Greene County, Arkansas - Centennial Edition 5

Lilbourn Meriwether's 1912 model "Buttermilk Special" was the first automoblie in Paragould, although there wasn't much "auto" or "mobile" about it. The barrel churn engine and churn dasher steering gear provided the name. The wheels were lifted from a cultivator, the seats from a coal oil stove. Brass cuspidors served as lights and a fireplace guard as the windshield. Meriwether had assn a picture of an automobile and set out to make his own from materials available at Meriwether Hardware. In turn, pictures of the Meriwether car appeared in several national magazines including the Literary Digest.