Happy Birthday Edgar Reed!
Edgar Reed as a young man.
Edgar was born in Darnestown, Maryland on October 17, 1890. If he were still around he would be 129 years old today. Edgar was a veteran of World War I and an active citizen of Rockville. He served as a Sergeant in the Army Medical Corps and had been posted to General Hospital No. 11 in Cape May, New Jersey. Previous to his enlistment he had been employed by R.W. Vinson, Rockville druggist for eight years. In 1919, Edgar joined his brother Lewis Reed in the business and the name changed to Reed Brothers Dodge. Edgar was in the automobile business with his brother for 35 years.
As a prominent businessman active in local commercial, civic, and religious institutions, Edgar was a respected community leader. For many years, he served on the Town Council and was Chairman of Stewards at the Rockville Methodist Church. Edgar was an original incorporator and charter member of the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department when the fire company was organized in 1921. He was a charter member and Past President of the Rockville Rotary Club and was a director of the Farmers Banking & Trust Company in Rockville until the time of his death. He was the first President and one of 30 original members of the Dealers Automotive Association of Montgomery County.
Edgar was the executive of Reed Brothers and handled all of the technicalities of the business. He was generally in charge of new car and truck sales. Edgar Reed passed away on October 24, 1951 after a prolonged illness.
Meet Edgar Reed
Meet Edgar Reed, partner with brother Lewis Reed, in Reed Brothers Dodge.
Edgar Reed as a young man
Edgar was born in Darnestown, Maryland on October 17, 1890. He was a veteran of World War I and an active citizen of Rockville. He served as a Sergeant in the Army Medical Corps and had been posted to General Hospital No. 11 in Cape May, New Jersey. Previous to his enlistment he had been employed by R.W. Vinson, Rockville druggist for eight years. In 1919, Edgar joined his brother Lewis Reed in the business and the name changed to Reed Brothers Dodge. Edgar was in the automobile business with his brother for 35 years.
As a prominent businessman active in local commercial, civic, and religious institutions, Edgar was a respected community leader. For many years, he served on the Town Council and was Chairman of Stewards at the Rockville Methodist Church. Edgar was an original incorporator and charter member of the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department when the fire company was organized in 1921. He was a charter member and Past President of the Rockville Rotary Club and was a director of the Farmers Banking & Trust Company in Rockville until the time of his death. He was the first President and one of 30 original members of the Dealers Automotive Association of Montgomery County.
Edgar was the executive of Reed Brothers and handled all of the technicalities of the business. He was generally in charge of new car and truck sales. Edgar Reed passed away on October 24, 1951 after a prolonged illness.
Oct 1915: Where It All Started
This photograph of the original 1915 Rockville Garage shows a 1916 model 44 Oldsmobile with V8 and sedan body parked in front. The original owners of Rockville Garage are standing in front. From left: Roy Warfield – Lewis Reed – Griffith Warfield. (click on photo to enlarge)
This is where it all began, 99 years ago in October of 1915. Reed Brothers was franchised as a Dodge dealership and service facility in October 1915, only one year after the first Dodge automobile was made. In 1914, Lewis Reed became a partner in Rockville Garage with Robert L. and Griffith Warfield. The Warfield brothers had purchased this building in July 1915, from Lee Ricketts and Sons who had the Overland Agency. The business continued to operate under the old name until it was changed at the suggestion of the late Judge Edward Peter shortly after Edgar Reed joined his brother.
Lewis Reed’s Rockville Garage sold more than just Dodges. During the early years, 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 1921.
In 1930. Reed Brothers added the Plymouth line. The first Plymouth was built in 1928 and Plymouths were sold at Reed Brothers until 1969, when the brand was given to the Chrysler dealers.
The actual story of how Lewis Reed was chosen for a Dodge Brothers Motor Car franchise is lost, but his legacy continued until 2009 as the oldest Dodge dealership under the same family ownership in Maryland, and one of the oldest in the entire nation.
Original Employees
This circa 1920s image shows some of the original sales and service staff of Lewis Reed’s Rockville Garage. Note that in the photo some of the men are wearing Gulf Gasoline attendant uniforms. The photo was taken in front of the vehicle entrance that led to the service department at the original Rockville Garage. (click on image to enlarge)
Rockville Garage Sales & Service Staff circa 1920s. Back Row, standing left to right: name unknown, Charles Case Merry, Lester Wilson, Leonard Beall, John William Norris, name unknown, Leo C. Murray. Second Row: name unknown, name unknown, Otis Beall (Leonard’s brother), Philip Reed, Clyde Souders, Arthur Souders. Front row: middle. Walter (Bud) Beall. Lewis Reed’s brother, Philip, came to work for Reed Brothers as a mechanic in 1916. The men dressed in uniforms were Gulf gas station attendants. The identities of the other people in the photo are unknown.
Other Original Employees
Raleigh S. Chinn, Rockville, started as Salesman with Reed Brothers in 1920
Evelyn Beane, Administrative Secretary
Paul F. Wire, Bookkeeper
W. Lester Wilson, Rockville, started in 1918 as Shop Foreman and stayed for 28 years
Alfred Fraley, Redland, started in 1917 as a mechanic and stayed for more than 30+ years
Benjamin J. Thompson, Colesville, started in 1917 as Salesman and stayed for 30+ years
Phillip Reed (a brother), started in 1916 as a mechanic. Phillip was a part of the first shop force and stayed with the company until 1944
Grafton Reed (a brother), worked as a mechanic in 1921
Leo (Pat) Murray started in 1925 and was the Parts Department Manager. Pat worked at Reed Brothers for more than 21 years
Richard C. Burdette, Rockville, mechanic
John Burdette, Gaithersburg, Gas Station Attendant
Marvin Riggs Shultz Sr, Gulf Gas Station Manager, started in 1941. In 1965, he became a new car salesman. He stayed with Reed Brothers for 43 years and holds the distinction of being the company’s longest-tenured employee.
Mary Ann (Slater) Beall, Rockville, Bookkeeper
Guy Merry
Aubrey Souders
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.
Reed Brothers Dodge History 1915 – 2012 
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