Reed Brothers Texaco Filling Station
The 1917 photo below is the Reed Brothers original Rockville Garage located at the intersection of Veirs Mill Road and Rockville Pike. To the right is a Texaco Gasoline Filling Station sign. One very tall Texaco branded fuel pump can be seen in this photo along with two Texaco Petroleum refueling trucks. The gas pump globe on the top advertizes the gas company name and logo. Parked in front is a line-up of some very early Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicles.
Also visible in the photo are trolley tracks that went along Rockville Pike and Montgomery Avenue to Laird Street and back again. From 1900 – 1935, the trolley cars went past Reed Brothers Dodge as they traveled up Rockville Pike.
At some point between prior to 1920, Reed Brothers Dodge changed over from selling Texaco and became a Gulf Gasoline dealer. Reed Brothers had the first Gulf gas station in the still-rural Washington D.C. area. (click on images to enlarge)
1917 Original Rockville Garage with 2 story addition. Note the Texaco Filling Station signage and the Texaco Petroleum fuel truck refilling the single pump in front.
Below, a Texaco Petroleum tanker is delivering its load of fuel to Reed Brothers in this circa 1917 photo. The delivery driver seems to be wearing his best suit on this job, something that you don’t see these days at all.
Texaco was founded in Beaumont, Texas as the Texas Fuel Company in 1901. A circa 1917 Texaco Petroleum Truck sits in front of Reed Brothers Dodge after delivering its load of fuel.
This Gasoline Filling Station sign is from the teens and is the same logo seen in the photo above.
Vintage Newspaper Ads
These vintage newspaper ads from Lewis Reed’s Rockville Garage were found on NewspaperARCHIVE.com, the largest historical newspaper database online. Prior to the advent of television and radio advertising, print media was the most popular form of advertising and most car ads were black and white.
The very first advertisement below, distributed by the Oldsmobile Sales Company in the Sunday, June 29, 1919 edition of The Washington Post is the very first ad in which the Rockville Garage appeared. Dealers are listed in fine print at the bottom: note Rockville Garage, Rockville, Md, which is highlighted in yellow.
Initially, Reed Brothers sold Oldsmobile and Hudson, along with Dodge. (click on images to enlarge)
Rockville Garage – The Washington Post – Sunday, June 29, 1919, Washington, District Of Columbia
Rockville Garage – Washington Post, The – Sunday, July 11, 1920, Washington, District Of Columbia
Rockville Garage – The Washington Post, Sunday, July 04, 1920, Washington, District Of Columbia
Rockville Garage – The Washington Post Sunday, July 18, 1920, Washington, District Of Columbia
Rockville Garage – The Washington Post Sunday, August 08, 1920, Washington, District Of Columbia
1920 Newspaper Ads
The following advertisements, distributed by the Lambert Automobile Company in the July & August 1920 editions of the Washington Post are among the earliest advertisements in which the Rockville Garage appeared. Initially, Reed Brothers sold Oldsmobile and Hudson, along with Dodge.
Dealers are listed in fine print at the bottom: note Rockville Garage, Rockville, Md, which I have highlighted in yellow.
Rockville Garage – Washington Post, The – Sunday, July 11, 1920, Washington, District Of Columbia
Rockville Garage – Washington Post – Sunday, August 08, 1920, Washington, District Of Columbia
1972 Washington Auto Show
Gathering around the Charger Topper on display at the Washington meeting are (from left) Lee Gartner, Dealer President/Principal and Phil Vetter (at wheel), Service Manager of Reed Brothers Dodge.
The 1972 Dodge Charger “Topper Special” was a custom-equipped economy Charger specially equipped with the canopy vinyl roof, hidden headlights, side paint stripe, contour moldings, bumper guards, Rallye instrumentation, security inside hood release, whitewalls, wheel covers, left remote control mirror, extra chrome, and fender mounted turn signals.
And for adding these beautiful touches, your dealer can offer you a vinyl roof. Free. Want power steering and power brakes? See your Dodge Dealer about his offer on the specially equipped Charger Topper X. Dodge, Depend on it.
1972 Dodge Charger Topper Ad ~ Free Vinyl Roof
Montgomery County Police Department Marks 90-Year Anniversary Today
This blog entry was posted today to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Montgomery County Police Department. It was 90 years ago today that the MCPD was first established. 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.
The Montgomery County Police Department was established on July 4, 1922, consisting of five officers and a Chief. 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.
The Montgomery County Police Department has produced a commemorative book as they celebrate 90 years of service. This exciting new book will contain the history of MCP from 1922-2012, exciting historic accounts and stories, full-color portrait photos of current officers, personnel and retirees, division and unit awards, an In Memoriam Tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and more, with hundreds of historic and full-color photographs.
You can order the “Montgomery County Police Department 90th Anniversary Commemorative Book” on the Acclaim Press website.
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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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