Frederick, OK

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Abernathys returned from trip in Brush car

February 24, 2007 BY SCOTT RAINS STAFF WRITER ,The Lawton Constitution

Two young boys from Frederick entered into folklore in 1910 when they made a horseback ride, alone, from the family ranch west of Frederick to Washington, D.C., to meet President Taft, and then on to New York City where they met former president and family friend Theodore Roosevelt on his return from an African safari. Tall tale became fact as the boys made their return trip behind the wheel of a Brush automobile. Ten-year-old Louis "Bud" Abernathy and his 6-year-old brother Temple first gained national attention with a horseback ride in 1909 from Guthrie back through Frederick and on to Santa Fe, N.M. Louis was 9 and Temple was 5 years old at the age of the trip. The boys' father, legendary lawman Jack Abernathy, was friends with Roosevelt, who had appointed Jack a U.S. Marshal. Following the Santa Fe trip, the boys made the horseback journey the following year to Washington, D.C., and then to New York City.

Boys drove themselves home

On their trip home, the duo again gained national attention for their adventures in driving a Brush automobile back home, recounted in the book "Meeting Roosevelt," penned by Louis and published in 1910. The boys set out to drive back to Oklahoma in a two-seat Brush automobile, seemingly with the Detroit company's underwriting and a Touring Club of America banner across the hood. They spent one afternoon practicing their newfound driving skills on New York streets, then headed west. Everywhere the boys went, they praised the car they'd named "The Wildcat" (the company later made it official), and assured any adult who asked that if little boys could drive a car, so could anybody else. They set a cross-country record - 2,512 miles in 23 days - even though Temple was so small he had to perch on the edge of the seat and lean against the steering wheel to reach the pedals. The boys followed up with a cross-country trip on an Indian motorcycle - their last longdistance trip as a team.

Temple Abernathy gets ready to crank start the engine to the Brush automobile which would lead to a great adventure for him and brother Bud in 1910. The brothers drove from New York City to Frederick under the spotlight of national media and into U.S. folklore.

Automobile was popular in early 1900s because of its resiliency, low price

February 24, 2007 BY SCOTT RAINS STAFF WRITER ,The Lawton Constitution

Demand for automobiles among common Americans in the early 1900s paved the way for the everyday ownership taken for granted today. The Brush automobile was one of the first companies to build its product with an eye on this potential market. Several car manufacturers introduced automobile models that were affordable, dependable and designed for everyday use on country roads or city streets. Due to its wooden chassis and wooden axles, the Brush automobile (1907-13) was exceptionally lightweight and resilient. The small, one-cylinder vehicle appealed to many motorists because of its simplicity, relatively low price, and chassis features that were well suited to rural roads. Wider axles were available for use in the South, where a 60-inch tread fit wagon ruts on country roads. Brush cars were fairly popular, but the company’s financial difficulties and competition from better automobiles brought an end to the venture in 1913. Alanson Brush is remembered as the designer and manufacturer of the Brush runabout. Although he lacked any formal mechanical training, he was a highly respected technical innovator and problem solver. Brush returned from service in the Spanish-American War in 1899 and began work with the Leland and Falconer Manufacturing Company — Detroit’s best known machine shop. He came to the attention of Henry Leland when he solved critical problems related to engines and transmissions for early Oldsmobiles. After that, his advice was sought by business leaders who had fired Henry Ford and were creating what became General Motors Corporation. The initial product of this association was the Cadillac. Brush was part of the organization of the Cadillac Motor Car Company in 1905 and became its chief engineer, a role that he also played at Buick and Oakland.

Spencer Parson and Kenton Tredwell, both of Frederick, posing as the Abernathy Boys in an authentic Brush Automobile. This Brush is owned by Leon and Sharyln Wilson of Norman, OK.

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