For Descendants of Robert James of Coshquin, Ireland
Charlotte Bonesteel Detwiler's Model T Accident
After seeing the picture that Greg posted of the James-Detwiler family, I couldn’t stop thinking about the story that Dad tells about GG Grandma Charlotte Bonesteel Detwiler. I called him this morning so I could get the story right.
Charlotte lived in Astor in what he describes as a dark and smelly house and she wore a dark shawl on her head which is kid-speak for “I don’t like to go over there”. Every two days she would drive her Model T Doctor’s coupe to the James farm where her daughter, Nora, (G Grm James) lived. Eggs, milk, cheese and water is what she went to get. Then she would continue her drive to her son Bert’s farm which was two miles west just past the cemetery and then a right turn to the north.
After the right turn north, there was a steep hill with banks on each side that were higher than the car. Bert’s house was on top of the hill. To make it to the top one had to get a pretty good speed up before the climb. Dad said that some folks would actually back up the hill because they had better traction. Anyway, the Model T had three pedals, brake, gear and “go”. Charlotte got half-way up the hill, her foot got tired, she went to change feet and the car started rolling down the hill. It hit the high bank, went in the ditch and rolled over on its side.
Dad said her eye came out of its socket but she wasn’t hurt otherwise nor was the car. I asked him if they replaced the eye and he said he never looked!!
Dad and George were charged with cleaning the car several days later. The eggs, milk and cheese made for a stinky mess.
Dad says Charlotte would drive down the lane to the farmhouse park with the front of the car pointing toward the house. There was a huge box elder tree right by the gate that took you into the barnyard. The tree was right in back of her car. She would back up and hit the tree. Dad says she never looked when she backed up. She hit the tree no less than 5 times and would say each time “never noticed that tree before.”
Charlotte lived in Astor in what he describes as a dark and smelly house and she wore a dark shawl on her head which is kid-speak for “I don’t like to go over there”. Every two days she would drive her Model T Doctor’s coupe to the James farm where her daughter, Nora, (G Grm James) lived. Eggs, milk, cheese and water is what she went to get. Then she would continue her drive to her son Bert’s farm which was two miles west just past the cemetery and then a right turn to the north.
After the right turn north, there was a steep hill with banks on each side that were higher than the car. Bert’s house was on top of the hill. To make it to the top one had to get a pretty good speed up before the climb. Dad said that some folks would actually back up the hill because they had better traction. Anyway, the Model T had three pedals, brake, gear and “go”. Charlotte got half-way up the hill, her foot got tired, she went to change feet and the car started rolling down the hill. It hit the high bank, went in the ditch and rolled over on its side.
Dad said her eye came out of its socket but she wasn’t hurt otherwise nor was the car. I asked him if they replaced the eye and he said he never looked!!
Dad and George were charged with cleaning the car several days later. The eggs, milk and cheese made for a stinky mess.
Dad says Charlotte would drive down the lane to the farmhouse park with the front of the car pointing toward the house. There was a huge box elder tree right by the gate that took you into the barnyard. The tree was right in back of her car. She would back up and hit the tree. Dad says she never looked when she backed up. She hit the tree no less than 5 times and would say each time “never noticed that tree before.”
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