Story for the Day … Snow!
Early motorists weren’t afraid to drive in the snow simply because they didn’t have 4-wheel drive and electronic assistance; they just got out and did it. In 1920, the year that Lewis Reed took this photo, automobiles were equipped with windshields, but they did not yet have windows—you know, those pieces of glass above the doors of the car that keep stuff out. So snow removal was a back-breaking exterior and interior job. The radiator badge on the front of the car in this phto identifies it as a Hudson. The Hudson and Oldsmobile were sold at Reed Brothers from roughly 1917 through 1921.
In the spirit of yesterday’s snow, here is a photo that gives a good look at how Reed Brothers Dodge got its new model cars from the rail yard back to Rockville — they drove them — caravan-style through the snow. These new cars all with dealer license plates, are stopped along a snowbound Goshen Road in rural Gaithersburg on their way back to the dealership.

Circa 1920 Hudson Six with Maryland Dealer License Plate No. 618 on front. There weren’t heaters in these old cars, so motorists had to really bundle up. Photo by Lewis Reed
Who would dare go out in these conditions today without an AWD SUV and heated seats?
Recent Comments