History Blog: State's First Automobile Built in Decoto?

In another newspaper article that begs more questions than it answers, the Oakland Tribune, on May 11, 1901, reports on a news article from a small monthly called "Astraea" that was published in Decoto:

“To Rufus Whipple must be accorded the construction of the first automobile in the State of California. Rude it was, ‘tis true, in construction, but it held the motive power that has developed into the horseless carriages seen daily on our thoroughfares.”

“This announcement is made in justice to this gentleman, who is an old time resident of this county, as well as to record the fact that the writer, by invitation of Mr. Whipple, took a ride in his vehicle in the month of September last. Like many other, he has failed to do himself justice in this matter, being submerged in his inventive genius while other have carted off the prize."

Is it really possible that Rufus Whipple really did create the first automobile in California? Could Decoto hold such an important mark in the history of California?

The author of the original article reported to take a ride in the previous September, making the automobile built in 1900. Some quick Google searches found a reference to an earlier use of the automobile before 1900.

David Star Jordan, in his autobiography "The Days of a Man" mentions helping test an automobile in the fall of 1892, and he described it as the first automobile on the west coast. Other references to automobiles are contemporary with Rufus Whipples' invention, but the earlier reference by Jordan does not give the milestone of "first" to Rufus.

It is still nice to know that an early Decoto resident had the wherewithal to develop an automobile when the general concept was still unfamiliar with most residents of California.