Automobile Genealogy

After several moments of deep confusion, I have figured out that I was wrong, 'way back in October 2009, when I said that Jennie Hurlburt had become Mrs. Chas. Stevens. It was Jennie's younger sister, Ethel. (In fact I have no idea how I concluded that any Hurlburt daughter had married Mr. Stevens, since I can't pinpoint my 2009 source — but somehow I got it half-right.)

Part of the problem is that the Milan Hurlburt family is remarkably difficult to find in the census records. The first trace I find of Ethel is in the marriage records in February 1909, when, at the tender age of 16, she married the 23-year-old Charles Stevens, a track foreman for the Pennsy railroad. They lived in Hobart and had four children: Zorah, Charles, Milan and Robert.

Anyway, all this meditation upon the identity of Mrs. Charles Stevens came from two items in 1920's final issue of the Gazette (which I have to transcribe because the microfilm is almost illegible):

Jacob Hurlburt and family of Ainsworth, Chester and M. Hurlburt were entertained at a Christmas dinner at the home of the latter's daughter, Mrs. Chas. Stevens.

♦    ♦    ♦
Last Sunday, while Charles Stevens and family were returning from Mr. Hurlburt's with a party of friends, apparently with no reason whatever, while crossing the Deep River bridge near the Frank Peterson farm, the car became unmanageable and turned square across the road, just over the abutment, and the front wheels of the car were hanging over a 10-foot embankment. But for the help of a good set of brakes there would have been a serious accident, as the car, going down, would have turned turtle into the river. Frank Peterson was called and a party in a passing car gave their help and righted the machine. When examined, the radio rods were found to be bent, causing it to be unmanageable. It was driven home without any further serious accident.

So apparently they got back in the car that had just tried to kill them and drove home. And no, I have no idea what "radio rods" are.


(Click on image to enlarge)
The location of the accident, as it appeared in the 1926 Plat Book.


Sources:
♦ 1910 Census.
♦ 1920 Census.
♦ 1930 Census.
♦ 1940 Census.
♦ "Additional Local News." Hobart Gazette 31 Dec. 1920.
♦ "Auto Party Has Narrow Escape." Hobart Gazette 31 Dec. 1920.
♦ Indiana Marriage Collection.