Automobile

Automobiles

1895

Hummers. SUVs. Sedans. Jeeps. Mini-Coopers. Sky high gas prices! Traffic jams! Road rage!

The automobile made its first appearance on the streets of America sometime in the mid-1800's, thanks to the good graces of Henry Ford and his ilk. But at the time it was called a motor car, or motor carriage, or even a horseless carriage.

The actual term automobile doesn't show up until much later, as in this First Mention in the August 5, 1895 Omaha World Herald...

The Sunday Excursion

These are the things that have come to stay -- the automobile, the bicycle, the bloomer, the Sunday excursion, and the girl who rides the horse astride.

While the automobile carriage or wagon will banish the horse from the streets of the city, the bicycle will back up its demand for good roads in the country, the bloomer will exile the awkward skirt, the girl on horseback will drive away one-sided muscles and the Sunday excursion will spread morality and true religion from city to city.

I shouldn't leave, though, without mentioning a use of the term from 1876 which -- though not quite a reference to a motor car as we know it -- certainly comes close. The January 1, 1876 issue of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper offered up this little tidbit.

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