The latest issue of the Monroe County Historical Society’s newspaper, the River Raisin Dispatch, features an article on Monroe County’s first automobiles. The Greening family played a significant role in early automobility in the county, particularly with the ownership of a 1901 Oldsmobile and one of the first Cadillac models. These early vehicles and their owners are essential in understanding the history of automobility in Monroe County. Monroe News reported
The Greening Family and the Early Automobiles in Monroe County
In the most recent issue of the River Raisin Dispatch, the official newspaper of the Monroe County (Michigan) Historical Society, an article was featured about Monroe County’s first automobiles. This article caught my attention, thanks to Dave Eby, the MCHS newsletter editor and membership committee chair. He highlighted the significant contributions of the Greening family to the early development of automobiles in Monroe County.
As someone who has been fascinated with the history of vehicles, I have had the privilege of being a “vehicle historian” since 1993 when I joined the Society of Automotive Historians. From 2009 to 2016, I also worked as the project archivist for the Wills Saint Claire Automobile Museum in Marysville, Michigan. During my time there, I learned about C. Harold Wills, Henry Ford’s chief engineer from 1903 to 1919, who established his own car company and town in 1920.
![The Oldsmobile, first built in 1896 in Lansing, was the first automotive brand to be built using early assembly line techniques introduced by Ransom E. Olds (also responsible for the REO automobile, produced from 1904-1936). Olds became a GM division in 1943.](https://www.monroenews.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2023/11/28/NMNN/71728834007-adamich-1.jpg?width=660&height=474&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
According to Dave Eby, the first automobile in Monroe County belonged to Grace and William Hittig. It was a 1901 Oldsmobile built in Lansing. Interestingly, Ransom E. Olds, the founder of Oldsmobile, was also involved in the creation of the first assembly line for automobiles, predating Henry Ford’s famous assembly line innovations. Olds had even purchased land in Oldsmar, Florida, which happens to be near where I grew up in Pinellas County. He hoped to find and refine oil there.
Eby also mentioned the first automobile in the city of Monroe, which was a 1901 Locomobile Steamer owned by Harvey Terry. This early steam-powered vehicle has a connection to the present-day development of hydrogen-powered vehicles. Terry’s purchase likely influenced W.C. Sterling, who bought a Toledo Steamer. Around the same time, Charles E. Greening acquired one of the first Cadillac models.
![The Cadillac Model A was first built in late 1902. Engine builder Henry Leland and a group of investors started the company out of what remained of the liquidated Henry Ford Company (Ford’s first car building effort before starting the Ford Motor Co.). It became a part of W.C. Durant’s General Motors group in 1909.](https://www.monroenews.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2023/11/28/NMNN/71728837007-adamich-2-cadillac-model-1.jpg?width=660&height=495&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
As per Wikipedia, the first Cadillac automobiles were the 1903 models, built in the last quarter of 1902. These vehicles featured a two-seater design powered by a reliable and sturdy 10-horsepower single-cylinder engine developed by Henry Martyn Leland. Leland’s engine was built by the Leland and Faulconer Manufacturing Company in Detroit.
It is worth noting that Henry Ford played a role in the founding of Cadillac. When the Henry Ford Company faced liquidation, Leland convinced the financial backers to continue manufacturing automobiles using his single-cylinder engine. As a result, the Cadillac Automobile Company was established on August 22, 1902, taking over the Henry Ford Company factory. The company was named after Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, the French explorer who founded Detroit.
![The famous Cadillac coat of arms dates back to 1905 and became a registered trademark in 1906. It is the symbol of Detroit founder Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and his wife, Marie Therese Coin-Coin, divided into two parts. The crown (Couronne), represented by the “V” in this photo, symbolizes France's six ancient courts.](https://www.monroenews.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2023/11/28/NMNN/71728838007-adamich-2-cadillac.jpg?width=660&height=495&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
According to Elaine Greening Morgan, a member of the Greening family, the May 8, 1903 edition of the Monroe Democrat mentioned Charles E. Greening as the owner of a Cadillac. This automobile was capable of reaching speeds up to 30 miles per hour, making it quite impressive for its time. It was powered by gasoline and described as a “very pretty machine.”
Charles E. Greening also holds the distinction of receiving the first speeding ticket in the City of Monroe. Chief of Police Joseph Anteau caught him driving his Cadillac at a speed exceeding 10 miles per hour. As a result, Greening was fined $6.25, marking an early instance of traffic enforcement in Monroe.
To conclude, the Greening family played a significant role in the early automobile history of Monroe County. Their ownership of various automobile models, including the Oldsmobile and Cadillac, showcases their contribution to the development and adoption of automobiles in the region.
— Tom Adamich is the president of Visiting Librarian Service, a firm he has operated since 1993. He is also the project archivist for the Greening Nursery Co. and Family Archives and the electric vehicle awareness coordinator at Monroe County Community College.
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