the front and at least one red light on the rear. These lights had to be on between one hour after sunset and until sunrise the next morning.
The center of town had a posted speed limit of eight miles per hour. The rest of the town had a speed limit of sixteen miles per hour.
Local incidents illustrate the trials of driving in 1909. An automobile following a horse-drawn wagon ran up on the rear of the wagon. The horse had stopped when it became frightened by an approaching trolley car. The automobile driver saw the situation in time, but found his feet tangled up in the different pedals that prevented him from breaking in time.
The ordinance specified that a driver be required to be at least eighteen years old to legally operate a vehicle in town. Failure to abide by any section of this ordinance was punishable by a fine of one hundred dollars! The City Council could also revoke the driver's license as further punishment.
In mid-November of 1910, the city council modified the license tag. They passed an amendment requiring the numbers to be six inches high. "M. O." replaced Muskogee on the tag. Apparently, this stood for Muskogee, Oklahoma, but that is not stated in the ordinance. The ordinance also authorized a blue background in addition to black.
Within weeks of passage, Councilman Davis complained to Bud Ledbetter about the lax enforcement of the new city ordinance. City Marshal Ledbetter probably felt he had enough law enforcement problems without the council adding more work for the police.
This is how one Oklahoma town dealt with a new technology a hundred years ago, only a decade after H. B. Spaulding drove the first car on Muskogee streets.
It was a city ordinance that passed unanimously. State legislation came later. The ordinance applied to "all motor vehicles, whether electric, steam or gasoline, using the streets and avenues of the City of Muskogee." Later, motor vehicle operation in alleys fell under the same guidelines.
The City Clerk was authorized to keep records of automobile registration. Each record included the owner's name, the make of the vehicle and any other description necessary for identification. The clerk also received the fees for owner's registration. Commercial vehicles, ones hired out, paid $10. Private owners paid half as much. Registration was for one year. The city no longer has copies of the registration records.
At the time of registration, the clerk issued a tag made of sheet metal. The word "Muskogee" appeared with the tag number. Each number was printed in white figures four inches high against a black background. The city initially ordered three hundred tags.
Muskogee's ordinance required all vehicles operating on its streets to have a dependable speedometer (then considered an option on vehicles). The ordinance also required two white lights on the front and at least one red light on the rear. These lights had to be on between one hour after sunset and until sunrise the next morning.
The center of town had a posted speed limit of eight miles per hour. The rest of the town had a speed limit of sixteen miles per hour.
Local incidents illustrate the trials of driving in 1909. An automobile following a horse-drawn wagon ran up on the rear of the wagon. The horse had stopped when it became frightened by an approaching trolley car. The automobile driver saw the situation in time, but found his feet tangled up in the different pedals that prevented him from breaking in time.
The ordinance specified that a driver be required to be at least eighteen years old to legally operate a vehicle in town. Failure to abide by any section of this ordinance was punishable by a fine of one hundred dollars! The City Council could also revoke the driver's license as further punishment.
In mid-November of 1910, the city council modified the license tag. They passed an amendment requiring the numbers to be six inches high. "M. O." replaced Muskogee on the tag. Apparently, this stood for Muskogee, Oklahoma, but that is not stated in the ordinance. The ordinance also authorized a blue background in addition to black.
Within weeks of passage, Councilman Davis complained to Bud Ledbetter about the lax enforcement of the new city ordinance. City Marshal Ledbetter probably felt he had enough law enforcement problems without the council adding more work for the police.
This is how one Oklahoma town dealt with a new technology a hundred years ago, only a decade after H. B. Spaulding drove the first car on Muskogee streets.
Labels: Bud Ledbetter, City Ordinance No. 414, Homer B. Spaulding
posted by Wally Waits at
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