From Model T stunts to a $49 Chevrolet: Crawford recalls early car culture in Jackson County

Crawford said the arrival of cars and later traffic was the biggest change in Jackson County since 1935. He recalled a local dealer, Sam Higdon, whom he identified as running the Ford place west of Asheville, and said Higdon once drove a Model T up courthouse steps to demonstrate the car.

Crawford also described buying his first motor vehicle, a 1933 Chevrolet pickup, for $49 from a seller named Tom Mitchell; he said the battery was dead and they pushed it to get it started. "So for $49 I bought my 1st vehicle," he said, using the purchase to illustrate how much prices and everyday life have changed since his youth.