The MCPD Motor Unit: 103 Years of Law Enforcement on Two Wheels
This is the first known photograph of the entire Montgomery County Police Force Motor Unit. Pictured left to right: Earl Burdine, Lawrence Clagett, Guy Jones, Chief Charles Cooley, Leroy Rodgers, and Oscar Gaither. Photo taken by Lewis Reed on July 4, 1922.
July 4th marks the 103rd anniversary of the beginning of the Montgomery County Police Department. Cattle rustling, bootlegging and stealing poultry were among the most common crimes when Montgomery County hired its first police chief and five officers in July 1922. So widespread was the theft of chickens and turkeys that some residents employed a homespun form of crime prevention by cutting off a specific claw on their birds to identify them. “Officers knew who all the chicken thieves were,” said one historical account of the era put together by the police department, “and upon getting a report of missing Rhode Island Reds, or some other breed, would head straight for the thieves’ hideaway to try to catch them ‘red handed’ before the birds got to the frying pan.”
Posing in front of Reed Brothers Dodge on July 4, 1922 Chief Charles Cooley, center, and his men of the first mounted unit of the Montgomery County Police Force, were on their first day of duty. For several years, since there was no police station, the officers would meet for “roll call” on the steps of the Red Brick Courthouse in Rockville at 2:00 p.m. every day to let each other know they were alive and well. Chief Cooley was given the privilege of a Model T Ford. The chief was paid $1,800 a year while the officers got $1,500. Each of the officers was issued a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a .38 Smith & Wesson handgun, a black jack, law book and was allotted $300.00 a year for the upkeep of their motorcycle. Jones patrolled Silver Spring, Rodgers the Bethesda-Chevy Chase area and Burdine, Clagett and Gaither the Upper County areas.
The county’s population in the early 1920s was just 35,000 (it’s now estimated at more than 1M). Much of the county was farmland, which accounted for the thefts of livestock. It also was the Prohibition era, when bootlegging and moonshine still factored routinely on an officer’s shift.
The officers worked 14 hours at night, 10 hours in the day, with two days off every two weeks. But they were on call at all times. Since there was no mobile radio contact (the first one-way radio system was installed in cars in the early 1930s), the officers tended to hang around the courthouse or a local firehouse that had a phone.
One of the officers came up with the idea of placing a flashing red beacon light on a pole atop the Rockville courthouse. When flashing, it would alert police that they had a call or were wanted at the office. In 1927, similar lights were used at district stations in Silver Spring and Bethesda.
Today, more than 1,300 sworn officers assisted by 600 support personnel provide full service to a large suburban county with over one million people.
Congratulations MCPD and thank you for your many years of service!
Lewis Reed Photo Featured in Gettysburg Educational Program: Enduring Pathways
State of Pennsylvania Monument Under Construction, ca. 1910. This rare photograph was taken by Lewis Reed of the State of Pennsylvania Monument while still under construction. Dedicated on September 27, 1910, the Pennsylvania Monument towers above the historic fields of Gettysburg, honoring the sacrifice of Pennsylvania’s soldiers. As the largest monument on the battlefield, it remains one of the most iconic and visited landmarks in the park.
Beginning on Memorial Day and running through Labor Day, the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania sponsors “100 Nights of Taps”, Gettysburg in partnership with Gettysburg National Military Park, Taps for Veterans, Gettysburg’s Licensed Battlefield Guides, and Eisenhower National Historic Site. A major feature of 100 Nights of Taps program is their “Enduring Pathway” – a historic/educational two minute presentation about Lincoln, the Gettysburg Address, and the history of Taps.
The Enduring Pathway previously presented the history of the Soldier’s National Monument, accompanied by a photo of its construction. Being now located at the Pennsylvania Monument, a member of the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania contacted me requesting permission to use Lewis Reed’s photograph of the Pennsylvania Monument while under construction in their Enduring Pathway educational segment on the monument. To have Lewis Reed’s photograph included in this endeavor is a privilege, and I was delighted to grant the permission. It is a small contribution, perhaps, but one that carries a great deal of personal significance. It’s a reminder that the work we do, the stories we tell, and the images we create can have a lasting impact, connecting us to the past and shaping our understanding of the present.
State of Pennsylvania Monument after completion, ca. 1914. Photo by Lewis Reed
The monument was dedicated in 1910, however, it was unfinished at the time of the dedication, lacking the eight bronze statues which were installed in April 1913. The memorial, including the granite dome, was fully completed in 1914 with the installation of a bronze tablet listing additional veterans’ names. The monument also includes statues of President Abraham Lincoln, Governor Andrew Curtin, and six Pennsylvania generals. The monument is located on Hancock Avenue at Pleasonton Avenue.
Source: Wikipedia, Pennsylvania State Memorial, Gettysburg
Featured Photo: Memorial Day in Gettysburg, A Historic Tradition
Women and children reverently carry bouquets to lay upon the graves in the cemetery. Photo by Lewis Reed, ca. early 1900s.
Memorial Day in Gettysburg holds a significant place in American history, marked by a long-standing tradition of remembrance and commemoration. The Memorial Day parade and ceremony in Gettysburg is recognized as one of the oldest continuously held ceremonies in the United States. A poignant visual record of this tradition is captured in the photograph taken by Lewis Reed. This image depicts local women and children walking en route to the Soldiers National Cemetery to lay flowers. This act of laying flowers is a symbolic gesture of remembrance, a practice that continues to this day.
Gettysburg National Cemetery is the final resting place for 3,512 Union soldiers. This cemetery is not only a burial ground, but also a site of historical significance, as it is where President Abraham Lincoln delivered his iconic Gettysburg Address in 1863.
Who Gets This? Good as New 1931 Harley Davidson Only $100!
Montgomery County Sentinel, Feb 2, 1933
Lewis Reed, an avid motorcycle enthusiast, also acquired and sold Harley-Davidson Motorcycles at his dealership. Between 1915 and 1950, Reed Brothers Dodge sold more than just cars. In addition to automobiles, the dealership also sold a wide variety of vehicles such as farm tractors, delivery trucks, firetrucks, school buses, and apparently, motorcycles.
Rockville’s Park Avenue Motorcycle Club, 1912
At the turn of the century, before cars were even around, Lewis and Edgar Reed, along with brother-in-law Bernard Hanshew, began their riding adventures with a group of friends from the Park Avenue community in Rockville in the early 1900s.
First motorcycle club in Rockville, Maryland. One Harley Davidson, one Indian, and Three Excelsior motorcycles on Park Avenue, 1912. Lewis Reed, far left.
Early motorcyclists were often pictured in riding groups. From its beginnings, motorcycling developed very much as a social activity. Gentlemen of the day often used it to spice up their sunny weekends and impress ladies.
On Park Avenue, ca. 1912. L-R: “Happy” Hicks, Lewis and Edgar Reed, Frank Higgins, and Alvin Luctor.
Montgomery County Sentinel. September 29, 1955, Centennial Edition
Lewis Reed on his Harley Davidson circa 1915 somewhere outside Frederick, Maryland.
Adventurers, enthusiasts, friends, and family…these are the pioneers of Montgomery County who made riding a social pastime, which has carried on in motorcycle travel today.
Montgomery County’s Trolley Era 1900-1935
Trolleys existed in American cities before the Civil War, but a line did not connect Washington, DC to Rockville, Maryland, until 1900. Lewis Reed had the foresight to aim his camera at early trolley cars, providing rare glimpses of these unique vehicles, as well as views of Montgomery County’s rapidly changing landscapes in the early 20th century.
From the “Washington Star,” regarding the Rockville cars:
The cars do not differ materially from those found on other lines – except no place to hitch horses …. The interior of the car is fitted up with mahogany …seats with springs are upholstered in slate-colored plush.
Trolleys were at home both in the open countryside and in city streets, mingled with pedestrians, cyclists, and horse-drawn vehicles. This scene, taken by Lewis Reed in Baltimore in 1913, shows the trolley in its more typical urban habitat.
Trolley cars played a big part in early county travel. From 1900 to 1935, street cars plied the track from the Washington terminus at Wisconsin and M Streets, NW, up Wisconsin and then Old Georgetown Road, over a steel trestle just before the cars approached Georgetown Prep, through dense woods at Montrose and onto the Rockville Pike, through Rockville on Montgomery Avenue, to Laird Street, and back again. The cars could be driven from either end. In 1929, W&R ran 24 trips a day between 6:30 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. to connect Rockville and Washington. Major stops along the line included Georgetown, Alta Vista, Bethesda, Montrose, Halpine, the Fairgrounds, Courthouse Square, and Chestnut Lodge. Six switching stations and side tracks enabled street cars to pass as they went in different directions. As automobiles and buses rose in popularity and availability, trolleys began their descent into the history books and by 1935, they were pretty much gone from Montgomery County.
Below is a collection of photographs taken by Lewis Reed that shows what the old trolley cars looked like, highlighting what riding the trolley car was like in the early 1900s. From wood-paneled exteriors with ceiling fans to advertisements, here’s a nostalgic look back at Montgomery County’s Trolley era through the lens of Lewis Reed. (click on photos to enlarge)
Western Avenue car barn for the streetcars that served the Georgetown-Tenelytown-Bethesda-Rockville line. Photo by Lewis Reed
A car barn is the streetcar equivalent of a garage for buses. It’s a covered facility in which streetcars were stored overnight, cleaned and given light repairs before the next day’s run. The car barn for the trolleys at the time was the second Western Avenue car barn for the streetcars that served the Georgetown-Tenelytown-Bethesda-Rockville line. It was located at on west side of Wisconsin at between Harrison and Jennifer. It was demolished and later replaced by a purpose-built bus garage which is still in use by WMATA. The National Capital Trolley Museum was instrumental in helping to identify the car barn in the photo above.
Leroy King described the street car below as one of Washington Railway’s majestic “Rockville” cars, at 4 switch in 1908. Note multiple unit jumper box under center front window.
Passengers board car #596 heading to Rockville in 1908. These distinctively styled cars, popularly known as ‘Rockville’ cars, were also used on Washington Railway’s Maryland line. Photo by Lewis Reed, 1908
Traveling in snow was sometimes hazardous to trolley cars, as evidenced by the trolley pictured below which derailed the train tracks and plowed into a telephone pole at Montrose Road and Rockville Pike. Lewis Reed was there to capture the accident from two different perspectives using a five-by-four box camera which produced images on a glass plate.
In populated areas, street cars kept speeds to 12 mph (6 mph at intersections), but in open country they could get up to 40 mph.
Derailed trolley at Montrose Road and Rockville Pike. Photo by Lewis Reed
Derailed trolley through dense woods at Montrose Road and Rockville Pike. Photo by Lewis Reed
Rockville Trolley Car #592. Photo by Lewis Reed
A motorman and conductor on a Georgetown trolley car. Photo by Lewis Reed, ca. 1908
Note the “cow catcher” in the front, and the multiple unit jumper box under the center front window. Each car had a two-man crew (a conductor and a motorman) one to operate the car and the other to collect fares.
Two carmen aboard the “Georgetown Only” trolley car. Photo by Lewis Reed
Crew and passengers pose near a Rockville car. Photo by Lewis Reed
Trolley heading south after diverging from Rockville Pike. Photo by Lewis Reed, 1910
In the photo above c. 1910, a trolley (at center) heads south from Rockville toward Tenallytown (as it was spelled then) through open farmland. The view appears to be looking north and shows the area south of where Montrose Road intersects with Rockville Pike. The Pike is the white strip running diagonally behind the trolley car. To the left of the Pike is the William Scherrer farm. The Curtain farm is near the white buildings to the left of the Trolley line. The building in the foreground is the garage for the Villa Roma hotel and restaurant. The elevated vantage point, possibly from an adjacent rooftop or the roof of a barn, affords an excellent view of the rural countryside.
This photo, c. 1911, captures the trolley tracks on Rockville Pike south of Sherrer Farm. Note that one of the young men is holding a bicycle. Photo by Lewis Reed
The photograph below was featured on PBS’s “The American Experience” documentary, “The Great War” that premiered on April 10, 2017 in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of America’s entry into World War I.
Interior of 1920’s Rockville trolley car. Photo taken by Lewis Reed
Panels for advertising line the edge of the ceiling on both sides of the trolley. Instead of AC, the interiors were cooled with wooden ceiling fans.
Rare peak of the inside of a 1920’s trolley car and passengers featured in PBS documentary “The Great War”. Photo taken by Lewis Reed
The rise and decline of trolleys and street railways is another example of the inevitability of change. Now there are no street car lines in Montgomery County and all the car barns and charming little waiting stations have been razed.
In March 1965, ground was broken for construction of the Trolley Museum in Wheaton, Maryland. Built with donated funds, materials and labor, it is run by volunteers under the aegis of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
Abandoned trolley tracks off MacArthur Boulevard, 100 years after Lewis Reed’s time. [Photo by Sue Houser]
Rockville Trolley Line 1900-1935 – Peerless Rockville 2002
Sources: Rockville Pike History – City of Rockville
History of the Street Car Lines of Montgomery County
Peerless Rockville
Books
Related Resources
Copyright Notice
Reed Brothers Dodge History (1915-2012) by Jeanne Gartner is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
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