First Ford Dealership

Nickname:

C. H.

Died:

December 4, 1949

Buried:

Maple Hill Cemetery, Madison County, Alabama

Notes:

•  "The earliest known Ford agency in Huntsville was the partnership of J. C. Burnam and Chris H. Fennell, doing business as Huntsville Motor Company." - Record

•  "The Huntsville Motor Company, operated by J. C. Burnam and Chris H. Fennell, advertised four of Ford's famous runabout automobiles in 1906. Before the year was out, the city passed its first ordinance setting speed limits for cars at eight miles per hour. The following year saw passage of the first ordinance requiring all automobiles to get a city license. Folks, it seemed, were terrified by those contraptions recklessly speeding down the streets, sometimes at the unbelievable speed of 15 miles an hour. In fact, later in 1910, the speed limits were reduced to three miles per hour." - Record


Related Links:

•  Rankin File - John P. Rankin has, over the years, collected information about families living in Madison County, AL. He has made these files available here at Huntsville History Collection. The files include Rankin's notes, photos, digital copies of documents, and clippings from newspapers and periodicals. He has a Fennell file and some of it might apply to Chris H. Fennell.

•  Record - A Dream Come True: The Story of Madison County and Incidentally of Alabama and the United States, Volume II by James Record, 1978, pages 118 & 125.

The Following Pages Link to this Page:
•  Record