His greatest fame came, perhaps, from his exploits with Henry Ford’s legendary 999. Photo: Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village

Automobiles first came to Los Angeles just over 100 years ago. Roughly 23 manufacturers eventually set up shop in the ensuing years and the region grew in concert with the relatively new invention, producing what we might rightly call the first auto-based city in the United States.

Novelty aside, early automobiles faced tremendous hurdles when first introduced. Folks were slow to give up their tried and true horse for a mechanical beast of questionable integrity.

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