High Flying History: When the Goodyear Blimp Came to Rockville
A Night on the Mooring Mast
According to a 1938 report from The Montgomery County Sentinel, the visit was far more than a simple flyover; it was a full-scale community event that turned Rockville into a temporary hub of aeronautical wonder. Local residents, who had long wondered how such a massive airship could be anchored away from a permanent dock, were given the rare opportunity to see a mobile mooring mast in action as the Enterprise stayed overnight.
The spectacle wasn’t limited to the skies, as Reed Brothers also sponsored a “Life Guard” tire demonstration to prove the safety of Goodyear’s latest technology. In a display that had to be seen to be believed, a car traveling at upwards of 60 miles per hour underwent a deliberate blowout to demonstrate that it could maintain control without serious consequences. This high-speed event was conducted with the full cooperation of local police authorities, who assisted in managing the crowds that gathered to witness the future of automotive safety and aviation.
A Ride to Remember (From the Womb)
History is often best told through the personal stories of those who lived it. One of the most charming accounts of the Enterprise’s visit comes from Janice Beall Taylor, whose parents both worked at the dealership in the 1930s.
Her mother, Mary Anna Slater, was the bookkeeper at Reed Brothers and was eight and a half months pregnant at the time of the blimp’s arrival. Not wanting to miss the chance of a lifetime, Mary Anna called her physician, Dr. Hartley, to ask if it was safe to fly.
Only if I can go, too!” the doctor reportedly replied.
True to his word, the doctor and the expectant mother took to the skies. Janice often jokes with her children that she technically enjoyed her first blimp ride two weeks before she was even born!
Preserving the Legacy
The visit of the Goodyear Blimp was more than a marketing stunt; it was a moment that captured the imagination of a generation. Thanks to Lewis Reed’s foresight in bringing his camera into the cockpit, we have a permanent record of Rockville’s landscape from a time when “aerial photography” was a daring new frontier.
Today, these images serve as a bridge to the past, reminding us of the days when a silver giant in the sky could bring an entire city to a standstill.
July 7, 1928: The Automobile That Helped Build Chrysler and Became Part of Rockville History
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘇’𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝗱𝗴𝗲-𝗣𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘁. Embroidered with the dealership’s name, it reflects the years when Reed Brothers proudly represented both Dodge and Plymouth.
In 1930, Reed Brothers expanded its showroom by adding the Plymouth line, marking an important milestone in the dealership’s history. When Plymouth debuted in 1928, franchises were reserved exclusively for Chrysler dealers. Two years later, Chrysler opened the brand to Dodge and DeSoto dealerships, allowing established dealers like Reed Brothers to offer the new low-priced automobile. With the addition of Plymouth, the dealership officially became Reed Brothers Dodge-Plymouth, broadening its appeal to a growing market of budget-conscious buyers.
The timing proved ideal. As the nation entered the Great Depression, Plymouth quickly emerged as one of America’s three best-selling automobile brands, joining Ford and Chevrolet at the top of the industry. More than just a successful new model, Plymouth became the financial backbone of Chrysler Corporation. Its combination of affordability, dependability, and advanced engineering attracted thousands of customers during the country’s most difficult economic years. The steady sales of Plymouth automobiles helped sustain Chrysler through the Depression and played a pivotal role in securing the company’s future as one of Detroit’s major automakers.
For Reed Brothers Dodge-Plymouth, the addition of the Plymouth franchise brought many new customers through the showroom doors in Rockville. Families who wanted the quality and engineering of a Chrysler-built automobile at an affordable price found exactly what they were looking for in Plymouth. The brand would remain an important part of the dealership’s identity for nearly four decades.
Below: Salesman Raleigh Chinn’s business card, printed after 1930, reflects the dealership’s new identity as Reed Brothers Dodge-Plymouth following the addition of the Plymouth franchise.
Business card courtesy of Jane C. Sween,
104 Years Ago, Six Men and Five Motorcycles Launched Montgomery County’s First Police Department
The first Montgomery County Police Department Motor Unit, photographed outside Reed Brothers Dodge in Rockville on July 4, 1922. Chief Charles Cooley (center) stands with Officers Earl Burdine, Lawrence Clagett, Guy Jones, Leroy Rodgers, and Oscar Gaither beside their Harley-Davidson motorcycles on the day the department officially began operations. Photograph by Lewis Reed.
On the morning of July 4, 1922, a small group assembled outside Reed Brothers Dodge in Rockville to mark the beginning of a new era in Montgomery County’s history. Chief Charles Cooley and five motorcycle officers had been appointed to form the county’s first organized police department. Before they departed on their inaugural patrols, local photographer Lewis Reed preserved the moment with his camera.
The photograph captures Officers Earl Burdine, Lawrence Clagett, Guy Jones, Chief Charles Cooley, Leroy Rodgers, and Oscar Gaither standing beside their Harley-Davidson motorcycles. More than a century later, it remains one of the earliest surviving images of the Montgomery County Police Department and a remarkable record of law enforcement in its infancy.
New Police Force Installed
As reported in the Montgomery County Sentinel, July 7, 1922
The officers of the Montgomery County Police Department were installed in office at the Court House on Tuesday, July 4, 1922. A goodly number of persons were present to witness the ceremony. This new force is a novelty now upon trial, introduced by an Act of the last Legislature for Maryland, and it is the general impression that it will prove to be a worthy innovation in behalf of peaceful government.
The force is composed of six members: Chief Charles T. Cooley and Privates Oscar T. Gaither, Leroy Rodgers, Earl Burdine, Guy L. Jones, and Lawrence Clagett. They filed into the courtroom wearing their new uniforms of gray whipcord cloth and their weapons, taking their seats in a line facing the Judge’s bench.
The program began with the police officers taking their oaths, administered by Mr. Ray, followed by the presentation of certificates of appointment by President Benjamin Perry of the Board of County Commissioners.
The ceremony concluded with brief speeches by Judge E. C. Peter and State’s Attorney Thomas L. Dawson.
Judge Peter addressed the new force, congratulating them on their appointment but warning them sternly against bribery, petty jealousy, and “winking at crime.” He encouraged them to uphold order, peace, and dignity in the county by strictly enforcing police laws against all offenders without fear or favor. He emphasized that the State stood behind them in their work, and that their duty was to maintain their honor and make the laws “masters of this land”.
State’s Attorney Dawson advised the officers to keep detailed records of all dates and circumstances in cases they dealt with, which he noted would lead to the “economizing of time” and the “swift and indubitable conviction of offenders”.
It was established that the new police force would work in harmony with, rather than interfere with, the work of the Sheriff’s office. Regarding compensation, the Chief of the force was to receive $1,800 a year, while each private was set to receive $1,500. Additionally, each officer was allowed $300 a year for the upkeep of his motorcycle.
The Montgomery County these officers served was a rural community of fewer than 35,000 residents. Modern police communications did not yet exist. Officers relied on telephones at the courthouse and local firehouses, while a flashing signal light atop the Red Brick Courthouse summoned them when emergencies arose. It was a simple but effective system for an era before radios and patrol cars became standard equipment.
The Red Brick Courthouse in Rockville, photographed by Lewis Reed in 1914. Just eight years later, the courthouse became the headquarters of Montgomery County’s newly established Police Department, where officers reported for duty and received emergency calls before the era of police radios.
Lewis Reed’s 1922 image records the birth of Montgomery County’s Police Department at a time when motorcycles replaced horses, rural roads linked isolated communities, and professional law enforcement was becoming an essential public service.
Today, this remarkable photograph remains an enduring testament to both the officers who answered the county’s first call to duty and the photographer whose work continues to preserve Montgomery County’s rich history.
Inventing the Scene: Lewis Reed’s Composite Experiment
Not everything in the Reed Collection is what it seems. This early composite by Lewis Reed shows how he experimented with illusion long before Photoshop.
This unusual photograph offers a rare glimpse into the experimental side of early 20th-century photography. Created by Lewis Reed at a time when cameras relied on glass plate negatives and hand-mixed chemicals, the image reflects a period when photographers were not only documentarians, but also inventors; pushing the boundaries of what the medium could achieve.
At first glance, the scene appears to show a peaceful gathering along a wooded stream. Yet the composition quickly reveals signs of careful manipulation. The curved form across the top of the image, resembling the back of a chair or decorative arch, does not belong to the natural landscape. Its texture and sharp edge cut through the sky and treetops, suggesting it was introduced from a separate negative.
The figures also feel slightly detached from their surroundings. Their contrast is stronger, their edges more defined, and the lighting on each does not quite match. Most intriguingly, the woman seated on the ground appears to be the same woman standing between the two men. This repetition is a clear sign that Reed reused the same subject in different positions, further revealing the layered nature of the image and his playful approach to composition.
Such composite images were created through a painstaking darkroom process. Photographers used masking techniques, layered glass plate negatives, and contact printing to merge multiple exposures into a single print. These “trick photographs,” as they were often called, were popular between the late 1890s and the 1920s and were meant to entertain, surprise, and demonstrate technical skill.
This photograph stands as evidence of Lewis Reed’s curiosity and craftsmanship. While he is best known for documenting everyday life and early automotive history, this image reveals another side of his work–one rooted in imagination, experimentation, and the early artistry of the photographic medium.
From Auto Dealer to Bank Director: Edgar Reed’s Legacy of Trust in Rockville History
Farmers Banking and Trust building, 1930. From the collections of Peerless Rockville (Malcolm Walter collection)
For decades, Edgar Reed wore two hats that helped shape the future of Rockville. Best known as the co-founder of Reed Brothers Dodge, he was also a longtime Director of Farmers Banking and Trust Company, providing steady leadership to one of the community’s most important financial institutions while helping build Maryland’s oldest family-owned Dodge dealership.
A Timeline of Trust in the Montgomery County Sentinel
Beyond putting Montgomery County on wheels, Edgar Reed was a foundational figure in Rockville’s financial sector and civic life. In addition to his formidable 18-year tenure as a Director of Farmers Banking and Trust, he served as acting mayor of Rockville, President of the Montgomery County Municipal League, and was a charter member of both the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department and the Rockville Rotary Club.
Archival accounts from the Montgomery County Sentinel offer a vivid window into how Reed’s 18-year tenure began during one of the most volatile eras in American banking, maintaining an unbroken line of stewardship through mid-century:
- May 4, 1933 — “Richard F. Green Elected President of Farmers Bank”: Following the historic federal banking holidays of that spring, the Sentinel recorded the vital restructuring of the institution. Under the newly elected leadership of President Richard F. Green, Farmers Banking and Trust positioned itself as a bedrock of regional commerce. Edgar Reed’s appointment to this resilient board of directors signaled to local farmers and merchants that their capital was guarded by hands thoroughly invested in the community’s future.
- July 12, 1934 — Annual Meeting Updates: As the federal government rolled out stringent New Deal regulations to patch the holes in the American financial system, the newspaper reaffirmed the bank’s steady, prosperous course, detailing Reed’s ongoing, active oversight at the annual meetings.
- January 10, 1935 — “Report of Condition of Farmers’ Banking and Trust Company”: Published statements of condition from this era routinely listed the directors responsible for the bank’s assets. Reed’s name on these public reports stood as a symbol of accountability as the institution steadily rebuilt local consumer confidence during the later years of the Depression.
- January 27, 1938 — “Upper County Banks Elect 1938 Officers and Directors”: On the eve of World War II, the Sentinel highlighted the continuity of Rockville’s financial leadership, noting Reed’s steady re-election to the board as the county seat began transitioning from an agricultural hub into a modern center.
- January 13, 1944 — “Report of Condition of Farmers’ Banking and Trust Company”: In the thick of wartime home-front financing, official bank reports continued to list Reed as a vital director, steering institutional support toward war bonds and keeping local credit fluid despite strict wartime supply controls.
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November 1, 1951 — “Edgar Reed” (Obituary): Following his passing on October 24, 1951, the Sentinel paid final tribute to Reed’s life of service. His obituary cemented his legacy not just as a pioneering auto dealer, but as an unwavering financial steward who gave nearly two decades of continuous devotion to the stability of Rockville.
A New Chapter: The Montgomery History Center
The historic Art Deco building at 4 Courthouse Square in Rockville, captured during its years operating as an M&T Bank branch prior to its acquisition by Montgomery History. (Image source: Google Street View)
In January 2025, Montgomery History purchased the historic 4 Courthouse Square building with a grand vision for its future. The organization is currently transforming the historic Art Deco structure into its permanent headquarters: the Montgomery History Center.
Scheduled to open in 2026, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of Montgomery County, the newly renovated space will serve as a vibrant community hub. The center will feature spaces for historical exhibits, lectures, and community receptions, as well as the new home of the Jane Sween Research Library and Special Collections.
Though the day-to-day records of Edgar Reed’s era are gone, the building’s legacy of serving Montgomery County endures. By adaptive reuse of this architectural landmark, the stories of early 20th-century leaders like Edgar Reed will live on, anchoring the community’s past directly into its future.
Sources of Information:
“Richard F. Green Elected President of Farmers Bank.” Montgomery County Sentinel, May 04, 1933
“Report of Condition of Farmers’ Banking and Trust Company.” Montgomery County Sentinel, Thursday, January 10, 1935
“Upper County Banks Elect 1938 Officers and Directors.” Montgomery County Sentinel, Thursday, January 27, 1938
“Report of Condition of Farmers’ Banking and Trust Company.” Montgomery County Sentinel, Thursday, January 13, 1944
“Edgar Reed.” Montgomery County Sentinel, November 01, 1951
Hedlund, Sarah. “History of the Farmers Banking and Trust Company building” February 2026.
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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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