07/21/2026
Did You Know?
(115 Years Ago Today Edition)
Hoosiers were early contributors to the birth of the automobile industry. W.G. Irwin, who was co-founder of Cummins Engine Company with Clessie Cummins, was fascinated with automobiles and early transportation routes. In fact, on July 21, 1911, W. G. Irwin’s touring car made its first trip from Columbus to Seymour, not on a paved road. The early automobile, fitted with car wheels and rubber tires, made the experimental trip following along the electric streetcar track known as the Interurban.
Several short trial runs with the automobile were made on Washington Street in the morning, and at about 1:40 in the afternoon, the car pulled out of Columbus. Clessie Cummins was the driver and Ab C***s served as conductor and rode in the rear seat. Because the car was driving along the interurban rails, it was considered an “extra” vehicle on the track, so it was fitted with two white flags on the front and two green ones on the back to make it visible to anyone passing by. Along with the crew of Cummins and C***s, the car carried W.G. Irwin and four others. The touring car made it to Reddington, where it had to pull over for a northbound Interurban train car. From Reddington, the car then traveled to Seymour, where it promptly turned around and drove right back to Columbus.
The experiment was considered a success. The state of Indiana did not create a state highway system until 1919, but when it did, there was a direct state road from Columbus to Seymour.
📷 - Packard Roadster in front of Cummins Engine Company circa 1930. Courtesy of John Rondot.
