The Day Auto Racing Came to Rockville: Rare Photos from 1923
On Saturday, August 25, 1923, spectators gathered at the Rockville Fairgrounds for something never before seen there: automobile racing.
Professional drivers brought their high-powered racing machines to the half-mile dirt track for the first automobile races ever held at the Rockville Fair. Standing trackside with his camera was Rockville automobile dealer and photographer Lewis Reed, who captured a remarkable series of photographs of the action.
More than a century later, his images preserve the day auto racing came to Rockville.
Rockville drew a large crowd for its first automobile races at the Rockville Fair, August 25, 1923. Photo by Lewis Reed.
Rockville’s First Auto Races
The automobile races were the featured attraction on the final day of the 1923 Fair. Contemporary newspaper accounts described them as an innovation for Rockville and confirmed that they were the first automobile races ever held there.
Seven high-powered cars competed in events ranging from one to ten miles, driven by some of the leading professional racers of the day. Canadian dirt-track racer Frank Ripple was among the featured drivers and was expected to attempt speed records in a powerful machine equipped with a 140-horsepower airplane engine.
The new attraction proved popular. Except for Thursday, traditionally the Fair’s biggest day, the Saturday automobile races reportedly drew the largest crowd of the five-day event.
Five racers charge around the dirt track at the Rockville Fairgrounds, August 25, 1923. Photo by Lewis Reed.
Racing on the Dirt Track
Lewis Reed’s photographs show just how exciting early automobile racing could be. Cars raced closely together on the unpaved oval, their narrow tires throwing enormous clouds of dust into the air as drivers fought for position around the sweeping curves.
Spectators stood remarkably close to the action.
Race cars disappear into a cloud of dust while rounding the Rockville Fairgrounds track. Print made from a Lewis Reed glass negative.
One of Lewis Reed’s most interesting photographs from the races shows a car carrying two men. The passenger was a riding mechanic, once a familiar figure in early automobile racing. In addition to watching the mechanical condition of the car, he served as an extra set of eyes for the driver, keeping watch on competitors approaching from behind.
Driver and riding mechanic on the dirt track at the Rockville Fairgrounds, August 25, 1923. Photo by Lewis Reed.
A Future Indianapolis 500 Driver Raced at Rockville
Years after I first published these photographs, the story took an unexpected turn.
I received a message from John Snowberger, whose father, Russ Snowberger, raced at the Rockville Fairgrounds during the early 1920s. John told me that he had photographs of his father in his race car and believed that my grandfather, Lewis Reed, may have taken them.
Russ Snowberger, born in Denton, Maryland, raced throughout the region before going on to become a nationally known driver and a veteran of the Indianapolis 500.
Although I have not been able to establish that Snowberger competed specifically in the August 25, 1923 races, his son’s recollection provides a fascinating connection between Rockville’s early dirt-track racing and a driver who would later compete on one of the world’s most famous speedways.
It also raises an intriguing possibility: somewhere among Lewis Reed’s surviving photographs of early race cars and drivers may be an unidentified image of a young Russ Snowberger.
A Moment Preserved in Photographs
More than a century later, Lewis Reed’s photographs provide a rare visual record of the day automobile racing first came to the Rockville Fair.
They capture speeding cars, clouds of dust, spectators lining the track, and an era when automobile racing was still new enough to be a major local attraction.
And thanks to a message received nearly a century later from the son of an Indianapolis 500 driver, we now know that the old Rockville dirt track had connections extending well beyond Montgomery County.
For one dusty Saturday in August 1923, Rockville became a racing town.
From Rockville to Gaithersburg: The Montgomery County Fair Through the Lens of Lewis Reed
Special Feature for Montgomery County Agricultural Fair Week
August 14–22, 2026
A look back at the fair’s early years through the lens of Lewis Reed.
Every August, hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair to enjoy livestock exhibitions, agricultural displays, carnival rides, competitions, concerts, and family traditions that have endured for generations. While today’s fairgrounds in Gaithersburg are familiar to many, the fair itself began long before the current site existed.
Organized in 1846 by the Montgomery County Agricultural Society, the annual fair was established to promote agriculture, encourage innovation, and strengthen the county’s farming community. For decades, it brought together farmers, merchants, craftsmen, and families from across Montgomery County to exchange ideas, exhibit their finest livestock and crops, and celebrate the region’s agricultural heritage.
By the time Lewis Reed began photographing Montgomery County around the turn of the twentieth century, the fair had become one of the county’s largest and most anticipated annual events. Carrying his camera throughout the fairgrounds, Reed documented not only the exhibits and attractions but also the people who made the fair an enduring community tradition.
Fairgoers stroll along the midway in their Sunday best, ca. 1910. Broad-brimmed hats, long flowing dresses, and tailored suits reflected the fashion of the era, when dressing for the county fair was as much a social occasion as the event itself.
Reed’s photographs reveal a fair that was both educational and entertaining. Agriculture remained its foundation, but visitors also came to enjoy the excitement of the midway, where amusement rides, games, and food vendors transformed the fairgrounds into a festive gathering place for young and old alike.
Ferris Wheel at the Montgomery County Fair, Rockville, ca. 1910. One of the fair’s most popular attractions towered above the fairgrounds, symbolizing how the annual exhibition combined agricultural traditions with modern entertainment.
Behind the excitement of the midway was the fair’s original purpose. Exhibition halls displayed the county’s finest produce, flowers, baked goods, preserves, and handcrafted items, while nearby barns housed prize-winning livestock representing the best of Montgomery County’s farms. Manufacturers exhibited the latest farm machinery and equipment, giving visitors an opportunity to see how new technology was steadily transforming rural life.
Agriculture remained the heart of the fair. Manufacturers displayed the latest farm machinery, giving local farmers an opportunity to compare new equipment and modern farming methods.
Visitors explored displays celebrating Montgomery County’s agricultural achievements, local craftsmanship, and community pride.
An exhibitor captures the attention of fairgoers.
One of Lewis Reed’s most compelling photographs captures hundreds of automobiles parked throughout the fairgrounds. As a lifelong automobile enthusiast and future founder of Reed Brothers Dodge, Reed recognized that the motorcar was transforming Montgomery County. His photograph preserves that moment when the automobile had become an integral part of daily life and community gatherings.
Hundreds of cars in the parking lot.
The grandstand and one-third-mile dirt race track were among the fair’s most popular attractions. Horse racing remained a favorite event, while bicycle races, motorcycle exhibitions, and eventually automobile competitions reflected America’s growing fascination with speed and mechanical innovation. Reed’s photographs preserve these moments at a time when transportation itself was rapidly changing.
Bicycle races became very popular throughout the country and were a novel event at the Rockville Fairgrounds as early as 1915. The track was a half-mile dirt racing oval with wide, sweeping curves and a grandstand for spectators, which made for clear views. Notice the riders are in shirts and ties.
Harness racing was one of the main attractions at the race track before the introduction of the automobile and the subsequent popularity of racing cars.
Spectators pack the grandstand for the automobile races at the Rockville Fair, August 25, 1923. Racing events drew visitors from across the region and showcased the excitement of the new motor age.
The Rockville fairgrounds continued to host the Montgomery County Fair until 1932, when financial hardships brought on by the Great Depression forced the Agricultural Society to sell the property. The site would later become the home of Richard Montgomery High School. In 1949, hundreds of volunteers joined together to establish the Montgomery County Agricultural Center in Gaithersburg, where the fair continues today.
Winter at the Rockville Fairgrounds, 1910. Lewis Reed’s photograph captures a rare, tranquil view of the fairgrounds between seasons, preserving a landscape that would eventually disappear from Montgomery County.
Much has changed since Lewis Reed walked the fairgrounds with his camera. The original race track has disappeared, the Rockville fairgrounds exist only in photographs, and Montgomery County has grown from a rural farming community into one of Maryland’s most populous counties. Yet the fair’s mission has remained remarkably consistent: celebrating agriculture, education, community, and innovation.
As visitors gather for this year’s Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, Lewis Reed’s photographs offer a rare opportunity to look back at the fair’s early years and experience a tradition that has united generations of Montgomery County residents for nearly 180 years.
Two New Books Featuring Lewis Reed’s Historic Montgomery County Photographs
More than 125 years ago, a young boy named Lewis Reed picked up a camera and began photographing the world around him. What started as a youthful fascination with photography grew into one of the most important visual records of Montgomery County’s history.
From the late 1890s through the mid-twentieth century, Lewis Reed documented a county in transition. His photographs preserve everyday life during an era when dirt roads gradually gave way to paved highways, horse-drawn wagons shared the road with the first automobiles, and small rural communities evolved into the suburban landscape we know today. Today, the Lewis Reed Photograph Collection contains more than 2,500 photographs and continues to serve as an invaluable resource for historians, educators, museums, and local preservation projects.
For a little more than a decade, I have been privileged to preserve, research, and share this remarkable collection through books, online exhibits, presentations, historical markers, and hundreds of articles published here on Reed Brothers Dodge History. It has been my goal to ensure that Lewis Reed’s photographs remain accessible to everyone interested in Montgomery County’s rich heritage.
I am pleased to announce the completion of two new softcover companion books inspired by the Montgomery History online exhibits that celebrate Lewis Reed’s photographic legacy and introduce these remarkable images to an even wider audience.
Montgomery County: Through the Lens of Lewis Reed
Created as a companion volume to Montgomery History’s online exhibit of the same name, this compact book presents a carefully selected collection of Lewis Reed’s finest photographs. Inspired by the online exhibit, it preserves a remarkable visual record of a Montgomery County that has largely disappeared.
Taken during the first decades of the twentieth century, these photographs capture a county undergoing profound change while demonstrating Lewis Reed’s remarkable gift for documenting history as it unfolded. Today, they stand among the most significant visual records of Montgomery County’s early history.
Montgomery County: Then and Now – Photography of Lewis Reed and Barry Gartner
Also created as a companion volume to Montgomery History’s online exhibit of the same name, this full-color book pairs Lewis Reed’s historic photographs with modern images recreated from the same locations by his grandson, Barry Gartner. Together, the photographic pairs reveal more than a century of change while preserving a visual connection between Montgomery County’s past and present.
The result is a unique comparison of familiar landscapes, demonstrating how photography can bridge generations and deepen our understanding of the communities that continue to evolve.
Now Available
I’m excited to share that Montgomery County: Then and Now – Photography of Lewis Reed and Barry Gartner is now available to preview or purchase through Blurb’s print-on-demand bookstore.
Readers can browse the entire book online before ordering, making it easy to explore this unique photographic journey through Montgomery County’s past and present.
Preview or order your copy here:
Montgomery County: Then and Now – Photography of Lewis Reed and Barry Gartner
The companion volume, Montgomery County: Through the Lens of Lewis Reed, will also be available soon.
Continuing the Legacy
Every publication built around the Lewis Reed Photograph Collection helps preserve a remarkable visual record of Montgomery County’s history. More than historic images, these photographs connect us with the people, places, and landscapes that shaped our communities and remind us how much can be learned from a single photograph.
Thank you to everyone who has encouraged and supported this work over the years. Your interest in Lewis Reed’s photography has helped ensure that this extraordinary collection continues to educate, inspire, and preserve Montgomery County’s history for future generations.
To explore these and my other publications, please visit the Featured Publications page here on Reed Brothers Dodge History.
The Devastation of May 2, 1929: Montgomery County’s Deadliest Tornado in Historic Photographs
Spectators view the destruction at the Benson farm, May 1929. Photo by Lewis Reed
Ninety-seven years ago today, one of the worst tornado outbreaks in area history devastated a part of Montgomery County Maryland. At about 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, 1929, northeastern Montgomery County was struck by an F3 tornado, part of a large storm system that caused devastation from Florida to Ohio. The weekly Montgomery County Sentinel reported on May 10th that the “wind storm of cyclonic power… was of limited width and serpentine on its course. Everything in its path met with destruction.” These photographs were taken by Lewis Reed “after the tornado of May 2, 1929”.
Among the hardest hit was the farm of J. William Benson, where every structure, including the house, a massive barn, and multiple outbuildings, was completely obliterated. Even the surrounding landscape was reshaped. Trees from the orchard were reportedly lifted into the air and carried miles away, a testament to the storm’s incredible force.
Surveying the wreckage: Local men stand atop the splintered remains of a farmstead, where the 1929 tornado reduced buildings to a tangled mass of lumber. Photo by Lewis Reed
In the days following the disaster, Lewis Reed traveled to the scene to document the devastation. His photographs, now a haunting window into the past, capture the sheer force of a storm that could lift entire orchards into the air and reduce sturdy farmsteads to splinters. For days, thousands of people traveled to the area to witness the devastation firsthand. What they encountered was described as “indescribable wreckage,” a scene that defied easy explanation and lingered in memory long after the debris was cleared.
In the tornado’s aftermath, residents pick their way through a flattened landscape, where shattered timber, uprooted trees, and scattered debris mark the storm’s destructive path across the countryside. Photo by Lewis Reed
Amid this chaos, help arrived quickly. Local fire departments from Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Sandy Spring responded after a farm worker, having freed himself from the wreckage, ran to summon aid. Relief efforts soon followed, including support organized by the local Red Cross to assist those who had lost homes, livelihoods, and stability in a single night.
While Montgomery County was spared the worst loss of life, the broader storm system proved deadly. Reports at the time indicated that 28 people were killed across Maryland and Virginia, with the most tragic losses occurring in Virginia when a school was struck directly.
One particularly meaningful photograph includes Reed’s young daughter, Mary Jane, standing amid the aftermath. Decades later, she would help identify the locations of these images, connecting memory with history in a way few archival collections can. This personal link transforms the photographs from simple documentation into living history.
Seven-year-old Mary Jane Reed surveys the aftermath of the F3 tornado that decimated the J. William Benson farm in Unity, Maryland. Captured by her father, Lewis Reed, this image highlights the complete destruction of the 117-foot barn and the surrounding landscape following the deadliest storm in Montgomery County history.
Originally undated and unlabeled, these images might have remained anonymous fragments of the past. Instead, through family recognition and preservation, they now serve as vital historical evidence, offering a rare glimpse into one of the most destructive storms ever to strike Montgomery County.
The skeletal remains in this photo stand as a silent testament to the F3 twister that devastated northeastern Montgomery County. Photo by Lewis Reed
Today, nearly a century later, the 1929 tornado is remembered not only for its level of destruction, but for the resilience of those who endured it. And for the photographs that ensure their story is never lost.
Sources of Information:
A Fine Collection
The Montgomery County Sentinel, May 10, 1929
More Than Just Motors: The Enduring Link Between Reed Brothers Dodge and the MCPD
When you look back at the history of Montgomery County, Maryland, certain names are synonymous with the growth of the region. Reed Brothers Dodge is certainly one of them, but while we are often remembered as the first Dodge dealership in the area, our history is also deeply intertwined with the very foundation of the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD). This connection wasn’t just about the cars and motorcycles; it was about the people who kept them on the road.
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.
The relationship between Lewis Reed and the MCPD began on the department’s very first day of duty: July 4, 1922. On that historic morning, Chief Charles Cooley and his five original officers gathered at Reed Brothers Dodge to have their first official group photo taken. At the time, the department was a “mounted” unit on Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Because modern, branded dealerships didn’t exist yet, Reed Brothers served as a vital hub for sales and service. Lewis Reed and his brother Edgar were motorcycle enthusiasts who had founded Rockville’s Park Avenue Motorcycle Club a decade earlier in 1912, and their expertise made the dealership the natural home for the county’s early fleet. In those early days, each officer was allotted $300 a year for motorcycle upkeep, and our shop was where much of that vital work happened.
As the decades passed and the MCPD grew into a modern force, the need for expert maintenance grew with it. The department eventually established its own internal garage, but they didn’t have to look far to find the best talent to staff it. The “Reed Brothers standard” was so well-regarded that the police garage specifically recruited veteran mechanics from the dealership. By the late 1970s, two of our most skilled technicians, Ben McGowan and John Hall, transitioned from the service bays at Reed Brothers Dodge to work for the Montgomery County Police garage. Ben, an electrical and AC specialist, and John, a Maryland State Inspector and ASE-certified mechanic, brought a wealth of “under-the-hood” knowledge to the county.
This pipeline of talent from the dealership to the public sector highlights a beautiful piece of Rockville history. It shows that Reed Brothers Dodge was more than just a business; it was a training ground for the craftsmen who kept the county moving. When we see photos of those early 1922 officers on their Harleys or hear stories of the police fleet in the decades that followed, we aren’t just looking at machines. We are looking at the legacy of men like Lewis Reed, Ben McGowan, and John Hall– the hands that built, serviced, and supported the safety of our community for over a century.
First motorcycle club in Rockville, Maryland. One Harley Davidson, one Indian, and Three Excelsior motorcycles on Park Avenue, 1912. Lewis Reed, far left.
As the curator of these archives and the granddaughter of Lewis Reed, I feel a great sense of pride in preserving these connections. Seeing the faces of men like Ben McGowan and John Hall reminds me that our family business was built on the shoulders of dedicated craftsmen who served their neighbors and their county. It is a legacy of service that I am honored to document and share with you today.
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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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