The birthplace of the American auto

The crowd buzzed with excitement and wonder. Many pushed to get to the front while others stood on their tiptoes to catch a glimpse of the four-wheeled contraption.

It was a warm July 4 in 1894 and they had all gathered outside of their tiny town of Kokomo, Indiana, to watch Elwood Haynes. Their fellow citizen was going to make his first test-drive in an automobile he built himself, dubbed the Pioneer. It was his first car and the culmination of three years of hard work.

The vehicle was designed around a steel carriage and powered by a two-cycle, one-horsepower marine engine. Haynes successfully completed his voyage that summer day, traveling at 7 mph for a few miles.

The feat may seem small but it packed major ramifications. Haynes has since been credited as creating the first true American gasoline automobile and the publicity from his trip encouraged numerous other innovators to build automobiles in the Midwest.

Haynes himself would go on to create the Haynes Automobile Co., which built vehicles in Kokomo from 1905 to 1924.

A lot has changed in the quaint city of Kokomo but Haynes' innovative legacy lives on and can be experienced firsthand in the town's Kokomo Automotive Museum. It was started in 1998 and showcases more than 100 vehicles spanning the last 100 years.

The collection is diverse, ranging from high-horsepower muscle machines, classic 1950s cruisers, quirky 1970s rides to such rarities as a 1915 Kokomo Fire Department truck and a GM EV1 - the first mass-produced electric vehicle of the modern era.

Naturally, the pride and joy of the museum is its collection of Haynes vehicles. Currently on display are such unique models as a 1902 Haynes-Apperson runabout, a 1923 Haynes Model 55 sport sedan (whose history can be traced back to 1926 when it was bought by its second owner) and a 1923 Haynes Model 75 touring car.

In addition, there's also a replica of the 1894 Haynes Pioneer (the original was donated to the Smithsonian collection in Washington, D.C.).

The town's connection to the auto industry goes beyond just Haynes. Many accessories and components have been manufactured in Kokomo over the last several decades, such as Kingston carburetors and Delco radios. Displays of these and more items can be viewed throughout the space.

There's also revolving themed displays and several life-size dioramas showing such things as a 1950s diner and a vintage service station.

For more information, visit kokomoautomotivemuseum.com.