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From
a distance the Pontiac "big six" 2-door sedan crawling slowly up
the bald granite face of Enchanted Rock, looked like a gnat on an
ice cream cone. The vehicle made several stops on its way to the
summit, not because of any problems, but to give photographers a
chance to snap a few black and white glossies of the famous climb.
On Saturday, June 22, 1929, Enchanted Rock opened as a tourist resort
called Enchanted Rock Park. Management wanted to host a spectacular
event to publicize the opening. Having a car climb Enchanted Rock
seemed like a great way to attract attention and draw a crowd.
Hildon Bradshaw of Llano
drove the car. Skeptics believed the local Pontiac dealer installed
special gears and safety equipment in the car, but The Llano
News reported that such statements "are without any foundation."
"This is a regular stock car," the newspaper stated, "carrying the
same motor and other equipment found in all Pontiacs and is the
same car in which Mr. Bradshaw made his one hundred hour non-stop
drive some few weeks ago. The car carried absolutely no special
gearing." Apparently it came right off the showroom floor.
The driver had confidence in his machinery. "He felt no uneasiness
in attempting the climb," The Llano News reported. "He knew
what his car could do and felt sure it would make the round trip
without a bobble, all of which it did."
Bradshaw drove the car to the foot of the Rock at 2 pm that Saturday
afternoon. After a pause for dramatic effect he shifted the car
into low gear, gunned the engine and started up.
Tate Moss, owner of Enchanted Rock, wanted a good seat for the show.
He rode along on the front fender, his feet resting on the bumper,
holding tightly to a chrome bust of Chief Pontiac that served as
the radiator cap.
The event attracted a big crowd. The San Antonio Light estimated
the gathering at 4,000. Some of the spectators followed the car
on foot from a safe distance. The rest watched from the shade trees
along Sandy Creek.
Although the stunt came off without a hitch, there were a few anxious
moments along the way. The San Antonio Light reported that
"at times the driver was forced to place four running board passengers
on the high side of his Pontiac when the sharp angle of the rough
trail threatened to overturn the car." At one point the vehicle
crawled along a ledge less than 3 ft. from a 100 ft. cliff.
The vehicle made several planned stops on the way up so photographers
could take pictures and the MGM Newsreel Service could film the
climb. Movie theaters showed the film to audiences around the country.
Many of the spectators that day had never been to Enchanted Rock.
One cameraman, a first-time visitor, described the view from the
windy summit as "like sitting on top of the world."
After spending some time enjoying the view, the Pontiac started
back down. At the bottom driver Bradshaw splashed across Sandy Creek
and stopped next to several one-room cottages, a spacious new dance
pavilion and a 100 ft. long ranch-style barbecue pit.
"Here's where we feed the 4,000," Tate Moss joked.
Since
that first climb back in 1929, at least one other vehicle has scaled
Enchanted Rock. On May 21, 1964 Clinton Fiedler of Fredericksburg
drove a GMC 4 wheel drive V6 pickup to the summit.
Five brave passengers went along that day including Leola Behrend
of Behrend Garage, K. L. Reynolds - District Manager of GMC Truck
Division of San Angelo, Francis Markle of the Fredericksburg
Radio Post, Art Kowert of the Fredericksburg Standard
and local Humble dealer Gilbert Kaderli who supplied the gasoline.
It is interesting that while both climbs demonstrated the power
of modern technology, they also affirmed the idea that there are
places where modern technology doesn't belong. Several witnesses
noted that an automobile looked intrusive and out of place on the
timeless granite mountain, and that in the future Enchanted Rock
should be limited to pedestrian traffic.
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