Rockville’s First Gulf Gasoline Dealer
Reed Brothers Dodge operated their own full service Gulf gasoline and service station. In fact, the company was the first Gulf gas dealer in the Washington, D.C. area, selling gas at its original location in Old Rockville at the triangle at Viers Mill Road and Rockville Pike. In addition to gas, they carried a full line of Gulf lubricants, Goodyear tires, Willard batteries, complimentary road maps, free air and water, and many other well known brands of merchandise to meet their patrons needs. Reed Brothers discontinued offering this product line when they relocated to their new facility in November 1970.
1915 Rockville Garage First Gas Station – A Single Pump
Reed Brothers Dodge 1922
Note the “modern” gas pumps. The Rockville Fairgrounds are beyond the boarded fence.
“That Good Gulf Gasoline” drive-through filling station circa 1920
In front is a large sign that reads “That Good Gulf Gasoline”. In the background is the old St Mary’s Church and Cemetery in Rockville. Gulf scored notable a “first” with the world’s first drive-in service station.
1936 After World War II with a New Front
Reed Brothers celebrated the end of World War II with another new facelift and a whole new look.
Reed Brothers Dodge mid-1960s
Due to changes in the highway, Reed Brothers began an extensive remodeling and rebuilding program. Two-thirds of the original location at the junction of then Route 240 and Viers Mill Road was razed and a modern Gulf Service Station was erected.
Rockville Garage First Car Invoice
June 22, 1921 was no doubt an exciting day for Mr Henry C. Brown, as that was the day he purchased a brand new 1921 DODGE BROTHERS TOURING CAR from Lewis Reed’s Rockville Garage. The car was sold for $1050.00 and signed for by Edgar Reed. The logos on the invoice are the original Dodge Brothers Motor Cars and Oldsmobile Sales Company logos. Initially, Reed Brothers sold Oldsmobile and Hudson, along with Dodge. The fact that the phone number was just ’67’ gives a real feeling of how different life was back then. (click images to enlarge)
Reed Brothers was franchised as a Dodge dealership and service facility in 1915; less than one year after the first Dodge automobile was made. In 1919, Lewis Reed’s brother Edgar joined him in the business. Reed Brothers Dodge was the first to sell Dodge cars in Montgomery County, Maryland.
1st Car Invoice
The 1921 Dodge Brothers Touring was born one year after the death of both Horace and John Dodge, who had teamed up to run a successful Detroit engine and transmission building venture before turning to car building in 1914. The new company almost immediately established a reputation for building solid, sturdy machines that were reliable and built to last.
Picture of a 1921 Dodge Brothers Touring Car
1928 Dodge Brothers Standard Six
This 1928 Dodge Brothers Standard Six was a vehicle from Reed Brothers private collection of automobiles. It fell into the hands of Lee Gartner over 40 years ago from an upper Montgomery County, Maryland used car dealer at the price of $100. In dealer ownership for over forty years, this vintage car was restored and maintained over the years by Reed Brothers Body Shop and Service Department.
The history of the Dodge Brothers marque began in 1914. During their first year they introduced the ‘Old Betsy’ known for its reliability and durability. A total of 249 examples were created during the company’s first year. The name ‘Dodge Brothers’ was used from 1914 through 1927. In 1928 it was acquired by the Chrysler Corporation and its name was changed to ‘Dodge’.
The Standard Six carried an $835 factory price and was powered by a 6-cylinder; L-head engine rated at 27.34 hp. The fully restored 1928 Dodge was proudly displayed on the showroom floor, and for many years served as a wonderful conversation piece. It had only 46,504 original miles on it and still ran well until it was sold in 2012.
Gaithersburg: Then & Now
The website “Gaithersburg: Then & Now” authored by local historian Shaun Curtis has placed a link to “Reed Brothers Dodge History 1915-2012” blog under the Local Historic Sites & Information section of their website. Reed Brothers would like to acknowledge and thank “Gaithersburg: Then & Now” for sharing the link to our blog on their website.
The book, “Gaithersburg” by Shaun Curtis, is part of Arcadia’s popular Then & Now series which offers a special view of American life, placing historical images side by side with contemporary photographs to chronicle the area’s past.
Highlights of Gaithersburg:
• What started as a small website (www.shauncurtis.com) has resulted in the publication of this book
• Includes many old popular Gaithersburg landmarks – the Shady Grove Music Fair, the Gaither Theater and the Washingtonian Motel
• Illustrates how Gaithersburg has developed from an agricultural powerhouse into a science and technology powerhouse
The book is available at area bookstores or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com.
Found: 1919 Newspaper Ad
Popular periodicals of the 1900′s almost always contained car advertisements from the major car manufacturers. The advertisement below, distributed by the Oldsmobile Sales Company in the June 29, 1919 edition of the Washington Post is the very first advertisement in which the Rockville Garage appeared. Dealers are listed in fine print at the bottom: note Rockville, Garage is highlighted in yellow. Initially, Reed Brothers represented several franchise nameplates along with Dodge, including Oldsmobile, Hudson, and Essex. The Hudson and Oldsmobile were sold at Reed Brothers from roughly 1917 through 1923.
1919 Oldsmobile Model 45-B Rockville Garage Ad – The Washington Post – Sunday, June 29, 1919, Washington, District Of Columbia
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Copyright Notice
Reed Brothers Dodge History (1915-2012) by Jeanne Gartner is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Reed Brothers Dodge History 1915 – 2012 
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