The First Car in Monroe

The above photo was taken at the corner of North 2nd and DeSiard Street. The piano store was Emile Kaliski, which is now the site of the Palace. Behind the men is Dr. Faulk’s horse named Charlie. For many years, I thought that this was the first car in Monroe. A couple of weeks ago, I found an article in the Shreveport Times, dated March 19, 1928.

Turning back the pages of local history, it has been found that L.R. Powers, local grocer, was the first man to own an automobile in Monroe. His car had a maximum speed of 20 miles an hour and was seldom used because the roads were rough and often impassable.

Another of the early automobile owners, Mr. Powers recalls, was a man by the name of Kelly, who designed his own machine and thus attracted wide attention wherever he went. George Zeigin, oil and gas operator, aslo had one of the early cars, and the first Ford owned in Monroe belonged to Jack Lowe.

The first physicians to own cars in Monroe were Dr. O.W. Cosby and Dr. R.H. Blackman. P.M. Atkins and J.T. Austin, local capitalists, recall that on their first trip west to Cheniere, on the Ruston road, their crude vehicle met a mule which ran away, throwing two men into the ditch.