Historic Nantucket, Fall 1988, Vol. 36 No. 2

WHEN "CLINT" FOLGER OPENED THE YEAR WITH A ROAR The Automobile Controversy of 1917 For nearly twenty years, from 1900 to 1918, Nantucket was the only place in the nation that successfully fought encroachment of the automobile within its limits. Opposing politicians on the mainland and large property owners, mostly non-residents, Nantucketers kept the island free of the "gasoline buggy" until .the final vote of the town on May 15, 1918. By the narrow margin of forty - 326 to 286 - the automobile was allowed entry.

By 1900, few of the "horseless carriages" had arrived on Nan­ tucket during the summer months. Dr. George Folger's father, then a resident of Melrose, Massachusetts, led the van with a Stanley Steamer followed by a Locomobile owned by Samuel Howe of Ithaca, New York, and another "mobile" owned by Howard Willet, another summer resident. However, it was a motor vehicle owned by W. Verplanck Birney and operated by a 'Sconset resident that frightened several horses drawing carriages and forced the townspeople to rise up in arms" and protest. It was soon obvious that most Nantucketers were opposed to the new-fangled automobile. After they were heard, a special act of the State Legislature in 1908 made it illegal to operate an automobile on the island.

In 1913, Clinton S. Folger, a livery- stable proprietor, brought an Overland car to the island and installed it in his stable on Beach Street. Every now and then he would make a sortie into the streets of the town and quickly disappear.

The "anti-autoists" held meetings at John Terry's livery stable on Middle Pearl Street or in David Gibb's barn on Upper York Street.

Protests would appear, the Selectmen would insist the law of the town be obeyed, and the police were ordered to apprehend the tran­ sgressor. This accomplished, the town settled down again.

The only road that autos could use was the State road to 'Sconset - a 7-1/2 mile stretch from the first milestone, beginning one mile out of town. "Clint" Folger had the government contract to carry the U.S. Mail to 'Sconset; so he had a horse tow his Overland through the streets of the town to the milestone, and then proceeded via the automobile to 'Sconset with the mail.

Following is an account of something that happened in December 1916, an episode that began the last phase of the struggle. The habitues of the Pacific Club had just settled back in their chairs