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The
following is from a news item that appeared in the Centennial Edition
of the White Laker Observer on January 30, 1974, indicating that Will
Ohrenberger was the owner of the first “Taxi” service in the area.
The
first “Commercial” motor passenger service in Montague was conducted
by the late Will Ohrenberger, father of Charles Ohrenberger II (who
was named for his grandfather.)
This was
not really a scheduled service. About 1910 or 1912 Will had one of the
first automobiles in Montague. It was a two-seated Buick, white, with
no doors.
Will had
it for his own pleasure, but he would take parties to Muskegon for $5.
It was something to talk about when anyone engaged Will for a trip to
the city.
Whitehall Road was gravel at the time, the only gravel road in the
region. It was merely called “the gravel” road and everyone knew what
road you meant.
The
Buick would go chugging over the gravel surface at probably 20 miles
an hour. A brass horn, with a rubber squeeze bulb, was mounted beside
the driver (on the right hand side of the car) to warn horse drawn
vehicles, and chickens, of the approach of the mechanized monster.
In 1912
Henry Banks, a local livery stable owner, bought the first car
expressly for the purpose of public service.
In 1946
there was an ad that appeared in the paper for Robert Barteau,
Operator of the White Lake Taxi Service and another one in 1949 with
Floyd Fernow as Operator. It is unclear exactly how long either of
these businesses operated.
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