HISTORY OF MEADE COUNTY, KANSAS
by Frank S. Sullivan
Copyright, 1916

AUTOMOBILES
Pages 89-90

On August 29th, 1904, there was delivered to John W. Baughman, at Plains, the first automobile to enter Meade County. It was a two-passenger Winton Surrey, capable of a speed of fifteen miles an hour under favorable conditions, but there is r.o record of its ever having attained so great a velocity. In consideration of this car, which was a "second-hand" one, Mr. Baughman exchanged a quarter-section of land for which he had paid the sum of one hundred twenty-five dollars. Dr. Fee was the second Meade County man to own a car, and his first was of the old-style buggy type; and when C. P. Fullington appeared with his one-cylinder Cadillac and a regular chauffeur, Meade took on metropolitan airs.

On May 1st, 1916, there were 360 cars registered, of 43 different makes, classified as follows : Ford, 147 ; Overland, 35 ; Maxwell, 31; Reo, 25 ; Buick, 18 ; Studebaker, Hudson, and Dodge, 10 each; Allen, 9; E. M. F., 5; Chandler, Halliday, Flanders, Saxon, and Hupmobile, 4 each; Jackson, Brush, and Chalmers, 3 each; Moline, Regal, Case, Krit, Mitchell, and Oakland, 2 each; and 1 each of Lambert, Sterling, Paige, Apperson, Partin-Palmer, Glide, Detroiter, Wescot, Metz, Paige-Detroit, Chevrolet, Dort, Mason, Carter, King, Auburn, Anchor, Jones, and Coey.

At the same time there were 73 motorcycles, of the following makes: Harley-Davidson, 41; Indian, 16; Excelsior, 9; Henderson, 2; and one each of Thor, Apache, Sears Leader, Light, and Pope.

Dealers' licenses were in effect for the Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and for the following cars: Empire, Interstate, Ford, Detroiter, Allen, Hupmobile, Krit, Halliday, Moon, Maxwell, Hudson, Overland, Saxon, Buick, Dodge, Studebaker.