Riverton

Ch. 4. The Age of Horsepower

The dawn of the 20th century brought changes that would test Riverton's principles like never before. As America embraced the automobile, fought two world wars, and weathered economic collapse, the little town that made trains gallop would face its greatest challenges yet. But true to form, Riverton would meet each test with creativity, stubbornness, and an unshakeable belief that some things were worth preserving.

State-of-the-Art Horseless Carriages

The first automobile arrived in Riverton on a sunny Tuesday morning in May 1905, carried on a railway flatcar and accompanied by its proud owner, Mr. Henry Blackwood, a wealthy businessman from Seattle who had recently purchased property near Green Lake. Blackwood's 1904 Oldsmobile Curved Dash was a marvel of modern engineering, capable of reaching the breathtaking speed of 20 miles per hour.

It was also, according to Mayor Elizabeth Hamilton, "a mechanical abomination that violated every value upon which our community was founded."

The Great Automobile Debate of 1905 began the moment Blackwood attempted to drive his vehicle from the railway station into town. Deputy Marshal Fletcher-Grey, Benjamin's younger brother, stopped the automobile at the town limits, citing The Riverton Transportation Charter of 1823. Blackwood argued that automobiles were simply "horseless carriages" and, therefore, should be exempt from horse-only regulations.

Mayor Hamilton called an emergency town meeting that lasted three days and became legendary for both its length and its passion. Dr. James Hamilton, the mayor's father, presented medical evidence that automobile engines produced harmful fumes. Timothy Pepper argued that the noise would spook every horse in town. Marcus Grey III demonstrated that automobiles couldn't navigate the narrow trails and steep grades that connected Riverton to its outlying farms and ranches.

But the most compelling argument came from 12-year-old Sarah Fletcher, who wrote in the newspaper of the day that, in her opinion, automobiles couldn't think, couldn't form bonds with their owners, and couldn't find their way home if their drivers got lost. "A horse," she declared, "is a partner. A machine is just a machine."

The town council's decision was unanimous: automobiles would be banned from Riverton's streets. The Automotive Prohibition Act of 1905 strengthened the existing transportation laws with specific language about "self-propelled mechanical vehicles" and established penalties for violations.

Mr. Blackwood was furious and threatened legal action, but his case was weakened when his Oldsmobile broke down three times during his week-long stay. Each time, he had to rely on local horses to tow the vehicle back to his property. He eventually sold his Riverton land and returned to Seattle, muttering about "backward frontier folk" — the same complaint the governor had made eighty years earlier.

Taking on Another Goliath

As automobiles became more common throughout America, pressure mounted on Riverton to modernize its transportation policies. State highway officials threatened to cut off road maintenance funding unless the town allowed automobile traffic. Federal postal inspectors suggested that mail delivery would be more efficient with motorized vehicles.

Mayor Abbott Moore responded with typical Riverton creativity. If automobiles wanted to use Riverton's roads, they would have to meet the same standards as trains: maintain proper gallop rhythm.

The Automobile Challenge in 1912 was even more ambitious than the railway race of 1873. Ford Motor Company, confident in their Model T's capabilities, sent a team of engineers and their best driver to prove that automobiles could match any horse's rhythm. Now with the speed of information, more people outside of Riverton heard of this strange town's ability to hold corporations' feet to the fire and led to additional rumors and gossip in the state.

The challenge took place on the same course used for the railway race, with the same rules: maintain a steady four-beat gallop rhythm at approximately 12 miles per hour. Thunder's Echo, great-great-grandson of the original Old Thunder, represented Riverton, ridden by Marcus Grey IV. Some had hoped that one of Steady Pulse's descendents would take up the helm to honor the predecessor against the railroad company, but none living could be found at the time of the race.

Compared to the original, the Model T started at a disadvantage and faced an immediate problem. Early automobiles were designed for either very slow speeds or relatively fast speeds. Maintaining a steady 12 mph with rhythmic acceleration and deceleration proved nearly impossible with the vehicle's primitive transmission and engine controls.

Thunder's Echo completed the course in perfect rhythm, never varying from his steady gallop. The Model T managed to maintain the required speed but couldn't achieve the consistent four-beat pattern. The automobile's engine produced a steady hum rather than the rhythmic pulse that defined proper gallop.

Ford's engineers requested a rematch with a modified vehicle, but Mayor Moore pointed out that if automobiles needed special modifications to meet Riverton's standards, they clearly weren't suitable for the town's roads. The Automotive Prohibition Act was strengthened with specific rhythm requirements that no mass-produced automobile could meet.

Riverton's Response to the Great War

World War I brought the first serious challenge to Riverton's isolationist tendencies. The Selective Service Act of 1917 required all young men to register for the draft, regardless of their town's unique transportation laws.

Seventeen young men from Riverton were called to serve, including George Johnson, Shim Joon-ho, Edward Hamilton, Giuliano Porstucci, Alexander Robinson, and James Hamilton Jr. The town's response was characteristically thoughtful: if their young men had to leave their horses behind to serve their country, Riverton would ensure their mounts were properly cared for until they returned.

The Riverton Veterans' Horse Trust was established in 1917 with the community pledging to maintain, train, and care for the horses of deployed servicemen. Mrs. Eleanor Pepper-Morrison (now in her 70s) led the effort, organizing a rotation system where different families took responsibility for each horse.

The program proved prophetic when the Hamiltons, Johnson, and Robinson didn't return from the war. The community decided that their horses would be permanently cared for as living memorials. The Memorial Stable was built behind the Conway M. Grey Equestrian Center, where the horses of fallen Riverton residents would live out their days in honor and comfort.

The remaining veterans returned to Riverton in 1919, and the homecoming celebration became the foundation for what would evolve into the town's annual Spring Memorial Ride. Every year on the first Saturday in May, the entire community would participate in a ceremonial ride around Green Lake, honoring both the living and the dead who had served their country. It has turned into an annual parade since.

Riverton's Quiet Hum to the Roaring '20s

While America danced to jazz music and embraced the automobile age, the 1920s brought prosperity to the town through increased demand for their specialized horses and agricultural products but also new pressures to modernize.

Prohibition had little impact on Riverton, which had always been a relatively temperate community. The Fortune Casino briefly considered serving illegal alcohol but decided the risk wasn't worth compromising their relationship with local law enforcement.

The radio revolution reached Riverton in 1923 when Porstucci, having returned from war as a mechanic, set up the town's first radio receiver at the top of the Exchange building. The device caused considerable excitement until someone realized that radio broadcasts operated on schedules that had nothing to do with "horse time." The community adapted by treating radio programs as background entertainment rather than appointment listening.

Electricity arrived in Riverton in 1925, but its implementation reflected the town's values. Rather than installing streetlights that might disturb the horses' natural rhythms, the community opted for subtle lighting that enhanced safety without creating an urban atmosphere. The Riverton Public Library was the first building to be fully electrified, followed by the medical clinic and the railway station.

The Great Depression

The stock market crash of 1929 affected Riverton less severely than most American communities, partly because the town's economy was still based largely on local production and barter rather than financial speculation and stocks. However, the Great Depression did bring new challenges and opportunities.

Unemployed workers from cities throughout the Pacific Northwest began arriving in Riverton, hoping to find work or at least a place to wait out the economic crisis. Mayor Genevieve LeBeau established the Riverton Works Program in 1931, offering temporary employment in exchange for basic horse husbandry and community service.

The Soup Kitchen expanded during the Depression, serving not just weekly community meals but daily food service for those in need using collectively gathered vegetables from local farms. Everyone contributed so no one had to go hungry. Mrs. Sarah Pepper (neé Fletcher), the very same Sarah who had argued against automobiles as a child, organized the effort with military precision.

The Great Harvest Festival began in 1933 as a way to celebrate the community's agricultural abundance even during difficult times. The autumn tradition combined elements of a county fair, harvest celebration, and community thanksgiving. Families would display their best produce, compete in horse-related events, and share enormous communal meals featuring the season's bounty.

The festival's highlight was the Great Pumpkin Race, where riders had to navigate an obstacle course while carrying increasingly large pumpkins. The event was both hilarious and challenging, requiring genuine skill to complete successfully.

New Traditions and Lasting Institutions

The 1930s and 1940s saw the establishment of several traditions that would define Riverton's character for generations:

The Winter Solstice Lantern Ride began in 1934 when a severe blizzard knocked out the town's electrical power for three days during the darkest part of winter. Mayor LeBeau organized a community ride by lantern light to check on isolated families and ensure everyone had adequate food and fuel. The ride was so beautiful and meaningful that it became an annual tradition, held every December 21st regardless of weather conditions.

The Summer Horse Fair evolved from the informal horse trading that had always been part of Riverton's economy. By 1936, it had become a formal three-day event in July featuring horse shows, breeding competitions, and demonstrations of traditional skills like blacksmithing and leather working. The fair attracted visitors from throughout the region and became one of Riverton's primary sources of outside income.

The Riverton Farm Supply was established in 1938 when Mr. Edward Eunice, an entrepreneur from the South, consolidated several smaller agricultural businesses into a single cooperative. The store specialized in equipment and supplies that could be transported by horse and wagon, avoiding the heavy machinery that required truck delivery.

World War II and Greater Challenges

World War II brought even greater demands on Riverton's young men than the previous conflict as 32 residents were called to serve, representing nearly 10% of the town's adult male population. The Veterans' Horse Trust was reactivated and expanded, with the entire community taking responsibility for the care of deployed servicemen's horses.

The war also brought rationing and material shortages that affected even isolated Riverton. Gasoline rationing had little direct impact since the town didn't use automobiles, but shortages of metal, rubber, and other materials affected everything from horseshoes to farming equipment.

Riverton's response was characteristically creative. The community organized salvage drives that collected scrap metal, rubber, and other materials for the war effort. The Riverton Recycling Center became a collection point for materials that would be shipped out on the twice-weekly trains.

The town also contributed to the war effort by training horses for military use. The U.S. Army still used horses and mules for transportation in difficult terrain, and Riverton's reputation for producing intelligent, well-trained animals led to several government contracts. The Grey Estate personally oversaw the training of over 200 horses that were shipped to military bases throughout the country.

Almost all of the war veterans returned to Riverton, but three had been killed in action. Their horses joined the Memorial Stable, and the Spring Memorial Ride was expanded to honor the fallen residents of Riverton.

Post-War Growth

The end of World War II brought new prosperity and new challenges. Veterans returned with broader perspectives and modern skills, while the G.I. Bill provided opportunities for education and home ownership that attracted new residents to Riverton.

The town's population reached 800 by 1948, straining the community's ability to maintain its intimate, small-town atmosphere. Mayor Charles Ellis addressed the challenge by establishing neighborhood councils that ensured every resident had a voice in community decisions.

The post-war economic boom brought increased pressure to modernize, but Riverton continued to resist automobile traffic while embracing other technological advances. Telephone service was expanded throughout the town, the medical clinic acquired modern equipment, and several businesses installed electric lighting and refrigeration.

The Bounty Harvest Grocery was established in 1949 when Mrs. Dorothy Walker realized that the town's growing population needed a more sophisticated food distribution system. The store specialized in local produce and goods that could be delivered by horse-drawn wagon, maintaining Riverton's commitment to horse-based transportation while meeting modern needs.