Racing up Reelsville Hill in 1914

While looking for more information in old newspapers about the timeline of road and bridge construction along the National Road/US 40 near Reelsville, Indiana, I found a terrific article in The Brazil Times on July 28, 1914, about a hill-climb event on the road there. This hill was a serious grade in its time, and one you still notice in modern cars. It extended from a covered bridge over Big Walnut Creek, and lasted only about 0.2 miles. Early automobiles were not, on the whole, powerful machines. A period Model T managed about 20 horsepower. Drivers dreaded hills, taking them slowly in low gear, hoping they could make it to the top. And most roads were dirt or gravel, making poor traction as much of a problem as lack of power. This article speaks of scaling this hill in high gear, with a passenger on board adding real weight. It was a feat for a period automobile. In case your eyes, like mine, have trouble making out all of the text in this scan, I had AI read it and output the…