History Blog: Old Meets New in a Rough Way

As much as automobiles were invented in the late 1800's, and Ford was mass producing cars on the assembly line in 1914, it took a number of years for the automobile to take over as the main mode of transportation. A photograph of Alvarado from 1912 shows a number of buggies on what is now Union City Boulevard and a single automobile. In 1917, buggies and automobiles still shared the road, leading to all sorts of issues and both vehicles traveled on the same roads.

An article from Oakland Tribune, January 5, 1917, details an encounter between the buggy and an automobile, that ended badly for the buggy driver from Alvarado.

The authorities are today searching for a motorist who drove on without rendering assistance after severely injuring Joseph Novis, an Alvarado rancher, in a collision between an automobile and a horse and buggy at Warm Springs last night.

Novis was found by Dr. W.C. Lynch of Niles lying on the state highway, suffering from broken arms and other injuries. He was rushed to the county infirmary. The rancher, who can speak English only with difficulty, says he was driving along the state highway shortly before 11 o’clock last night when an automobile, which he could hear approach at high speed, crashed into his buggy. Novis was thrown out and the buggy was badly smashed. Without stopping to give aid the motorist continued on. Novis lay on the road for nearly an hour before assistance came. One of his arms has a compound fracture and the other multiple fractures.